Father's Day Book Signing, Packaging, Mailing to Dads at Bookies Saturday; Meet Local Author Bob Allen

As Father’s Day gift-giving deadlines loom, the publishing industry hopes dads everywhere benefit from one upbeat and emerging trend in readership.

Within the many studies indicating an overall decline in the reading of books, there are positives regarding senior men’s current interest in books.

Among that population, books in greatest demand include thrillers, crime and mystery. These categories made it into the winners’ circle with 37% of respondents choosing them as their favorite genres, according to a Pew Research Center survey.

A second tier of favorites -- with 24% of respondents -- were historical non-fiction; memoir and historical fiction tied at 21%.

Another positive finding: “Despite the rise of e-books, printed books remain the most popular format.”

“Why not seize the opportunity to market my books for Father’s Day,” said Chicago Beverly author Bob Allen. “My own feedback is an unsophisticated survey but clearly my readers are drawn to a thriller with crime, corruption and mystery.

“The fact my stories take place in Chicago gives it kind of a noir based in a reality and found in our everyday newspaper coverage.”

Allen has been making the rounds in recent months talking to his readers, as well as signing books.

Saturday, June 7 Allen is offering to pay the packaging and postage costs for the first 20 Bookies Bookstore patrons who want to send a book to a dad on Father’s Day, June 15th.

“I’m teaming up with Bookies to get Father’s Day gifts out for delivery to those we think will value it the most,” said Allen. “The idea is rooted in the feedback we’ve gotten on ‘The Back Door to Heaven’ and ‘Let It Be At That’.”

Teeming with Chicagoese and a kind of political corruption synonymous with Illinois and Chicago, readers are obsessed with the inner workings of deceit and backstabbing, according to Allen, who likes to frequent joints where he can order “a sassage sammich’ for unique linguistic flavor.

“Those who live on the fringes of crime probably feel a little oily reading one of my books,” said Allen, “but for those peaking in from the clouds, there seems to be an intrigue regarding misdeeds prompted by others’ greed and character fault lines.”

Bookies Bookstore management embraced Allen’s idea and offered to handle the distribution and mailings on site and extend deadlines beyond June 7.

According to Bookies, its long-time, brick-and-mortar small business enjoys a USPS Media Mail rate. For instance, to send one of Allen's books is $4.38.

Typically, books are shipped from Bookies in a bubble envelope that has a cost of .55. The standard charge to ship one book when ordering on the website is $5.49 and then $1.25 for each additional book (i.e. 2 books = $6.74).

Shipping both of Allen's books would be $5.38 postage, plus envelope costs.

Bookies also extends customers a 10% off promo code ALLEN10 that will remains valid on the webstore until 6/30/25. Customers will get a one-time, 10% discount off their entire purchase of Allen’s books in addition to any other books added to their order.

“At Bookies we carefully curate our selection of books for our loyal customers,” said Rich Wojcikowski, Bookies manager. “None of our books or authors is sourced through AI generation.”

Savvy online shopper can also write Father’s Day greetings in the “Instructions and Comments” box as a personal touch.

Also, here's direct links to both of Bob's books on our website:

Back Door to Heaven by Bob Allen

Let It Be At That by Bob Allen

On Saturday, June 7th Beverly author Bob Allen will sell and sign books from 10 a.m. until noon (or later if needed) at Bookies Bookstore, located at 10324 S. Western Avenue in Chicago.