How to Plan Your Book Launch Event
A favorite exercise in my writing classes was this: imagine your book has been published, then plan the celebration party for it. Even beginning writers got into the fun. Planning a party to celebrate this milestone is actually a great way to make it come true, or so I’ve learned. Not so distant from an athlete visualizing the finish line.
This week I want to share what I’ve learned about launch events. When they are meaningful to you, not just a place to make more sales, the glow carries you for a long while.
A former student gave me the idea of writing this post: Jan is releasing her first book in a few weeks with a party she’s designed. But she also sent good questions—was there anything else I could recommend to make her launch event even more special?
I’ve attended and hosted many book launches. Some sponsored by my publisher. Some at huge bookstores with a standing-room-only crowd. Some smaller and intimate, put on by my writing friends. Each was as different as the books they celebrated. The ones that felt most satisfying to me, even years later, were designed inwardly way in advance.
How do you bring your baby into the world in the best way? What might you include in your launch party plans? What does such an event cost and how far in advance do you need to start thinking about it?
But most of all: What will make it worth your time, money, expense? Because, like any great party, there will be all three.
What appeals?
Launch parties are individual—to you and your book’s journey. What appeals to another author may not ring any bells for you. I was glad to have the big bash at Barnes & Noble that year, the posters with my face and book title at their front doors, the long line of people wanting a book signed. It was a sort of confirmation that I’d arrived as a author. But when I think back, much more meaningful to me were the launches where I got to talk with friends, see old writing buddies, and have a literary conversation. I didn’t sell as many books at those events, but I felt immensely more satisfaction.
Having done (and been to) so many, I know what’s most meaningful to me in people, place, music, discussion, selling books, food, testimonials, or Q&A, But it’ll be different for you.
So, in my classes, when I’d ask writers to visualize their ideal launch party, we first ponder the purpose of the celebration.
Is it to gather and acknowledge everyone who helped you get to this place (writer’s group, agent, editor, writing friends, family)?
Is it to spread the word about your new book?
Is it to mostly sell books?
Is it to get noticed on the media or socials, to spread your “fame,” so to speak?
Is it to just enjoy yourself, with a great party you’ll remember for years?
Use a presume
I’ve written before about the presume (future resume), learned many years ago in Get It All Done and Still Be Human by Tony and Robbie Fanning. This exercise is an easy way to visualize a future event—but best of all, I find it gets to the core of what’s most meaningful about that event, even before it happens.
Here are the steps I use:
Imagine yourself an hour or a day after your launch event is over. Imagine the feeling of satisfaction and joy you experienced as your baby was released into the world with great celebration.
Writing from that future moment in time, as if you are looking back on the event, describe this feeling. Such as, “I’m so thrilled with how the launch went. What meant the most to me was . . .”
Be prepared to maybe be surprised at what comes. Your goal with this exercise is to discover what would really do it for you, inside and out. It might be that someone very special from your past was able to attend. It might be the beautiful place you held the party. It might be the interesting literary dialogues or questions from your audience.
From the presume, make a list of your top qualities. What does mean the most to you, concerning this event?
Best timing
Many writers believe that launch events are just about selling more books. That the buzz is greatest just when the book comes out.
Pre-orders have changed that landscape, in my view. I have had fewer sales on site because my most eager readers already ordered their books online. Because of this, the timing of the event means more about acknowledging the milestone moment in my creative life than on-site sales. I make sure books are available, though, since my readers also buy signed copies for friends. Or get themselves a signed copy to keep and give the pre-ordered book away. All good!
So I usually pick a launch party date within a few weeks of my book’s actual release date, because if I decide to advertise the event to the public, the “new release” cachet does attract attention. But I am also careful to have books in hand well before that date. A scary moment when my third novel was published came when the bookstore was unable to order copies: printing was delayed by a week. I wasn’t sure we’d have any books to sell, but it all worked out last minute. I prefer to avoid that kind of stress!
Plan in advance
Planning early also avoids stress. Start early for these basic reasons: availability of venue, advertising, save-the-date notices for your overbooked friends and family, as well as books on hand to sell.
I begin planning about nine months ahead of my release date. Like my students discovered, it’s fun. It creates a real moment in the future when the long-dreamed-of book will actually be real. More time also allows more brainstorming and ideas. I take time to make notes about what I really want, ask writing friends, attend other authors’ events. Gradually, the “feeling” of my event comes forward, and I can focus on the specifics.
Questions to ask
Depending on how complex your party, here are questions to ask:
Is the event virtual or in-person?
Is it open to the public or just for a smaller circle of people you know?
