1. Posters
   
   1. Staples - can either have them print the image or bring them the image already printed
      
      • "heavy duty" board (black) - $40 for 2
        
      • "regular" board (white) - $22 for 2
      
      
   2. Make your own - must have the image printed somewhere (Sir Cooper, VistaPrint, etc…)
      
      • Foamcore from dollar store or art store
        
      • Razor blade or X-acto knife to cut the big foamcore sheet in half
        
      • Yardstick to measure
        
      • Wide electrical tape for the border (& to hide any rough edges)
        
      • Rubber cement
        
      • Eraser (optional) - to rub off the excess rubber cement
        
      • Cost for 2 = $2-3

2. Giveaways
   
   1. Join author groups (Feehan, me, etc…)
      
   2. Collect swag at conferences & make into goody bags
      
      • Organza bags for small things (yourorganzabag.com - ex. 30 3x4" bags/$1.65 in US - $2.40 overseas)
        
      • Cello bags from dollar store for medium things (usually 20 or 30 bags for $1)
        
      • Shopping bags with store name on them for bigger things
        
        • Purple shopping bags (Uline.com "Ameritote" 12 x 10 x 4" 250/$36 - "die cuts" get about 500 for the same price.)
          
        • Stickers (onlinelabels.com - Full Sheet Labels "Standard White Matte Laser & Inkjet" 100/$10.45)
      
      
   3. Toys & Fun Stuff
      
      • Buttons (purebuttons.com, busybeaver.net - ex. 1.25" round color buttons 100/$35)
        
      • Favors - party favors like mini bubbles, candy or bath salt sacks, etc…
        
      • Toys (orientaltrading.com, USToy.com)
        
      • Matches (custom-matchbooks.com, matchbooks.com - ex. Assortment of black ink on red, light blue, green, white, and yellow: 2500 books/$108+$25 setup)
        
      • Balloons (custom printed: fastballoons.com - 100 10" pastel balloons/$59 or 300/$90 - bcballoons.net - 250 10" balloons/$99)
        
      • Vinyl bumper stickers or other sizes (123stickers.com - "Dirt Cheap Stickers 250/$29)
      
      
   4. Printed Promotional Materials
      
      • Postcards
        
        • Standard size (4x6")
          
          • If you plan to mail these, you need to adhere to postal regulations as far as back side printing goes. Templates are available on many websites that take this into account, including VistaPrint.
            
          • Or you can use them as mini-signs and things to include in bags as customers leave your store, with a list of events or anything else you'd like to advertise.
          
          
        • Oversized (8.5x5.5')
      
      
   5. Bookmarks
      
      • Printed as bookmarks (printplace.com - 7.5x2" color, coated both sides 1000/$74 or 500/$64)
        
      • Printed as postcards, then cut
        
        • Standard postcards will yield 2 small bookmarks when cut vertically (VistaPrint.com 100 cards/approx. $5 yields 200 bookmarks or approx. $25/1000 + labor to cut them)
          
        • Oversized postcards will yield either 2 large bookmarks, cut vertically, or 4 small bookmarks, cut horizontally.
      
      
   6. Small catalogs & booklets
      
      • Printed as booklets/catalogs (ex. printplace.com - 8.5x5.5" 8-pages 250/$290 or 1000/$353)
        
      • Printed as separate parts then assembled
        
        • Flyer cover + insides (8.5x5.5")
          
          • Cover options
            
            • Glossy print by pro printer
              
            • Color copy print on plain paper
          • Inside options
            
            • Printed professionally and cut (Staples or Kinkos)
              
            • Print on your printer and cut yourself
        • Oversized postcard cover + insides (4.25x5.5")
      
      
   7. Stickers (onlinelabels.com)
      
   8. Business cards
      
      • Regular business cards
        
      • Folded as tags
        
      • Cut in half as inserts, tags, etc…
   9. Magnets
      
      • Printed professionally in standard postcard or business card size (can be cut easily into smaller sizes)
        
      • Made from paper with magnet glued to the back
3. Online venues for marketing your bookstore
   1. Website
      • Should have:
        • Hours
        • Directions (with link to mapquest, etc…)
        • Features - book clubs, "top ten" lists, events, etc…
        • Address & phone number
      • Doesn't need to be complicated, but should be informative.
        • Most readers tend to prefer dark text on light background.
        • Larger font is better than tiny.
        • Too many large graphics slow the site - be sure your graphics are the lowest resolution (72 dpi) to allow for fast loading but still look good
   2. Newsgroups & Blogs
      • Yahoo & Google Groups
        • Author groups
        • Review site groups (joyfullyreviewed, TRS, Romance Junkies, Fallen Angel, novelspot.net, etc…)
        • Start your own group
          • Use it to send announcements or a newsletter
          • Use it for chatting with customers/friends
          • Use its calendar functions and reminders
        • Blog - attached to the website or standalone
          • WordPress
          • Blogger or some other blogging platform
          • Yahoo360
          • Livejournal
          • Myspace, etc… leading discussion to…
        • Social networking sites
          • Myspace
            • Add "friends"
            • Use bulletins to make announcements
            • Use event invitations to publicize events
            • Can also send direct messages or start a group
            • Can leave comments for people
            • Blog
          • Facebook
            • Can send invites
            • Make "friends"
            • People can become "fans" too
            • Can write on people's "walls"
          • Twitter
            • Tweet when you have something to say.
            • People can "follow" you and you can "follow" them back, or not.
            • Tweet about upcoming events or tweet as they happen.
      • Things you can do online to stir interest:
        • Post photos of events in your store
        • Post interviews with authors you've conducted
        • Hold live chats (using a java chatroom)
        • Link exchange with authors and friends
        • Hold contests
        • Advertise upcoming events
        • Host a radio show (blogtalkradio.com)
          • ARe's radio show
          • Author radio shows

Please Note: This outline is presented here as a service to the attendees of the workshop given at RT in April of 2009, for educational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact Bianca at biancadarc at gmail.com