At BookExpo America, Chicago Review Press promoted John Austin's Mini-Weapons of Mass Destruction 2: Build A Secret Agent Arsenal by demonstrating some of its do-it-yourself weapons, like the double-barreled rubberband gun shown on the cover, made from pencils, clothespins, binder clips and a tape dispenser. As the book's October 1 publication date approaches, the press has prepared 75 "Secret Agent Kits" for sales reps and selected accounts with already assembled versions of the rubberband shooter and instructions for building your own.
The rubberband guns took between eight and 12 hours for the Chicago Review Press to assemble, said marketing manager Mary Kravenas, who also revealed the existence of a handful of "souped-up kits" with additional weapons made by Austin himself. (The kit shown includes darts made from pushpins and sticky notes, and a catapult built out of a mint tin and a plastic spoon.) Kravenas compared the money spent on the office supplies needed to make all those guns to the cost of a small online ad, "which would definitely be seen by a larger audience," she admitted. Still, she believes the handmade weapons will impress those who receive them. "There is something to be said for having something that you can hold in your hands and fire at a target or at a friend and display in your store or at your desk. It's much more of a conversation piece." --Ron Hogan