Back to Business: FREEBIES & GIVEAWAYS

A few months ago, I wrote a post entitled "I'm Not Gonna Give It to You," in which I reflected on the way I have begun to perceive the explosion of give-aways and contests as so much virtual white noise. As an author, the time and expense required to post, publicize, process entries, contact a winner and mail a prize (book or whatever) far outweigh any benefits gleaned from the project. Personally, I no longer enter contests. If I want a book, I support the author by buying it and if I were to win a book and then didn't read it and post about it, I'd feel terrible guilt (maybe that's another issue entirely but, whatever, we'll leave Dr. Freud out of it for now).

THAT SAID (and, boy, do I overuse this phrase in blogging)...

With apologies for the secrecy there is this a COOL ITEM that plays a role in my upcoming novel that I would like to use as a theme for a giveaway because I think it would be awesome fun.

This, of course, would make me a total hypocrite and invalidate my promise in the aforementioned "Not Gonna..." post. (Although not too badly as I'd start the giveaway in November, probably, so almost 2014.)

This thing is NOT A BOOK.
It is sorta ONE-OF-A-KIND.

So, now I am wondering, is there anything out there worth giving away anymore? Is there anything people really want to WIN? If you genuinely have something special you'd like to share, is there a way to create a giveaway that doesn't get lost in the sea of rafflecopters swirling through the web?

Questions. Not answers. I know. HAVE YOU GOT ONE (an answer, I mean)?