swag | The Shared Desk

Special thanks to Corbin J Drake for the photo.

This Dog Days of Podcasting covers that often-discussed topic amongst authors: Self-promotion. Tee-shirts, sticky notes, stylus-pen hybrids, and USB drives — the business of swag is a big one, but is it worth it? Will free stuff bring you new and loyal readers, or will you be known for the author giving away the best, coolest stuff? How would you prefer to be remembered?

Remember — it’s not about the swag.

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Find Tee on Twitter here,
leave a voicemail or questions for the Dog Days of Podcasting at 703.791.1701,
or leave us a comment here at the blog.
I’ll talk about it!

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Newly acquired drop-in’s. A flashback to the days of The Survival Guide. A movie review, and Pip’s bunk moment with Idris Elba. Get ready for another episode of The Shared Desk where Tee and Pip go into convention and book signing preparation. What do you carry with you from appearance to appearance?

00:00 — Introduction

Holy Moses, two episodes in one month?!
Pip’s having a ‘Driis Moment….
Three weeks have gone by…
- Katie and Heather have come and gone…
- Pip’s on a blog tour…
- Book release on book release from Fort Kickass!
- Tee’s switching gears with Kindle Worlds and writing for Bloodshot.
- Kickstarter anthology is now in layout phase…
- …and we’d better get the look of the eBook right, otherwise we bring the wrath of Lou Anders!
Busy, busy three weeks!

8:20 — The Writer’s Kit and Freebies for Fans

Stepping back into the (too-loud) T.A.R.D.I.S. to journey back to the days of The Survival Guide to Writing Fantasy
How do we pack for a trip? (Following the advice of Chuck Wendig…)
A quick tangent for Johnny Depp and his focused crazy in Bat Country.
What are you keeping your kit in? Here’s ours…
What is in our Kit?
- The Square (Oh how Tee loves the Square…)
- Starting cash and change (roughly $30)
- Pens, pens, and pens…and a Sharpie.
- A stylus for the Square
- Lucky Charms (not the cereal, but the mascots that travel with you…)
- Lanyard 101
- Hand sanitizer
- Carmex. Best — lip balm — EVAR!
- Wisps. Just in case you indulge in the garlic hummus in the Green Room right before your signing…
What’s your giveaway swag?
- Your swag may vary, but put some thought into your giveaway items.
- Book cover buttons
- Bookmarks
- Business cards, and making the most of the design
- Post It notes
- Postcards for friends of the Ministry
Where and when do you take your kit?
Prioritizing your freebies (with approval from the kitteh) — What do you get first, and how much do you invest?
Clever swag vs. bad swag vs. “You spent how much on that?!”

31:44 — Writers Off the Clock

Pip needs to remember what our bumpers sound like…
Here comes the spoilers and the geekgasm that is…
Tee demanded giant robots kicking the crap out of robots, and del Toro delivers.
Kick back for some love from us for the ‘Dris.
Why IMAX 3-D really works for Pacific Rim
The plot summary…
PIP RAGE: Mako is a STRONG FEMALE CHARACTER…and enjoying a memory of ‘Dris.
Chuck Wendig’s review of Pacific Rim — a nice sum-up.
Comparing Armageddon and the redeux of Godzilla against Pacific Rim
Applying attention to the details
del Toro made this film a fun homage to Godzilla and anime.
Jack Mangan: Best Pacific Rim review EVAR!

46:22 — The Wrap-Up

For those of you jumping ahead, GO SEE PACIFIC RIM!!!!
Where we are headed next…
- Write by the Rails — this week with Nick and Stacia Kelly — July 18, 7:00 p.m.
- Talking about steampunk in Yorktown, VA, July 30 at 7:00 p.m.
- Authors After Dark in Savanna, GA
- ~~Dragon*Con in Atlanta, GA~~ (but Tee gives a little bit of a vent on this…)
Signing off with help from a script.

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Find us on Twitter at either Tee’s or Pip’s account,
leave us a voicemail or question for the show at 703.791.1701,
or leave us a comment here at the blog.

Enjoy the ride

and we’ll catch you later.

Tag Archives: swag

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Episode #23: A Writer’s Kit and Giveaway Swag

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