How will you announce it (via email, text, printed invites, social media)? If open to the public, will you try to get media to attend or preview the event?
If in-person, what venue best suits your book? Huge auditorium? Small meeting room? Bookstore? Writing school? Concert hall? Church? Bowling alley? Coffee shop or restaurant? If virtual, do you have an unlimited account with Zoom or Google Meet or other platform?
Who will help with the event? Virtual events need a gatekeeper and helper in the chat, I’ve learned. In-person events need a bookseller, food helpers, and more.
What format appeals to you? Just a reading? Or some interaction with other writers, such as a conversation? Will you give the audience a chance to ask questions (I’ve found the Q&A section of events to be the best!)? Will you have a friend read aloud the best reviews for the book? Will there be other kinds of acknowledgements?
If in-person, will you have food? Just drinks? Finger food? A sit-down meal? A cake? Will it be potluck or catered?
If in-person, what about decorations? For the release of my novel about women pilots, there were tin signs about flying, paper cranes made by a friend, and pilot-themed paper plates and cups (from a kids’ party store). A poster of the book cover? Balloons?
How will you thank those who helped you get here? Will you make a speech? Will you ask them to stand up or stand out to be acknowledged? Will you gift them with signed copies of your book?
Photographs? Such a wonderful memory, worth asking a skilled friend or hiring someone.
What will you wear? (This comes later in the planning, but it’s important.) Do you need time to plan, prepare, primp? If in-person, is there a green room where you can get dressed, especially if the weather is bad?
Music? Is there any music/soundtrack associated with your book that you want to highlight? For my novel about women pilots, a friend wrote a song based on lyrics from the story and my former band performed it at the launch—I stepped in for a cameo, which was scary and fun.
What have you enjoyed at book release events? What do you imagine for yours?
Make it meaningful—to you!
My publishers usually launched at bookstores. I enjoyed the thrill of that, as I mentioned above, but they weren’t as personal and meaningful as I wished. After several of these bookstore events, I began to choose venues that brought in a literary flavor.
I approached two writing schools where I taught classes: the Hudson Valley Writers Center in New York and the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis. Both were happy to offer space (sometimes for a fee, sometimes for free). They announced to their community and I enjoyed the gathering of other writers. I planned my launch to focus on the writing aspect of this milestone.
That led me to go beyond the traditional author reading (a short excerpt from the book, timed to about 5 minutes, and practiced) and try being in-conversation with another published author. These were wonderful experiences for me—and such fun for the audience too. Conversations are lively. Especially when followed by an audience Q&A.
I duplicated this format on my virtual launches as well (I held both in-person and virtual for recent releases, and both were very well attended).
I also wanted food at my in-person release party. I went out on a limb and contacted a dozen of my former students, asking if they’d be willing to bring a dessert or appetizer in exchange for a free signed copy of my novel. Everyone said yes! One even volunteered to coordinate the food and decorations.
Another friend was my photographer. Still others provided live music. It was quite the party.
A possible flow for the event
Here’s the flow I ended up with, for my most recent in-person book launch event. Minus the food and music, I used the same flow for the virtual versions. It worked very well. Take whatever makes sense as you plan yours!
About a half hour before the event started, people began arriving. I got to mingle, say hello. Music began and some food was offered at the in-person event.
The event began, and my in-conversation person welcomed everyone. She read a brief bio of my writing background and shared her impression of my book.
We began our conversation. She’d sent me her questions ahead of time so I could prepare notes.
Peppered throughout our conversation were small readings from my book, which I did instead of a single, longer reading. I found it worked a lot better!
We also paused for an audience Q&A. Such unexpected and great questions that stretched me, but I learned so much and enjoyed it.
We finished with a final short reading then let people know books were for sale and I’d be signing them. The music continued for another half-hour and desserts were set out!
The whole event lasted about two hours, whether in-person or virtual. I hosted two in the afternoon on a weekend and two on weekday evenings. All were very well attended.
Breaking the mold
Many writers, especially those backed by a publisher’s publicity team, feel like there’s only one or two ways to launch books. I stayed in this mold for years, but I often found something was missing. The party.
If you imagine your book launch as more personal, try the ideas above. No limitations!
Your Weekly Writing Exercise
Try the presume, above, to imagine your book release party. Give yourself time to consider any and all ideas. What might be the most meaningful to you, years from now, when you remember this milestone event?
If you’re ready to get specific, go through the list of questions and see what comes.
Share your thoughts!
And if you’d like to check out some new releases, scroll down to Shout Out! Jan’s book is there—a thank you to her for inspiring the post this week.