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Kate Willoughby

USA Today Bestselling Author

  • USA Today Bestselling Author

04.22.2009 Books, Questions

Promo Swag

Does free stuff make you want to buy the product? Many writers I know spend a lot of money on pens, pocket mirrors, emery boards, refrigerator magnets, bookmarks, etc. in order to promote their books. I wonder if it’s worth it. Because, personally, I’ve only ever once bought a book because of something I got for free at a conference. Guess what that item was?

A book.

Yep. The only thing that’s prompted me to actually buy someone’s book is another one of their books. None of that other stuff works with me.

What about you? Do bookmarks and the like move you to action?

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Comments

  1. Robin says

    04.22.2009 at 6:12 pm

    I totally agree with you!

  2. Cassandra says

    04.23.2009 at 12:39 pm

    I love the bookmarks and stuff, but have any of them prompted me to buy a book? Probably a few.

    Someone sent me a Roxanne St. Claire bookmark and I read the plotline and thought it sounded intriguing. The next time I was at Borders, I saw the book, took it off the shelf and sat down to read the first few pages. I was hooked so I bought it. 🙂

    I loved the book, so I watched for her next release and bought it as well.

    What works really well to motivate me to buy a book? Sample chapters. Excerpts. Basically free reads.

  3. Relaxed says

    04.25.2009 at 12:01 pm

    Kate,

    So true! All those freebies are meant to make you remember the author/book. But nothing replaces the book. I often read parts of books I think I want to purchase at the library or a bookstore first.

  4. Lucie Simone says

    04.27.2009 at 7:14 pm

    I agree. I got a free book once that I loved and so have been buying all that author’s work ever since. But when it comes to pens, writing pads, bookmarks, buttons, magnets and the rest, I just toss ’em.

  5. Kate Willoughby says

    04.29.2009 at 1:49 am

    Yes, I was just at the library an hour ago and blurbs and first pages are what make me check it out.

    You ‘n me, Lucie. Except I use the stuff like emery boards. I got a calculator once that I still use. I remember Gayle Wilson gave it away, but I’ve never bought one of her books.

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USA Today Bestselling Author Kate Willoughby happily writes her contemporary hockey romances in Southern California. She is married and has two sons and a Chihuahua. When she’s not writing, she’s watching hockey. When it’s not hockey season, she whines a lot.

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