BRENDA NOVAK AUCTION 2007

Wednesday November 15th......this from Brenda's newsletter:

Auction Update:
I have some really great things happening with my diabetes auction. This year there will be ads in Publisher’s Weekly, as well as Writer’s Digest, RT BOOKclub Magazine, the Romance Writers Report, and The Sacramento Bee (newspaper)—and we’re getting some amazing donations. Check out this 30” x 22.5” watercolor by talented artist Marilyn Sears Bourbon that just came in. She’s the mother of Misa Ramirez, a good friend of mine whose son also has juvenile diabetes.
There’re lots more items that have been donated, too. Check my blog if you’re interested in keeping up to date (it’s on the website under “News & Info”).
Blog: http://www.brendanovak.com/blog/index.php

My first auction ran in 2005 and was a huge success. Together with my generous donors, which included some of the biggest and brightest stars in publishing, I raised $34,982, which went directly to research. This year, we raised $62,705. I can’t believe that after only two years, we’re already knocking at the door of $100,000. I can’t wait until the day we see $1 million. And it’s going to happen.

This year, I tried a few new things. The first was the $1300 prize package, which went to the person who placed the greatest number of bids. Mary McCoy won, and it turned out to be a good investment on her part. She walked away with items worth more than she wound up spending. She was smart. She got in early and she kept at it. Congratulations, Mary! Thank you for your support, and I hope you enjoy your fun gifts! Another new idea I implemented about a week into the auction was the FIRE! Sale items. These are basically very cool items, generally something you can’t get anywhere else, that go up for bid for only one day. Jane Porter’s item was the most successful. It went for over $700—and it was worth it. Basically, it brought Bestselling Author Jane Porter to you and your friends or book group. Jane promised to distribute autographed books and buy everyone lunch, dinner or tea (up to 15 people!). She also promised to bring other little surprises. I’m going to look for some spectacular FIRE! Sale items for next year, too, and try to schedule one for every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Another new idea that’s going into play this year is the pins I’m buying to distribute as a small thank you gift to my donors. I wish I could give more, but at least these pins are an acknowledgement as I want to be able to acknowledge all those who have helped me. Hopefully, it will make the donor proud to wear it. Maybe folks will want to collect one for each year (as the date will be on it) to show their continued sacrifice and support.

Next year I might offer more frequent prizes, maybe random prizes for whoever placed the most bids that day. I’d also like to implement "Raffle Items." I have to check to be sure I don’t break any gambling laws, but I’d like shoppers to be able to buy electronic tickets for ten different items. The winners will be announced throughout the auction. Maybe we’ll even do door prizes—numbers shoppers get simply for registering. Do you feel as if you’re at a crab feed yet? LOL

If you have any ideas you think would make the auction bigger and more exciting, please let me know.
Brenda Novak

Auction Website: http://www.brendanovak.com/auction_index.php