“Katie! There’s a pretty package for you!” Martha said this morning when the mail arrived. For me?
Sure enough, the holographic, hot pink package was addressed to me, and inside was…
a galley of Bob Shea’s early reader Ballet Cat: The Totally Secret Secret (Disney-Hyperion, May 2015), a super-cute tote bag, and a letter addressed “Dear Friend of Ballet.” Being both a friend of ballet and a friend of cats, I claimed the tote bag before anyone else even got to see it. (MY Ballet Cat tote bag! MINE!)
Another recent delivery — also from Disney-Hyperion — was more conducive to sharing. A crate of apple-shaped stress balls emblazoned “Wickedly Good!,” “Bad Apple,” “Rotten to the Core,” etc., arrived to promote Melissa de la Cruz’s novel Isle of the Lost (May 2015).
Isle of the Lost is a prequel to the Disney Channel’s upcoming Descendants movie, which will follow the banished children of Disney villains such as Maleficent, Jafar, and Cruella De Vil. Tucked in with the “apples” was a note (which shrieks when you open it!) reading “We cordially dare you to share these wickedly good apples, produced on the Isle of the Lost.” All five stress balls went to happy homes on Horn Book desks.
Thanks, Disney-Hyperion!
The post New swag! appeared first on The Horn Book.
When my husband and I walked through the Harry Potter village in Universal Studios, Florida, we were once again hit by the magnitude of promotional materials for sale. Wands, stuffed animals, candy, eye balls, robes and hoods ... the list goes on and on. All the items available had me soon thinking, what if? What if my book became a movie, what would I want to sell as promotional items?
My first book, Memories Trail, is set in the early 1800's and I already have a poster of the Shawnee warrior, Tecumseh, available. I've sold as many as a few! I have a tomahawk for display and that weapon has helped make many a sale, but I don't know if I would want to promote such an item for profit. And I have to wonder if that is the mom in me and not the writer thinking about consequences rather than profit margins.
My second book, Promises To Keep, has a gambler and I have used a deck of cards as a sales promotion. I was invited to an Illinois Library Association luncheon and I placed a playing card at each table setting. I had to use two decks due to the size of the audience, so I was giving away two books when I would rather have given away only one. Whoever had the Queen of Hearts won a free book. The promotion caused quite a stir and everyone wondered what the cards were for and only when I was introduced did the purpose become evident. I knew then a deck of cards with my characters would be a good gimmick and a wonderful way to spread the word about my book.
Do you have a sales promotion in mind? Have you used something to promote your book? Would your characters and settings make for great promo material? Share with us!
Til next time ~
DL Larson
I usually review Chicano Kidlit or YA novels on La Bloga and I thought it would be fun to give you all a taste of some of the books I read and recommend on AmoxCalli. I've picked three of my favorite YA novels to give you a little taste of something different - The Lighthouse Land, Anahita's Woven Riddle and Castle Waiting. Enjoy!
Oh and by the way mis compadres y comadre - you've been tagged for the What Books I'm Reading meme. Check out AmoxCalli for the details.
The Lighthouse Land
Author: Adrian McKinty
Publisher: Amulet Books
ISBN-10: 081095480X
ISBN-13: 978-0810954809
Jamie O’Neill and his mother have it rough. Jamie’s lost his arm to bone cancer and since the amputation, isn’t speaking. His parents divorced while he was sick and now he and his mother live in a leaky apartment in Harlem. Things couldn’t get much worse for them but somehow Jamie and his mom are making things work.
Jamie has a friend, Thaddeus an older gentleman that he plays chess with who seems to understand his need to be silent. He’s also become quite adept at duct taping the windows to keep the snow out. Then one day a letter changes their lives. Jamie’s mother has inherited a house in Ireland along with the island it’s on and money to maintain it.
So off they go to Ireland and Thaddeus gifts him with a tablet laptop to help him communicate. Once they get to the coast of Ireland and their new home, they find that there’s also an old tower, a lighthouse on their land and that Jaime is descended from a line of Irish kings. Turns out Jamie gets a title as well, Laid Ui Neill, Lord of the Muck, Guardian of the Passage…yeah, Lord of the Muck. I thought that was hysterical.
Jamie quickly makes friends with Ramsey, a clever and mathematically brilliant boy of his own age. Together they discover a secret room in the tower and an object that takes them hurtling through a portal and into another world where they find an alien girl named Wishaway. Wishaway thinks that Jamie is the Ui Neill come to save her people from the Alkhavans, an evil pirating people who will enslave her race.
The Alkhavans travel the seas on ships made of ice that look like glaciers. It turns out that Jamie’s ancestors had saved her people before. Jamie. mysteriously in this world has both his voice and his lost arm. Now it is up to him and Ramsay to save the world and its people from destruction.
