Knock Knock -- Who's There: A New Book Sense Publisher Partner

October 25, 2007

Knock Knock, a five-year-old gift and stationery company, has created its own genre of witty, whimsical, and fun products. Founded and headed by Jen Bilik, Knock Knock, a division of Who's There, has earned kudos and an enthusiastic base of retailers who are charmed by the contemporary wit in vintage design. Launched in 2002, with 13 products, Knock Knock now offers several hundred items, including a new line of books.

Report cards for adults; pads of cell phone and fashion citations; slang, sex, and therapy flashcards; and babysitter note pads labeled "Don't Kill the Kids" appeal to those with a sense of humor in many demographics. For those who are obsessively organized, or those who wish they were, Knock Knock carries numerous Life Logs to chronicle everything from dreams to computer passwords; organizers for home maintenance, take-out menus, and greeting cards; and kits to keep track of romantic encounters, as well as home library loans.

Bilik and company have launched a new line for Fall 2007 -- Knock Knock Books. The inaugural list features eight titles: The Complete Manual of Things That Might Kill You, The Takeout Cookbook, and the "Self-Hurt Series," including How to Get Fat, How to Have an Ill-Behaved Dog, How to Traumatize Your Children, How to Drive Like a Maniac, How to Procrastinate, and How to Get into Debt. According to Bilik, each of these "humorous nonfiction" offerings is well researched and fact checked.

Booksellers have long been fans of Knock Knock's extensive line of cards, including the January Card, for people who didn't quite get around to sending holiday cards in time. Adapted from an actual card created and sent by Bilik a decade ago, the January Card was one of the company's inaugural products. It has now been joined by an extensive line of boxed cards, multiple-choice cards, and support cards (for example, "My deepest sympathies on the loss of your mojo," with the interior message "Buck up -- you'll get it back").

Bilik told BTW that the Personal Library Kit (for Bibliophiles) has been one of the most popular items in bookstores and it will likely be "refreshed" in the near future. Also on the horizon will be expanded Knock Knock sticky notes, file folders, and paper mouse pads.

Bilik believes that the popularity of the Takeout Menu Organizer bodes well for the new Takeout Cookbook, which includes a history of ethnic takeout foods, ideas for entertaining with takeout, and decoding takeout menus.

"We see a paradigm shift," she explained. "More and more people are consuming food at home that they did not prepare." Food preparation, Bilik maintains, will some day in the not too distant future become a hobby for those who enjoy doing it, like weaving or sewing.

Knock Knock sales reps have been on hand at the fall regional trade shows, and they'll also be at BookExpo America 2008 in Los Angeles. To learn more about Book Sense's newest Publisher Partner, visit www.knockknock.biz or send an e-mail to sales@knockknock.biz. --Nomi Schwartz

Topics: Book Sense, News - Vendors,