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Promoting your Haiku 

When you're going to a haiku conference, consider bringing a freebie.

A freebie is a promotional item you give to attendees at a conference.

A freebie can take different forms: bookmarks, trifolds, postcards, 3D objects.

Bookmarks

• Bookmarks are a great promotional tool for writers and poets. To create a good bookmark for your next haiku conference, you’ll need: image, text, contact information (name, e-mail, website)

  

  Bookmark by Frank Carey

  This bookmark by Frank C Carey is one of my favorite freebies. On the front, there’s a photo with a haiku. At the back, there’s a red seal, a QR code, and Frank’s contact information. The design is clean and easy to read.

  The bookmark is laminated. I like the addition of the twine: the color matches the photo. Not only is the bookmark beautiful, but it is also practical and durable. It’s been, and still is, my favorite bookmark to use.  Every once in a while, I would see the address on the bookmark and visit Frank’s website, so I would say this bookmark was an effective promotional tool for its author.

  (Unfortunately, Frank’s website is no longer active. He says he’s been out of the haiku game but continues to write science fiction. Considering I visited his website 3-4 times in 2 years, the bookmark did a good job in promoting him.)

  Moon bookmark

  I like this bookmark by Jennifer Sutherland. The design is beautiful. However, it doesn’t have the author’s contact information (website, e-mail).

  

  Moon bookmark, by Jennifer Sutherland (HNA 2015)

  I like the simplicity of this laminated bookmark, but I don’t know the name of the author.

  

• You can get creative with the photo and text alignment, like Margaret Beverland from New Zealand:

  

  Bookmarks by Margaret Beverland

  Why not use a different material, like a tag made of cloth?

  

  Tag by Wanda Cook ; bookmark by an unknown author

  You can also add more than one haiku, following this example by Claudia Coutu Radmore:

  

  Bookmark by Clauda Coutu Radmore

  Kala Ramesh created this beautiful bookmark with haiku, line drawing, and decorative twine.

  

   

  Stanford Forrester used a printing press to create his bookmarks. This means he selected each font, placed them, and aligned them in a printing press, added the ink and printed the bookmarks one at a time.

  

  Bookmark, by Stanford M Forrester

  Tips for designing bookmarks:

  • Make it beautiful so people will keep it.
  • Add a twine so the bookmark won’t get lost in a book.
  • Create them months in advance (it takes time to print them)

 

Trifolds

If you’re a Haiku Canada member you’re familiar with trifolds since there are usually one or two included with the Haiku Canada Review.

A few years back, Michael Dylan Welch started creating his own trifolds to share his haiku with attendees at conferences.

Today, trifolds are one of the most popular freebies at haiku conferences. They’re made of one sheet of paper printed double sided, and folded like a brochure.

When designing a trifold, pay attention to the cover since it’s the first thing people will see. Make sure the cover has an attractive picture, a title, your name.

The back of the trifold usually holds bio-bibliographical and contact information.

You can create a trifold using the theme of the conference.

Since trifolds are one of the most popular format, you’ll have to make sure your trifold stands out. Here are some examples of creative trifolds.

Zigzag

Here’s a trifold (by Dianne Garcia) folded in a zigzag.  It’s printed on one side only. What’s great about the zigzag fold is that the trifold can stand on a table.

Four-folds

Randy Brooks created a narrow four-folds brochure for HNA 2015.

Cut-out

Michael Dylan Welch always have amazing trifolds that he gives away at each haiku conference. On his website Graceguts, you’ll find the files available to download for personal use.

I especially enjoy A Common Touch with its original cut-out triangle.

If you haven’t decided what to bring at the next haiku conference, trifolds are an excellent choice since they can be done quickly, and printed at home.

You’ll find brochures templates in most software like Word, InDesign. Insert your haiku, and voilà.

Postcards

Whether you’re a haiku poet, photographer or haiga artist, postcards are amazing promotional items to bring to a conference.

Format

The most common postcard sizes are:

• 4 x 6 inches
• 5.5 x 4.25 inches
• 8.5 x 5.5 inches

Templates

You’ll find templates in many software like Word, Publisher, InDesign. Many printers offer templates on their website.

