Here I am sittin’
on this stump. There’s a rabbit!
I bet he won’t jump.
I cannot find it,
That very first violet
Seen from my window.
Six cows are grazing;
The seventh stands near a fence,
Staring into space.
In the silent forest
A woodpecker hammers at
The sound of silence.
#Haiku by Richard Wright (Haiku: This Other World), cartoon by Old Pond Comics.
Bookmarks are a great promotional tool for writers and poets. To create a good bookmark for your next haiku conference, you’ll need:
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(Unfortunately, Frank’s website is no longer active.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:
Are you thinking about creating a bookmark as your freebie for the next Haiku North America conference? I hope these examples inspire you.
In the next post, I’ll write about creating postcards.
When I was a young poet in my twenties, it was difficult for me to explain to my parents what a haiku was since I wast just discovering it myself.
Fortunately, a teacher knew what haiku was. After he commented that the short poems I was writing were like haiku, he ordered a haiku book, loaned it to me, and that was the start of my haiku adventure.
When and how did you discover haiku?
Freebie table (HNA 2015)
With Haiku North America around the corner, it’s time to think about the freebie you’ll bring to the conference. A freebie is a promotional item you give to attendees at a conference. A freebie can take different forms: bookmarks, leaflets, postcards, 3D objects.
Whatever format you chose, a freebie must fit certain criteria to be successful.
The best freebies are:
Now let’s look at each criterion with 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?
Leaf-shaped haiku freebie by Deborah P Kolodji (HNA 2015)
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.
Booklets by Tanya McDonald
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.
Bookmark by Frank Carey.
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.
Haiku Rock by Jeff Hoagland (HNA 2015)
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?
This Old Pond Comic is inspired by a presentation “Serious Fun: Gaming the Book Festival” at SHARP 2017 by Beth Driscoll (University of Melbourne) and Claire Squires (University of Stirling) about the creation of a Book Festival board game.
Book Festival-opoly board game by Beth Driscoll and Claire Squires
It’s karaoke, baby!
