Remember your high school prom? Chances are, whether you were prom court royalty, went with a friend, or didn’t go at all, the event can still stir up vivid memories. The big dance is at the center of the new YA novel Will Work for Prom Dress by Aimee Ferris (Egmont, Feb.), about two girls who take on a series of disastrous odd jobs as part of a “betterment plan” to score the perfect date and the perfect attire. Fittingly, prom is also at the heart of Ferris’s innovative promotion for her book, the Will Work for Prom Dress Promapalooza.

Since January 3, Ferris has been posting the prom photo of a different mystery children’s author each morning, revealing their identity with a click-through to the author’s site or Indiebound page at 5 P.M. EST. Contestants can email their guesses and be entered into a prize giveaway on the release day of Ferris’s book.

The idea grew into a Promapalooza after Ferris met with her agent, George Nicholson of Sterling Lord Literistic, to discuss attention-grabbing plans for Will Work for Prom Dress’s promotion. “I was having breakfast with George and musing about whether I would put a picture of myself wearing my prom dress on the book’s Web site,” Ferris says. “And, over a stack of buttery waffles, I was also thinking that I might not be able to get into that dress,” she adds. “Then I thought about posting my actual high school prom picture, and when I looked at it I realized, ‘This is not something to be done alone!’ I think my hair was bigger than my dress.”

Once the disco ball got rolling, Ferris decided to enlist help from her comrades in taffeta and ruffled shirts and put out a call for YA authors’ prom photos via Twitter. Author Laurel Snyder (Penny Dreadful) was an early responder. “When I saw the call for pics, I couldn't resist sending mine in,” she says. “Mostly because I think my own experience was different than the proms I read about in books and saw on movies as a kid. I took my best friend Susan to my junior prom, because—basically—she meant a lot more to me than any boy I knew—and still does today. We had an amazing night, eating burgers at our favorite dive in our dresses, and getting our pictures taken together—while bewildering the photographer, if memory serves. I wasn't trying to be radical or anything. I just loved my best friend, and wanted to share my ‘magic moment’ with someone I knew I really would love forever.”

Author A.S. King, who just won a Printz Honor for her novel Please Ignore Vera Dietz, also wanted in on the action. “I wanted to get involved because believe it or not, my prom picture is the only picture from my childhood where I look halfway decent!” she says. “I have a habit of posting really embarrassing photos on my book jackets,” she adds. “It just so happened that my parents gave me a bunch of childhood family photos over Christmas on a CD and my prom photos were on there.” King says she didn’t know Ferris before the contest, but is glad they made contact. “It’s always fun to celebrate the launch of a book and it only happens so often. This looked like a great way to do it. And I love that she made it a guessing game. I’ve been guessing all week!”

The overall response has been terrific, according to Ferris. Authors appearing in the early days have included Lisa Schroeder, Caridad Ferrer, Nova Ren Suma and Bennett Madison. “I have an amazing collection of photos still to go up,” Ferris says. “And lots of people have donated signed books or ARCs for the giveaway. The bag of swag is growing daily.”

There’s still time to send photos in, as well. “Every time I get one it cracks me up and makes my day,” Ferris says. So far, she has 30-40 author shots, but she hopes to expand beyond the February book release date—when her very own photo will see the light of day—and then possibly post themed weeks of prom photos like “editor week” “reviewer week” and “agent week,” so that more people can have a turn.

“I think it’s so great for kids to see that these people they look up to survived high school and made it through prom, whether they went or not,” she says. And thanks to the growing number of photos, the web site promotion “could easily continue” through the spring. Ah, yes, spring—prom season!