Here at Puffin HQ things have been a little bit crazy lately. There have been mysterious deliveries of badges and stickers and other goodies, a lot of people running around, and a general atmosphere of madness. But why? Because we’ve been working towards the launch of the latest in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, the brilliant Diary of a Wimpy Kid – The Third Wheel, which is FINALLY out on 14th November!
It’s been exciting in particular for me and teammate Cecilia, as we’re only here for two weeks on work experience. So just imagine coming in to your favourite-ever publishing house and working on not only the books you grew up reading, but also amazing new ones like this! It’s a big change and a little bit scary, but lots of fun. It’s been brilliant to work on the ‘Wimpy Kid’ campaign because the books are so hilarious, and because it’s looking to be the biggest children’s book of the whole year!
So, what actually goes on behind the scenes? It’s not as simple as just getting the book written and printed. There’s a LOT of organising to do. We want as many readers as possible to know about the book, so it’s really important that we get people talking and thinking about it – arranging for adverts in stores, organising book-signings and events, and arranging competitions and giveaways. Wimpy Kid promotions and adverts will be on television, in magazines, in shops – everywhere!
It’s important as well that there are tons of fun things for all the readers to get involved with. We were really excited to get the author himself, Jeff Kinney, recording some exclusive teaser trailers for fans. These are uploaded every Friday to www.wimpykidclub.co.uk – and who knows, maybe Jeff will answer a couple of burning questions about what happens! We know you’re all dying to find out. If you haven’t joined the website yet it’s a great place to learn more about the books, plus there are some games where you can test your knowledge of the book and compete against other fans. You’ll also be the first to know about Wimpy Kid news.
My favourite job was reading all the Wimpy Kid books and picking out the funniest drawings to use in the posters – a great chance to read the books again and laugh at the best jokes. Cecilia’s favourite part was seeing how the marketing campaign was put together, with all the promotions and advertising. But the most important job of all is keeping the book top-secret, because we don’t want to spoil it for anyone – sometimes it feels a little bit like being in a spy film . . .
So while the book is still a big mystery for now, there have been some hints here and there. You’ve all seen the message ‘Love is in the Air’, of course . . . but is it for Greg, Rowley, or even Fregley?! And who’s going to be living with the Heffley family? We’re sure you have your guesses, and while we can’t let anything slip here at Puffin HQ we can say that it’s definitely going to be worth the wait. We hope you’re as excited about it as we are!
Sophie Mackintosh
Penguin Children’s Marketing and PR Work Experience
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