Dear Readers, here comes an info-packed Have Swag Will Travel guest post with book event insights and experiences from author Mary Boone. Mary has written more than 70 nonfiction books for young readers, so she certainly has a heap of book event experiences to draw from. Her most recent titles include Unfathomable: 20 (Wild but True) Stories of the Sea (Bright Matter/Penguin Random House) and The Flying Feminist (Andersen Press), which is coming out .... soon!
Take it away, Mary!
 |
| by Mary Boone and Andrea Turk |
My Spicy KidLit Opinions (That Absolutely Nobody Asked For)
by Mary Boone
I just had a book's release date delayed – AFTER its release date. If you’ve ever had travel plans derailed after you’ve settled into your seat on the plane, you know the feeling.
So yes, I’m feeling a little spicy.
Which makes this the perfect time to share a few of my kidlit hot takes regarding book activities and swag. Some of these are opinions I’ve held for years. Others have developed after countless school visits, bookstore events, library programs, conferences, and festivals.
Agree. Disagree. Tell me I have no idea what I’m talking about. That’s half the fun.
1. Coloring sheets are not crafts.
I know that this one may be controversial, but I said what I said. I believe if you’re invited to lead a story and craft time at a bookstore or library, the craft needs be something, well … crafty!
Don’t get me wrong. Coloring has its place. It’s calming. It’s inexpensive. It’s easy. It buys parents five peaceful minutes while they finish their coffee. But it’s also something most kids do ALL.THE.TIME.
If your event promises a craft, build a paper airplane, fold an origami raccoon, or create a shark with a moving jaw. Fold, tape, experiment, invent.
Kids probably won’t remember which crayon they used to color a fish, but they’ll remember that you taught them a technique or exposed them to craft materials they’ve never used before.
2. The best book crafts are going to require prep work.
Want booksellers, librarians, and parents to be wowed by how easily preschoolers were able to create adorable book-related crafts? The key is pre-planning and, perhaps, a bit of prep work.
As a parent I was never keen on crafts that required me to lug around mosaics covered in drippy glue or clay masterpieces that may never harden, I love a craft that can be FINISHED in just a couple of minutes. No waiting. No dry time. Just finish and go. That means, that double-stick tape with an adhesive backing has become my best friend. (Here’s a link to the one I’ve been using.)
I started using this tape with the fish kites we made in conjunction with my book School of Fish.
I knew kids would love decorating their fish and choosing their crepe paper streamers, but also I knew families would hate the mess of liquid glue or even glue sticks. A couple strips of double stick tape proved to be such a great solution, I’ve used it with many book projects since, and I’ve also added adhesive-backed googly eyes, adhesive dots, and self-adhesive pin backs to my craft bag.
While promoting my book Pedal Pusher, I knew that I wanted to help kids create bike drivers’ licenses and I very briefly thought about hauling a small laminating machine to events. Too complicated – too much risk a kid might touch something hot! So, I searched for solutions and found small badge-size lamination pouches that required no heat and no machine. All this is to say there often are products out there that will make things easier.
Craft prep may also mean that I pre-cut ribbons or punch holes. Kids still get to choose colors and styles, but I do whatever I can to simplify the process and minimize the mess. “Engineering” crafts that are fun, easy, and memorable is now one of my favorite things.
3. People don’t want stickers advertising your book.
That giant sticker of your book cover? Your mom may put it on her laptop, but most folks won’t. A funny shark wearing sunglasses? A cricket accompanied by the proclamation “I Ate a Bug.” Those are the types of stickers that may actually make it onto someone’s water bottle.
The best swag doesn’t feel like advertising. It feels like something people genuinely want. If your sticker can exist independently of your book and still make someone smile, you’ve probably designed a winner.
4. No one has ever thought: I wasn’t going to buy this book … but then I got a sticker/pen/bookmark.
If I have $100 to spend on an event, I’m putting it toward an activity or experience before I buy a single giveaway.
I’ve watched kids taste roasted crickets and build aluminum foil boats to see whose design stays afloat the longest. I’ve invited young readers to fly paper airplanes across a bookstore and to use magnetic poles to “fish” for salmon trivia questions. Months later, those are the moments they tell me about – not the bookmark I gave them.
Experiences become stories. Stories become memories. And those memories become connected to your book in a way a pencil or button almost never will.
5. Bookmarks should earn their keep.
If you decide to create bookmarks (I often do, there’s nothing wrong with doing so!) make sure they’re memorable. If your bookmark is just your book cover printed on cardstock, then it’s basically a tiny flyer.
Give me something fun instead. Include odd facts. Add some jokes or conversation starters. Make it something worth keeping even after they’ve finished the book.
For my newest book, The Flying Feminist, I skipped bookmarks in favor of female aviator trading cards. Could you stick one between the pages of a book? Sure. But you could also trade them with your friends, learning about the amazing accomplishments of women like Betty Skelton, Bessie Coleman, and Katrina Mumaw along the way.
6. Adults love kid swag.
This is only a hot take if you haven’t spent much time around teachers, librarians, booksellers, parents, or conference volunteers.
I have watched fully grown adults light up over stickers. I’ve had librarians ask, “May I have one?” before kids even enter the room. Sometimes I think I’m ordering stickers for educators and kids are simply a delightful bonus. That’s OK.
Adults are typically the people recommending, purchasing, shelving, and sharing our books. If they leave smiling, it’s a huge win!
7. Swag isn’t absolutely necessary.
Not every title needs branded pencils, temporary tattoos, tote bags, magnets, buttons, activity sheets, postcards, bookmarks, coloring pages, and six different sticker designs.
Sometimes the most memorable thing you can offer is a fantastic read-aloud, an engaging conversation, and a kid who leaves excited to read the book.
That’s pretty great swag.
Wow, Mary! What fantastic tips. I've done hundreds of book events over the years, and I still gained some very valuable ideas and insights! Thanks so much for sharing your experience with us!
And now, dear readers, you know what to do. The best way to thank an author whose insights have been helpful and/or inspiring to you is to support their work. Buy their books. Request them from your library. Read and share them with others. Mary's books are available everywhere books are borrowed and sold, including your own local, indie bookstore, or online at bookshop.org. *Disclosure: As an affiliate of Bookshop.org I may earn a small commission from books purchased through links on this post.
**********
**********
Have Swag Will Travel: Tips for Planning Book Events is an occasional feature of Dawn Babb Prochovnic's blog. Dawn is the author of multiple picture books including, Lucy's Blooms, Where Does a Cowgirl Go Potty?, Where Does a Pirate Go Potty?, 16 books in the Story Time With Signs & Rhymes series, and the forthcoming title, Mama's Home (and Baby Too!). Dawn is a contributing author to the award-winning book, Oregon Reads Aloud, and a frequent presenter at schools, libraries, and educational conferences. Contact Dawn using the form at the left, or learn more at www.dawnprochovnic.com. Subscribe to Dawn's newsletter and never miss an update.
No comments:
Post a Comment