Cost

Postcards can be expensive to print.  However, the more you print, the less it costs per unit.

At my local print shop you can get 20 postcards for $15 or 100 postcards for $35. If you want something printed on the back, there’s an extra $10 fee. Shop around to find the best deals.

Make sure to order early as delivery can take some time.

Postcards

If you’re considering making postcards for your next conference, here are some examples to get you inspired.

 

Art postcards

This beautiful reversible postcard, handmade by Julie Bloss Kelsey, is one of my favorite freebies of all time.

It has everything I like: great haiku, nice paper, good handwriting, 3D objects. Well done!

Book postcards

If you’ve published a book, a postcard is an excellent promotional tool. I like this simple postcard by Roberta Beary because it promotes her book The Unworn Necklace simply using a beautiful photo and haiku, instead of the usual book cover, making it a beautiful keepsake.

 

Photo postcards

These two postcards are actually 4×6 photographs printed via Shutterfly. On the back, photographer David Giacalone printed his contact information.

Souvenir postcards

At HNA 2015, Terry Ann Carter performed her beautiful Chiyo-ni tribute and distributed these postcards to commemorate her unforgettable performance.

Do-it-yourself postcards

If you’re short on time, or are budget-conscious, you can also print postcards on cardstock at home. Just be prepared to spend lots of time cutting them. In this example, Claude Rodrigue also added a touch of color by hand.

Whatever style you chose, make sure to order your postcards early if you want to receive them before the conference.

Leaflet

Good promotional tool, but they’ve been done to death. The cover must be stunning, the theme. Michael Dylan Welch visited our haiku group and said he might offer a free template. Make sure the cover is stunning, you have a theme, choice of paper is important too. Make it stand out.

Should you put a date on your freebie?

Some people like to indicate on their freebie, the name of the event it was created for (HNA 2013 or Seabekc 2014) or the year it was created. The advantage is that it’s a good keepsake. People who find it later will know it was received at HNA 2013. The downside is that if you have any leftovers at the end of the event, what will you do with them? If you distribute them at another event, or a year later, it will look outdated.

Should you reuse freebie?

Let’s say you have tons of leftovers from a previous conference.Should you give them at freebie at the another conference? Only if you’re sure most people at the second conference did not attend the first. Otherwise, I wouldn’t advise having the same freebie for two conferences.

I would say it's okay to reuse the freebie for two conferences held the same year, especially if the attenddes might be different.

(look at this. A postcard seen in HNA 2011 and seabeck 2013.

How much time does it take to make a freebie?

You have to make a freebie for every attendee, so how much time it will take you depends of the size of the conference.

3D objects

Brochure, bookmarks and leaflet are fine, but everybody likes 3D object. Let’s look at some of the most original freebies I’ve gotten which were 3D object:

The Plastic Lizard

Most original :  I remember someone at Seabeck who didn’t prepare any freebie, so they brought a handful of plastic lizard. Everybody went nuts for them. They were lovely and fun. However, promotional wise, there was no name attached, so it wasn’t very effective
Original: 4
Promo: 0
Transportable: 4

Heaviest freebie award

The Rock

At HNA 2015, there were stunning rock haiku on the table. I was taking pictures of them when the author Jeff Hoagland approached me and said I could take one.  I explained I was taking a picture because there was no way this could fit in my luggage. I mean we were taking about little rocks, were were talking about a fist-size, 1-2 pound rock.  Now that I think about it, it must have been reall heavy for him to carry too.
Durabitliy: 5
transportabitlity: 0
Originality: 4

Little stone Buddha

Compare this with Kris Kondo’s little stone Buddha. Cute, and instantly recognizable as Kris Kondos style, these little stone buddhas.  If you know Kris, you’ll remember years from now this was done by her. Otherwise, this might be just a cute gift, and you’ll never
Durability: 5
Transportability: 4/5 (so tiny you might lose it in your suitcase)
Originaitlity: 4

The little pouch made of kimono fabric. Was not

Handmade with love.
OK, most freebie are handmade, this one takes the cake. This little frog was given to each attendee of the French haiku festival in QB.  OKAY, not exactly a freebie, but it was a gift distributed to all attenddes via their package. It took… hours to make 1.

