Toni Kerr : Swag and Minibook Charms

Scroll down to see the latest charms!

Ever get sucked into something different while you sit around and wait for the publishing industry? Well, that happened to me just recently, thanks to fellow bloggers Angie and Michelle.

However, with their insistence and encouragement, I decided to take my little creative endeavor to the next level—and I opened an Etsy shop for these adorable mini-book charms.

The first thing I want everyone to know is that these charms are ONLY made for authors/ publishers/ designers (not fans) who have permission to use the novel's cover art for marketing swag, etc. Much like having bookmarks or postcards made for giveaways.

Who wouldn't want to show off their book everywhere they go?

The charms make great jewelry, key chains, handbag/purse charms, ornaments, bookmarks, or lanyard decor for badges at speaking engagements, conventions, book fairs, book signings ... you name it!

Each charm is handcrafted with YOUR cover art on the front and back. If you don't have a back cover, I'll choose a color from the front and take the blurb from Amazon. I'll also put your title and author name on the spine.

~Acid-free pages are trimmed and layered to fit the dimensions of your cover. Keep in mind...this book does NOT open when finished.

~High-gloss covers. Pages are glazed with acrylic gel for protection against normal wear-and-tear and water resistance (it's still paper.. can't be 100% waterproof).

~A small loop is securely embedded within the pages for extra durability.

~As for size, each book will vary depending on the format of your cover. But I'd say it's safe to expect something around 1" x 1.75" x .25". (I'm willing to go smaller if you plan to do a bracelet with multiple books of a series—just let me know!)

All charms are ready to use, however, extra bling is optional. (Bling would be theme charms and/or beads added to the mini-book, and either a ribbon/cord necklace to hang it on, a ball chain (as in the example to the right), or a lanyard (for you professional business types- pictured below).

We can talk about focusing the bling on a theme, or I'll do my best to guess based on the style of the cover. I'll even run to the craft store if I don't have something that works perfectly. :-) (Update: I'm finding it fairly difficult to find the perfect match for charms and book covers...so unless your subject is trendy or classic, you might want to let the cover speak for itself. :-) )