Prison Stripes

At TLA, I met one of the marketing directors for Penguin Books and she asked if I would like to be added to their mailing list for advance copies of books. Needless to say, I said yes.

However, now, after having received a few books from them in the last two months, I’m not only thrilled, but deeply impressed. Whoever their packaging/marketing people are, they are brilliant.

Does a book show up just in a nondescript box? Oh no. (Well, sometimes).

But some of them? They show up like this:


You can’t help but at least be CURIOUS about the black envelope with the sticker telling you what book it is.

And if you haven’t read the first book (Al Capone Does My Shirts), let me tell you that it’s about a young boy who lives on Alcatraz (his dad is an electrician hired by the prison). I tell that so you’ll appreciate how awesome what’s INSIDE the envelope is.

The book, obviously, but not just shoved in and flung into the mailbox. Oh no.

And even more impressive – when you flip it over, it’s got this on the back:

I’ll tell you what, I haven’t even started reading the book yet and I’m already raving about how awesome the packaging is to anyone who will listen. Because, seriously, PRISON-STRIPE tissue paper. Brilliance.

A few days before this book arrived, I got copies of Richard Peck’s books “A Long Way From Chicago” and “A Year Down Yonder” and then the newest one in the series, which is coming out this fall and is Christmas themed. It came in a silver mailer and the books were tied together with a long shiny red ribbon.

Penguin, I am in awe of your marketing prowess.