The Lighthouse Land is an astonishing tale of fantasy, sci-fi and ordinary life. I fell in love with McKinty’s writing from the very first two paragraphs. I fell in love with his way of writing a sentence. His use of language is gorgeous and lush while starkly simple.
“Through the window is the uncoiled arm of the Milky Way and the moon the color of narcissus.”
Isn’t that a great sentence? I can eat it, it’s so delicious!
The Lighthouse Land is the first in a planned trilogy and I for one, can’t wait till the next.
About the author:
Adrian McKinty, now a U.S. citizen, was born and grew up in Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland. Educated at Oxford University, he then immigrated to New York City, where he lived in Harlem for five years, working in bars and on construction crews, and enjoying a stint as a bookseller. The author of highly acclaimed crime novels that have earned starred reviews and universal praise, he currently lives in Denver, where he teaches high school.
Anahita’s Woven Riddle
Author: Meghan Nuttall Sayres
Publisher: Amulet
ISBN-10: 0810954818
ISBN-13: 978-0810954816
Anahita is a nomad teen aged girl living in early 20th century Iran who loves riddles. She’s also just a little too independent and innovative for her time and culture which causes dissent and trouble within her tribe. One day her father tells her that the Khan, an older man who’s had three wives all of whom have died under mysterious circumstances. Anahita is horrified and has absolutely no interest in marrying this man, but her father is under pressure by the Khan.
Anahita manages to convince her father and the mullah of the tribe to allow her to have a contest in which she will weave a riddle into her wedding carpet. The man to guess the riddle will have her as his bride. This causes more trouble within the tribe as well as jealousy. Why does Anahita get to choose her husband? Why is she so willful? The angry and overbearing Khan is determined to have Anahita and threatens the tribe with one thing after another, even going so far as to block their water which they desperately need. Anahita’s contest goes on however and the suitors start trying for her hand. There are three interesting men in particular vying for Anahita’s hand in marriage – a schoolteacher, a shepherd, and a prince.
Anahita’s Woven Riddle is an incredibly beautiful story rich with Persian culture. The descriptions of Anahita’s everyday life are so detailed and colorful. You can feel yourself on those mountains and hillsides, see the carpet she is weaving, smell the sheep and feel the wind.
I’m fascinated by the art of weaving so I loved the descriptions of her traveling with a caravan into the markets and picking out dyes for the dyemaster of her tribe.
Anahita’s Woven Riddle is a completely engrossing, different and fantastic tale. Highly recommended for anyone who is interested in expanding their world, learning about the history and culture of another land or anyone who just loves a good story.
Castle Waiting
Author: Linda Medley
Publisher: Fantagraphics
ISBN-10: 1560977477
ISBN-13: 978-1560977476
This wonderful graphic novel brings together the first twelve issues of the Eisner Award winning comic. It opens with
Brambly Hedge, a tale of a Sleeping Beauty with a twist. After Sleeping Beauty leaves with the prince the castle is left waiting. Her three ladies in waiting stay there and open it to people in need. The castle is infested with hobgoblins and is a little beat up but it welcomes the needy with open arms.
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Among its inhabitants are a pregnant woman on the run, Sir Destrier, a horse-headed knight who wants a place to rest between adventures; and Sister Peace, a bearded nun with a wild past. The women of the castle seem to love telling the stories of their lives and it is these stories that are the meat of
Castle Waiting.
Linda Medley has created a masterpiece of fantasy, fairytale and just plain good storytelling.
Castle Waiting is light-hearted, fun and different. The stories within stories are wonderful and the characters are multi-faceted and interesting. For me, Jain’s story was the most interesting. Jain was the pregnant woman on the run from an abusive nobleman husband and her tale was riveting and so different from the typical fairy tale.
The artwork is as light-hearted and fun as the story. The bearded nuns are a riot and really made me smile. Through the whole book with the intersecting stories is a thread of kindness and caring that really makes me smile. I love that Sleeping Beauty’s left behind castle is used to help those in need. I love the fact the women who remain have so much love to give to those who show up at the castle door and are willing to share whatever they have. I would have loved this book anyway but that just made it so much more special. Highly recommended.
For Two Wrongs, I gave away Frango mints, since they were mentioned in the book.
For Girl of My Dreams, I gave away sunglasses, since one seen was at Waikiki Beach.
For Killer Career I gave away memo pads and other items with loons on them, since loons are mentioned.
Also, tee shirts, tote bags, pens and other items for them all.
Morgan Mandel
http://morganmandel.blogspot.com
I can see the symberveen made into a stuffed animal. The symberveen are monsters with a bear muzzle. I would love to create a calender and other art items. That's I can think of at the moment.
Nancy
N. R. Williams, The Treasures of Carmelidrium
Great ideas, Morgan. Folks always like something to take with them and better yet ~ talk about your book!
Nancy, the symberveen monster sounds intriguing. And a calendar is a wonderful idea ~ hope you can promote both soon.
Thanks for sharing ~
DL Larson