Friday, January 28, 2011

“Where’s Alan?” Book Giveaway Contest

As I described in my last post, my picture will be riding around the mean streets of MD, VA, and DC. On Metrobus ads (inside, behind the driver, I believe).

To refresh your memory, here’s what it looks like:

metrobus_orloff

To further draw attention to myself have some fun, I’m holding a two-part book giveaway, sort of like a real-life Where’s Waldo? Except yours truly will be playing the part of Waldo.

Here’s how Part A works:

Simply email me a snapshot of my picture in the wild. That is, take a picture of one of the Metrobus ads for The Writer’s Center that has my face on it. (You can send it to alan@alanorloff.com or post it on your Facebook wall and send me the link.) Try to get something/someone else in the picture, so we can get a sense of the Metrobus ambiance. If you can get someone else to take a picture of you next to my picture, all the better. Also, if you want to say approximately where you spotted me (ie, cross streets or bus line), that would be fun, too.

Now, I hear you asking, “What about a picture next to the diorama in the Woodley Park Metro Station? Does that count?”

And the answer is, “Yes. Yes, that counts, too!” I’ll accept a picture of me in the advertisement for The Writer’s Center pretty much anywhere you can find it (See? Isn’t this a fun treasure-hunt contest?).

I’ll put all the people who send me pictures into a hat (or other vessel), and pick a lucky winner. The winner can have his/her choice of DIAMONDS FOR THE DEAD or the upcoming KILLER ROUTINE (but you’ll have to wait a bit, until it’s published).

I reserve the right to post the pictures you send in on my blog, website, Facebook page, or elsewhere. So, please, no nudity!

Now, I hear some of you saying, “Wait! I desperately want to participate in this superfun contest, but I don’t live in the D.C. area. What can I do?”

You’re in luck! I also will be giving away a book to another lucky person in Where’s Alan? Part B. To be eligible for this part of the giveaway, simply email me a picture of yourself holding (or pointing to) a copy of DIAMONDS FOR THE DEAD in a bookstore or library. I’ll put the names of all the people who enter this way into a different hat (I’m a man who wears many hats) and draw a winner. Again, because I may post some of these pictures, please keep your clothes on.

Both parts of this contest will run through the end of February. Be sure to include your name and email address with your entry.

Happy Hunting! (And don’t even think of drawing a moustache on my picture.)


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5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Alan - What a great idea for a giveaway!! Erm- does it count if I send you a pic of me holding my own copy of Diamonds for the Dead?

Sue Ann Jaffarian said...

This is a brillant idea, Alan. I did something similar a few years ago and challenged people to send me photos of Odelia books taken while they were on vacation. I had so much fun with it and you will, too! Odelia went to Argentina and England while I stayed home and wrote her next book. Okay, that part sucked.

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

I love it! What a great giveaway idea. :)

That's a great Writer's Center ad, btw...nice picture!

Alan Orloff said...

Margot - Thanks! I have a feeling you have more books than many libraries or bookstores. Sure, a pic of you holding my book counts. Send it in!

Sue Ann - Thanks! Instead of Argentina, Poster Alan gets to go to Cleveland Park and Rosslyn. Whoo-hoo!

Elizabeth - Thanks! You know what I like almost as much as The Writer's Center? Photoshop!

Alan Orloff said...

Okay, just kidding about Photoshop. I had a great photographer do the headshot. Email me if you need a DC area photographer for head shots and I'll give you his name.