As we prepare for the rapidly approaching Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP) conference, we’re trying to think of how to put together an attractive (and compelling) booth. Most of the book shows we go to are comic-focused, so it’s taken for granted that the words will be accompanied by pictures. Not so at AWP, where most of the books represented will be of the words-only variety. Therefore, we’re trying to figure out how best to stand out—and how to get all of those writers to take an interest in our illustrations.
Our booth will be 10′ x 10′, so we have a lot of real estate to fill, including the entire back wall. We decided it might be fun to order some highly illustrated, full-bleed banners to hang in the back of the booth. Here’s the mock-up Robbi made, with images from Last of the Real Small Farmers, Let Me Count the Ways, Animal House, Dawn of the Fats, and For the Love of God.
Tell us, if you were a writer, would it catch your eye?
Also please note that Robbi did NOT select the royal blue backdrop – the conference did. I don’t know that anything looks good on royal blue polyester, but there you go. Writers!
Ugh, the royal blue. It is distracting, isn’t it? Is it possible to just cover that color as much as possible/entirely with pictures–maybe do the pictures as vertical stripes instead of 3 x 2? Or just three panels side by side? Or do something like the way the Makers tiles look when there are a lot of them involved?
The illustrations themselves, of course, rule.
I’m with Brian on the blue. Could you drape some white fabric behind the whole thing?
Your work looks amazing, Robbi.
How about a background that is just (your) small black words on paper (like newsprint or a page from a book) , either covering the blue, or (if that’s not allowed!), leaving a strip of the blue edging the overall board, like a frame.
Could the Idiot’Books banner be a bit larger? As for the pictures, perhaps only one illustration should be glaring at your visitors.
Hope to see you guys there!
Hello Laura W!
Thanks for your thoughts. Regarding the IB banner, there will be a six-foot banner with our name and tagline that goes across the front of the booth, so this is just a secondary banner for folks once they’re in the booth. As for the glaring, we aim to intimidate. We’ve heard that writers are easily frightened.
Does your comment imply that YOU are going to be there? If so, you’d better come by and say hello.
Matthew