Running Press Offers Mini Books and Kits as Customized Premiums

Running Press Book Publishers is offering their miniature books and kits up for the first time to distributors for sale as customized premiums.

Just one of the
many mini books
now available as
customized premiums

The line of about 150 mini-book titles had typically been sold in book stores but will now be available to be fully customized—book jacket, spine, flaps—with branded messages and logos in a four-color process.

“This allows us to take our products into a non-traditional book market,” said Allan Ash, product manager of custom imprinted books and kits for RPBP. “These products are highly successful in the traditional books stores and this allows us to offer them for businesses and promotional products.”

The categories of titles include general non-fiction, science, history, children’s fiction and non-fiction, food and wine, pop culture, photo essay and illustrated gift books. The hardcover books are 2 1/2 inches by 3 1/4 inches in size.

In addition to the books, Running Press is also making available for customization its line of 75 different miniature edition kits. The subject of the kits range from the Mini Zen Garden to Labrador Outdoor Survival to The Sushi Box to the Mini Golf Voodoo kit.

Running Press exhibited for the first time for its custom imprinting at the Incentive Show last month in New York City, showing off its minis and kits. The publisher recently joined the Advertising Specialty Institute.

Running Press first offered the books for customization as wedding and party favors after getting requests for those types of items. A Web site, Specialfavors.com , was developed where consumers and business professionals can go to design their own covers.

“The next step seemed to be to move out into [the customized premium] market,” Ash said.