How to distribute freebie

Make enough for all attendees
If you don’t have enough for everybody, consider giving them from person to person. It’s a nice personal touch. Gary Gay was handing out pens with his haiku. It was a nice personal touch. (photo)

 

Conference-themed freebie

It's always a joy when a freebie is not only beautfil but also follow the theme of the conference.
These leaf haiku by Deborah Kolodji (HNA 2015). They are strickingly beautiful. Different autumn colour s and different shape. They were stunning on the table and you could not not see them. They fit the title of the conference.

 

How far in advance should you prepare your freebie?

The earlier you start the better.  Nothing good comes of a last minute freeib, unless you are a professiona and you have a template and know what you want to do. At least 2 months before the conference. Aim to have the freebie ready at least 1 month before the conference. Printing delays
How much should a freebie cost?
Michael sayd… 200b rochures cost….
You can also print a small run at home.

A book

Whether it was self published, or author’s copies, or, an author distributed

 

Tidy up

You put your freebie on the table. think you’re done? No. Freebie table often get messy. Every once in a while, go back to tidy your freebie.  A freebie is more attractive if it’s neatly piled. Consider having a container to hold your freebie to keep it together.

Tips for creating a freebie

A freebie takes a long time to make and costs money, so think about what you want to do and ask yourself if the final product will achieve your promotional goal.

• Ask yourself, what do I want to promote.
  Find the best format for what you want to promote If you are promoting a book, a postcard would be a good choice, or a bookmark. If you are promoting yourself as a haiku poet, bookmark, leaflet, postcard, 3D object are all good choice. For haiga poets: postcards
• Don’t wait till last minute.

In.. I made a comic book. So people don’t todss it, and to add a personal touch, I handoubt it and added a leaf. It maes it memorable. The book can stand up, and it’s hard to recycle.

ANALYSIS
It wouldn’t be fair that I analyse other people’s freebies without analysing my own. So here are some of my worst freebie.

Bookmarks
Good example of what a last minute freebie look like. Rubber stamp is awesome. Handwritten, not so much.  Originailty: prettiness: beurg
**

 

Comics
Bringing samples

Handbound book

 

 

Usually there is a table at the conference where you can leave your freebie and people will help themselves. But if you haven't made enough for everybody, you can hand them out yourself.

REJECTED

Tips for designing good promotional bookmarks

 

• Use a professional printer
• Chose a good cardstock
• Use colour printing. Cost more, but worth it.
• Add a photo
• Add a haiku
• Add your information (name, e-mail or website)

Make sure there is something at the top. That's the part that will stick out of the book. If you don't have a picture at the top, consider ad a tail, a piece of thread. Otherwise, your bookmark might get lost in a book.

 

Additional tips

Whatever format you chose, a freebie must fit certain criteria to be successful.

The best freebies are:

• Beautiful
• Well written
• Good promotional tool for the author
• Portable

Now let’s look at some examples.

 

1. Beautiful: does your freebie have a wow factor? A nice cover that will get people to pay attention? Is it printed on good quality paper? Color paper? Is the shape unusual?

 

2. Well written: Have you included your best haiku? Is the contents free of typos and grammar mistakes?  Extra points if your contents fit the theme of the conference.

 

3. Good promotional tool for the author: have you included your name and contact information? The main goal of a freebie is promotion, so don’t forget these important details. A freebie is your business card.

 

4. Portable: is your freebie small enough to fit in a luggage? Or is it cumbersome? I took a picture of this beautiful rock by Jeff Hoagland (HNA 2015). Although I really liked the haiku and the concept, there was no way I could have brought back this massive 1 pound rock in my suitcase.

In the next couple days, I’ll show you more examples of promotional items for writers and share some tips about creating a freebie for your next conference.

Do you know what freebie you’ll bring to your next conference?

 

Next Chapter: Back to the pond »

 

 

© Jessica Tremblay. All Rights Reserved.