Creativity and being an author – Swag edition

As most of you know, or, if you don’t, you will now – I’m prepping for Indie Book Fest in Orlando at the end of the month. There, you’ll be able to see me, as well as my co-author Rene Folsom, and some authors I completely fangirl over – like J. L. McCoy and K. S. Thomas and H. D. Smith and SO MANY MORE.

Anyway, one of the things that keeps coming up is ideas for creative swag, custom swag. And, after thinking about it, I realized I can come up with quite a few. I’m pretty sure I spammed a group post with about 20 of them.

So, if you are an author looking for some swag ideas, or a blogger or editor or anyone wanting neat ideas, have some.

A big thing to remember is to think OUTSIDE the box!

Ideas:

1. Get little refillable bottles, fill with your favorite liquid soap or lotion (so you can tell people what it is) and add your sticker or logo.
2. If you write erotica: buy some small soaps and add either your sticker or a cheeky “Dirty? Get clean!”
3. Visit a thrift store and pick up random buttons. In a clear small jewelry bag/ziploc bag, add a couple buttons, needle, thread, and your business card. “Use for quick fix!”
4. Have some pennies laying around? (I DO!) Drill a hole in the top, add some jump rings (available for cheap on Amazon) and you have a charm for necklaces, bracelets, or key chains!
5. Buy a bunch of boxes of popcorn from the dollar store and add your business card to each. You can also add a little note: “Don’t forget to eat while you read!”
6. What about when the power goes out?! Easy fix! Little emergency tea lights in a bag with a note “Emergency reading light”
7. Even simpler. We all know chocolate can fix most problems, right? So get Hershey’s chocolates! “In case of plot emergency, eat me.”
8. One of my favorite things are Little Debbies cakes. Amazingly, they are available for purchase at a lot of Dollar Stores! “Something sweet to balance the steamy”
9. Custom labels are pretty cheap on Etsy, where they can design it (with your help!) and you can print them. Add them to little bottles of water! Everyone needs to stay hydrated.
10. Number 9 can also work with candy bars!
11. If you can manage in the kitchen bake some sugar cookies (if you aren’t a Cake Boss, you can buy premade dough) – cookie cutters are super affordable and can be found for pretty much everything in the world. Put them in a goodie bag (available at Michaels) and attach your business card.
12. Sodas, mini bags of chips/snacks, all things that come individually packaged can be made into swag too – using the same strategies as above. Everyone loves food and snacks, ESPECIALLY when they’re reading and tend to forget!

These are just a few ideas. I’ll try to remember to post some more to share when I can…
Fellow author friends, just keep this in mind:

Readers WANT to meet you. More so, they want to remember you. You don’t HAVE to have basic or fancy swag. Usable swag, things that make them smile or laugh, can go just as far as swag that costs $25 for 4 pieces.

Much love,

XOXO

-J