Besides Random House and quite a few bloggers mentioned here yesterday, two other important organizations are promoting books as an excellent holiday gift.
"Holiday IndieBound" is offering a range of materials for booksellers to create posters, bookmarks, ads for websites and newsletters and more that emphasize "the value of the book."
Among the messages:
"A Book. Longer-lasting than a fruitcake, cheaper than a flat screen, more fun than a partridge in a pear tree."
"Shop Indie: nuture your community this season."
"Books: return dividends for life."
"Why a book?: Because a new tie never changed anyone's life."
"Affordable. Portable. Memorable. Books are a gift beyond measure."
"Give love. Give time. Give joy. Give books."
"A Book: The perfect gift for someone who has everything. The perfect gift for someone who has nothing."
---
As it has in previous years, the Book Report Network is promoting books for holiday gift giving. Co-founder and president Carol Fitzgerald commented: "This year with people more conscious of how they're spending their money, we believe that books, which are meaningful, long-lasting and can be matched to recipients' interests, are going to be very popular gift items."
The promotions include a feature that runs daily through December 25 on Bookreporter.com, ReadingGroupGuides.com, FaithfulReader.com, Kidsreads.com and Teenreads.com that offers "a reason a day on why a book makes the ideal gift"--45 of them altogether.
The annual holiday basket of cheer contest spotlighting a different title or collection of titles weekly through December 12. Readers enter to win a basket that includes two copies of the book (one to keep and one to give), wrapping paper and a bow and holiday-themed items such as Ghirardelli hot chocolate mix, gourmet vanilla marshmallows, Chewy Peps candy, an Illuminations cinnamon spice-scented candle and more.
More than 25 authors, including Mary Higgins Clark, Carol Higgins Clark, Kristin Hannah, Garth Stein, M.J. Rose, Adriana Trigiani and Mary Kay Andrews, will share favorite memories of giving or receiving a book at the holidays.
And a guide on gift giving makes title suggestions in categories like "eat, drink & be merry" (cookbooks and culinary tales), "faces & places" (history, biography and memoir) and "healthy, wealthy & wise" (advice and how-to).