Download cards - the idea here is that each card has a download code on it for the specific title. The cards I've created and printed myself, then purchased the codes from my publisher, printed those onto little stickers and added them to each card. This gives me something to display and something physical for a buyer to pick up and pay for. They then download the book from the site for free, having already paid for the card. On each I've put the cover, blurb, and full instructions on the back for use (plus contact details in case anything goes wrong). While I'm looking forward to having print books next year, this is awesome for anyone with only digital titles, with the advantage of it takes up far less space in your luggage than print books. I'll talk about creating these over on the Brigade blog after the event, so I can tell you how they sold (or didn't, as the case may be!)
Free Samples -
Both Breathless Press and Lycaon Press provide their authors with free pdf samples to print off or make available for download (I've put the downloads into my newsletter before now) so I've printed these off in booklet form to giveaway. These will be going into goodie bags with a Breathless Press pencil and a few bits of promo. I've also done some for my YA scifi Gethyon, so covering the three novel/novella length titles I have out. I haven't done this for the shorts since the samples would be too small to justify it. I'm hoping that even if the peeps who pick up these printed samples don't want to pay out for the book, they might take a peek at my cheaper/free shorter works since I've included a link to my website, as well as links to my publishers.
Goodie basket -
This contains a Wonderland Tales anthology from my publisher (twists on Alice In Wonderland stories written by the Breathless Press authors) and provided by Mia Aeon-Epsilon, a print edition of Tales from the SFR Brigade, a print copy of Ghost Planet by Sharon Lynn Fisher, and a notebook with the cover to my Halloween release, Hallow's Eve. Ticket sales will pay for posting it to the winner.
Promo materials -
Various. I have postcards, bookmarks, and business cards for my books, and postcards from Sabine Priestley and Rachel Leigh Smith (the latter will also be going in the free samples of Tethered as they're all SFR titles). I have free wristbands from Breathless Press that are eligible for a giveaway contest, pencils from the same that will be going into the goodie bags, and sweets to tempt people over. I'm also taking a clipboard for sign ups to my newsletter, if I can persuade people to sign up. I have SFR Brigade badges for myself and Misa, SFR stickers will be going on the Brigade material, and I have little promo cards for the Brigade and the anthology.
Myself -
I absolutely hate drawing attention to myself. But for the convention I'll be wearing a t-shirt with the cover to When Dark Falls (my daughter will be wearing one for Restless), my bright red brocade highwayman jacket, black leggings, black boots, bright red hair, and even nail varnish to match.
I'm hoping having someone younger on the table will make visitors feel less intimidated. Since she wants to become an author, I also think this will be good experience for her as much as for me. And her new favourite author is at the con (no, not me).
The tickets are bought, the outfit sorted, and hopefully by now everything is packed (at the time of writing this, it's Friday afternoon and I've barely finished printing the latest batch of free samples after spending a couple of hours fighting with the printer over cartridges. Ugh.) Next week I hope to tell you all about it, depending on how shattered I am and how much email I come back to.
Happenings
The cover reveal for my futuristic urban fantasy No Angel will take place on the 29th of October! This will be my last release for 2014, and possibly my last reveal for the year (I'm awaiting cover art for Zombie Girl, but since that isn't scheduled for release until late April 2015, I'm not rushing to reveal it before the end of 2014...assuming I have it). Apparently I gave the artist quite a headache with this one. The paranormal elements - no problem, but then she had to add a little scifi into it. It seems I make quite outrageous demands on my publisher's art department. :P
While I'm away, please keep checking out the posts and auctions at Scream! For the Cure and help support this great cause.
Pippa Jay, signing out...
Can't wait to hear all about your adventures at BristolCon, Pippa. Kudos to you for all your hard work in putting this together. I love that SFR had a presence at this big con, thanks to you and others who contributed.
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