As mentioned in a few other posts from Amazing HQ Central, we will be conducting some give-aways during 2015.
The purpose of these give-aways is to encourage more people to comment on the articles we publish. Exactly how giving away free stuff will do that has not yet been determined – but I will suggest that anyone who comments here with an excellent idea for accomplishing that goal will be the recipient of some FREE STUFF.
The following list is expected to grow over the next couple of weeks, but it is complete insofar as what we have now to give away. Let the teasing begin!
SIGNS & POSTERS
2 embossed metal signs reproducing Frank R. Paul’s iconic War of the Worlds cover
2 embossed metal signs reproducing Frank R. Paul’s disembodied head cover
2 embossed metal signs reproducing Frank R. Paul’s iconic “Buck Rogers” cover
SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS
BF! Film Classics The War of the Worlds (soft cover, critical essays)
BFI Film Classics Alien (soft cover, critical essays)
BFI Film Classics Dr. Strangelove (soft cover, critical essays)
BFI Film Classics Brazil (soft cover, critical essays)
BFI Film Classics Solaris (soft cover, critical essays)
BFI Film Classics Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (soft cover, critical essays)
BFI Film Classics Akira (soft cover, critical essays)
BFI Film Classics Silent Running (soft cover, critical essays)
BFI Film Classics Quatermass and the Pit (soft cover, critical essays)
Hardcovers
The Machine by James Smythe
The Broken Ones by Stephen M. Irwin
The LIght of Burning Shadows by Chris Evans
Spark by John Twelve Hawks
Phoenix Island by John Dixon
Low Town by Daniel Polansky
Some Kind of Fairy Tale by Graham Joyce
Sacred Band by David Anthony Durham
Trade
Liminal States by Zack Parsons
Last Days by Brian Evenson
Robopocalypse by Daniel H. Wilson
Amped by Daniel H. Wilson
The Sacred Band by David Anthony Durham
Above by Isla Morley
The Paper Doll Museum by Abigail Padgett
The Cobbler of Ridingham by Jeffrey E. Barlough
The Cobbler of Ridingham by Jeffrey E. Barlough
Every Night Our Devils Come by Thomas Owen, James Gitschlag and James Sarjent
HALO: Mortal Dicta bt Karen Traviss
Suffer the Children by Craig DiLouie
The Untold Tales of Ozman Droom
The Dark Eidolon and other Fantasies by Clark Ashton Smith
Low Town by Daniel Polansky
The Burning Dark by Adam Christopher
Thieve’s World: First Blood by Robert Lynn Asprin and Lynn Abbey
Glimmering by Elizabeth Hand
Paperbacks
Star Trek: Typhon Pact Plagues of Night by David R. George III
Star Trek: Typhon Pact Brinkmanship by Una McCormack
Seeds of Change by Thomas Monteleone
A Darkness Forged in Fire by Chris Evans
Star Trek Forgotten History by Christopher L. Bennett
Star Trek Vanguard: Storming Heaven by David Mack
Star Trek Voyages: The Eternal Tide by Kirsten Beyer
And if that ain’t enough, I’ll probably throw in a 2×3 foot poster to make it an even 50 items. (48 Frank R. Paul Amazing Stories cover posters here)
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My first inclination is to make it a “grab bag”; winner (however determined) gets their pick; 2nd place picks next, and so on, thus insuring some choice and a good chance that the “top” winners get something they are really interested in – but I’m up for suggestions.
I’m REALLY up for suggestions!
How about this: Whenever someone comments mentioning some key word (I dunno, say, “amazing” or something like that, like Groucho Marx’s secret word), their name is entered in a monthly drawing for a prize.
By the way, I’m sure you know Frank R. Paul’s iconic “Buck Rogers” cover was really illustrating E.E. Smith’s The Skylark of Space.
Amazing.
The scavenger hunter: I like 🙂
Here something of an idea utilizing multiple forms of promotion:
Write a post with the rules so it can be linked to (link to be used in #1 & #2 below), sticky it for the duration of the contest.
1) bloggers who post something about the contest on their blog (and I don’t mean blog posts that appear here at Amazing) get entered into a drawing for one set of prizes. This helps spread the word and increases traffic (in theory).
2) Tweet the contest, anyone retweeting one of your contest tweets gets entered into another drawing for prizes. Also helps promote and increase participation.
3) Have a scavenger hunt of sorts for content on the Amazing Stories website, anyone completing the scavenger hunt is entered for a third drawing. You could have them hunt for things that are unique, but I recommend more general items (because it will better demonstrate the range of content at Amazing).
A sample of things to find on the scavenger hunt (ask them to include links for each item found):
– find one book review
– find one fandom news post
– find one post with a Captain Kirk reference
– find one…
You get the idea, pick 10 or so things that demonstrate the breadth of content so participants get a feel for what Amazing has to offer. Also include things that connect more directly with specific groups of fans, like the Kirk reference.
To decide who wins what, you can use the grab bag approach you mentioned, one bag for each category (each bag does not have to be of equal value). Then randomly select 1st, 2nd, 3rd… Just make sure each of the 3 sub-contests is worth participating in.
Obviously you can adjust all this to make it better. Incorporate email or facebook or other forms of getting the word out. My details are just one way to approach it.
The first thing that springs to mind is some sort of trivia contest. What famous person was related to Amazing editor T. O’Connor Sloane by marriage? Name a famous author who had his/her first professional publication in Amazing, that sort of thing.