YA Author Annie Sullivan on Creating Swag that Works

Most authors will agree that the creative part of the job is where we excel, the business and marketing side, slightly less. It’s lovely when the two can meet in the form of SWAG – Shit We All Generate. I’ve invited some published authors to share with us their secret to swag… little freebies that can sell a book longer after the author is no longer standing in front of a prospective reader. In order to create great swag, you have to be crafty – in more ways than one.

Today’s guest for the SWAG is Annie Sullivan, the author of the young adult novels A Touch of Gold, Tiger Queen, and A Curse of Gold. She lives in Indianapolis, Indiana, and she loves fairytales, everything Jane Austen, and traveling and exploring new cultures. When she’s not off on her own adventures, she’s working as the Senior Copywriter at John Wiley and Sons, Inc. publishing company, having also worked there in Editorial and Publicity roles. She loves to hear from fans, and you can reach her on Twitter and Instagram.

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Finding something that represents your book and hasn’t been played out by a million authors before is difficult. What’s your swag?

The swag I send out depends on the book. For my first book, A Touch of Gold, I found these amazing gold compact mirrors in the shape of a rose to send out to all those who preordered. It fit perfectly with the golden hand holding a gold rose on the cover of the book. I also did bookmarks, bookplates, and a digital map of the world. 

For my second book, Tiger Queen, I did enamel pins of the book cover that really stood out because of the tiger eyes depicted on them. I will say those pins were hard to mail since I had to wrap them well so they wouldn’t ruin anything else in the package of tear through the envelope. With those, I also sent bookmarks and signed bookplates. Then, I sent a digital poster and guide to the creatures that live in that world digitally. Also, since Tiger Queen is set in a desert that’s running out of water, I also had some custom water bottles made with the book cover and tagline on them. I gave those out at conferences, and they were a big hit.

Finally, for my new novel, A Curse of Gold, I’m leaning toward something that’s easier to send because of the pandemic. So I’m exploring options like character art cards, posters, and digital content.

I always try to do a mix of digital and physical content so that people that like different types of SWAG have something that appeal to them. 

How much money per piece did your swag cost out of pocket?

A lot. I probably paid, including shipping, about $5+ total per person who got SWAG—and way more for international preorders. It was definitely a lot, and while I do typically see high preorder numbers because of it, it’s not something that’s sustainable for multiple books.

Do you find that swag helps you stand out at an event? (or) Does your swag draw people to your table at an event or conference?

For me, SWAG has always been more of a way to incentivize people to preorder my book. But if I have extras, I give them out as prizes at my book launch, conferences, or school visits. Having these items on your table can be a great way to get readers to approach you at an event because you can offer them something for free and then engage them to see what books they like to read.

What do you think of big item swag pieces versus cheaper, yet more easily discarded swag like bookmarks?

Personally, bookmarks always get lost or crushed in my bag as soon as I shove them in there. So while I definitely hand out bookmarks—almost like business cards—I prefer something more substantial that’s not going to be thrown out the second someone gets home from an event. Then again, bigger, more expensive items are harder to ship and cost more. So there’s a lot of give and take in what you decide to use for swag and what you think will resonate with your readers the most.

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What’s the most clever / best swag by another author?

Personally, I love posters of book covers. They aren’t horribly expensive, and if a reader loves a book or a cover, they’re more likely to display that then something that’s easily lost or wrinkled like a bookmark. For example, I love the Renegades poster I got at BookCon from Marissa Meyer. It’s a fun way to combine character art with book covers.

And the biggest question – do you think swag helps sell books?

Overall, yes. I think it can tip the scales for someone who might be on the fence about getting a book. When they see a cool preorder incentive, that might be the push they need to finally click that buy button. At least, that’s what I hope SWAG does!