I just hosted my very first book launch party, and I am happy to report that it went very well: We ran out of chairs and we ran out of books, but most important, people enjoyed themselves. For many of my guests it was the first book launch/reading they ever attended, and I like to think they got a good taste of what fun can be had at literary events. Following are some tips from my experience:
My book launch party went better than I could possibly have imagined. We were sold out of books before the program even began, and my only regret is that I should have brought an even bigger box of books as backup than I did—we would have sold them all! A few of my coworkers from my day job attended, and the next day it was nice to hear their chatter about how much they had enjoyed themselves. And that, to me, is the greatest measure of a successful event: That the guests had a good time.
Thank you so much for this post. The tips that you've provided along with insight is wonderful. I will definitely be incorporating the ideas you presented into my next book release coming soon.
Thanks for the Costco tip, Annette! That's great. I learned there is also cake.com with a cupcake option! Bright ideas indeed...
Peg, the book store I held mine at advised that weekdays were better than weekends, and 7pm was their preferred time - it gives people time to grab some dinner after work but it doesn't require them to schlep out again like a weekend event would. But these preferences might be location specific, so I would ask the venue where you want to have yours what they recommend.
Do you find that there is a particular day of the week and time of day that works best for the book launch party? Thanks!
Renate: Yes, people did buy their own drinks & food at the cafe counter. I don't know who made the cake for the Book Cellar but I've been subsequently told that you can even take an image of your book cover to Costco and they will customize a cake for you, so it seems to be a pretty standard thing.
Dyane: Good luck with your book launch, sounds like you're a planner as well!
Pam, Roni, Antoinethe: Thanks for your comments!
Congrats, Annette. this sounds like a wonderful book launch and a great success. I am printing out your post in order to prepare for the launch party of my memoir Kiss Me Again, Paris, in June. Two questions came up: did your guests buy their own drinks and food at the café counter? I've never seen a nook cake before: spectacular! What special bakery made this happen?
Thank you, and good wishes for the life of your book!
Renate Stendhal
This is such a fantastic post!
I was feeling a little sheepish because last week I scheduled my first book event six months out, but when I read you also scheduled six months in advance, I felt vindicated! I'm definitely going to use many of the excellent tips you mention in this article. Although I love the indie store's space you described, I have already selected my beloved local library as my venue. My husband, also a published author, spoke at the library and his talk went very well. I'll be donating a portion of the book sales to two non-profits: The Friends of the Libraries (who will do a fine job of advertising the event in tandem with the main library system) and NAMI Santa Cruz, a local mental health non-profit. (My book is a memoir about postpartum bipolar disorder.)
I'm creating a PowerPoint presentation to help guide me & give me talking points. I had planned on having a Q&A session &I love how you brought in a co-host for your Q&A. I'm going to seriously consider doing that and I have ideas about some brilliant & charming local authors I could ask. The cake you had looked fabulous and the gift bag idea appeals to me as well.
Can you tell you have inspired m? ;) Thanks so much!
Congratulations!!
Dyane Harwood
"Birth of a New Brain - Healing from Postpartum Bipolar Disorder" (Post Hill Press, October 10, 2017)
foreword by Dr. Carol Henshaw
www.dyaneharwood.com
www.proudlybipolar.wordpress.com
I want a piece of that cake! Congrats on a successful event. Planning pays off.
Comprehensive and helpful, Annette - and it sounds like all your careful and personal attention to detail helped your event be a launch not only for your book but for a lovely career in the making. Brava!
This is great information. Thank you. I am going to use this as a check sheet for my book launch planning.