# 69 authors support CLIC Sargent’s Get in Character auction

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2015/02/26/69-authors-support-clic-sargents-get-character-auction/
- Published: 2015-02-26T06:51:53+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**Sixty nine best-selling authors are offering fans the chance to appear as a character
in their books in a fundraising campaign for CLIC Sargent, the charity that supports
children and young people with cancer.**

Authors such as Lee Child, Katie Fforde, Lisa Jewell (all three pictured above),
Nicci French, Peter James, Julie Cohen and former SAS soldier Andy McNab, are offering
fans the opportunity to have their name appear in their forthcoming novels.

The 10-day Get in Character auction launches today at 8pm on eBay. The highest bidders
for each author can have a character named after them in their next book, or can
choose to have a character named after a loved one.

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## Bid for authors’ advice

[CLIC Sargent’s Get in Character auction](http://www.clicsargent.org.uk/getincharacter)
offers other prizes, including the chance to have lunch with Lee Child or afternoon
tea with thriller writer Amanda Jennings.

Aspiring writers can bid on the opportunity to have their work critiqued by other
top authors including Alison Bruce, Claire Dyer, Eve Seymour, Kate Rhodes, Karla
Brading and Colette McBeth.

Sunday Times Bestseller Lisa Jewell, who also supported the CLIC Sargent auction
last year, said:

> “The Get in Character auction is great fun every year, and I’m proud to be supporting
> CLIC Sargent and the children and young people it works with.
> “I don’t have a 
> particular character in mind for this year’s winner yet, so they’ll have to wait
> and see! But last year’s winner Adele Howes features as a married mother of three
> teenage daughters in my new novel The Girls which comes out in July… ‘My’ Adele
> is grounded and loving and generous and I hope the real-life Adele approves of
> her!”

## ⏎ How to make the most of an eBay auction

UK Fundraising asked Kate Apperley how the event had developed. She said:

> “This is the second year we’ve run the **Get in Character** auction. Last year
> we ran it as a pilot, 27 authors were involved, and we managed to raise £3,500.
> “
> This year it’s bigger and better and we’re hoping to more than double the amount
> raised.“I think what makes this auction successful is that the idea of being a
> character in a book really does capture people’s imagination.“We’re also lucky
> enough to have the support of some wonderful authors, many of whom have been touched
> by cancer in their lives and want to make a difference to the children and young
> people that we support.“My advice to people about running a successful eBay auction
> is to focus on something with a wide appeal, and what we love about this auction
> is that’s there are so many authors with different genres taking part there is
> something for everyone and every pocket.”

The [Get in Character auction](http://stores.ebay.co.uk/clic-sargent-get-in-character)
runs from 8pm on 26 February to 8pm on 8 March 2015.

## ⏎ Auctioning characters’ names for charity

Other charities have raised funds from auctioning characters’ names in forthcoming
novels. 
These include:

 * Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture’s [Immortality Auction](https://www.fundraising.co.uk/2000/10/17/name-your-price-and-price-your-name/)
   raised £25,000 in December 2000.
 * [Ian Rankin supported The Independent’s Christmas Appeal](https://www.fundraising.co.uk/2001/12/28/ian-rankin-auctions-thriller-character-name-charity/)
   in December 2001
 * London’s Air Ambulance raised £30,000 when [Sir Anthony Horowitz OBE auctioned a name in the next James Bond novel](https://www.fundraising.co.uk/2014/12/08/chance-feature-next-james-bond-novel-raises-30000-londons-air-ambulance/)
   in December 2014