Those Little Details–Extras Limited Only by Your Budget and Imagination.
Have you attended any book launches? If at all possible, before you hold your own book launch you should attend at least one to get a sense of timing and how they are run.
Create a timetable for the event. You want people to enjoy the event, but you need to keep control of it. Say your launch is an hour in duration, this is probably plenty of time.
Your timetable may go like this
2pm Guests arrive, tea and coffee is served- to background music * more about music later. Alternatively, an evening launch might start like this 7pm Guests arrive. wine is served background music. Allow 10-15 minutes for guests to arrive.
2.15 Welcome ( I minute) Given by your MC-choose someone who is used to speaking in public bookseller, librarian, Mayor, MP.
2.16 Launch speech (a bit about you and the book) 2-4 minutes. Ideally given by a dignitary, bookshop owner or librarian.
2.20pm Read an extract of your book – about 500 words or so. Follow with a Q&A have someone sit with you and ask a few questions, ( Best to know what they will ask) Invite the audience to ask questions and keep it to about 10 minutes.
2.30 pm End of formalities.
Move over to the signing table, for book sales and signings. Refreshments are served, and music is playing.
3 pm. the event winds up.
Signing table – set up before the event with a tablecloth, leaflets, posters and a stack of your books to sign. Bring a nice pen and have spares. I also had flowers and balloons- I wanted a festive look. I might have scattered love hearts if I’d had time to get them. If you have an author banner- display that.
Top TIp: Have an assistant to deal with sales– you can’t take sales and sign books. Announce in advance if only cash will be accepted. Make sure your e- payment system works
Ask everyone who they want the book signed for and ask how they spell the name. Jane can also be Jayne. Hopefully, you will have plenty of books to sign.
Bonus. Have you any other publications? I have been published in two anthologies Passages a short story anthology and Writing the Dream, where twenty -five writers talk about their path to publication both published by Serenity Press.
I created book bundles with Fire & Ice and one of the other titles’ and tagged as Specials. Tied with rose pink or lilac ribbon and labelled as a launch special they were at a reduced price compared to buying the books individually, they sold out quickly. Each book I signed was accompanied by a card for my blog and either a charm of a pair of ice skates, a Viking helmet or snowflake charm. Give a little extra!
Music- choose something appropriate to your books topic and keep it a gentle hum so people can talk- I had Nordic music and took my time to select something that represented what my book was about, soft ethereal, and romantic music.
Extras –Bookmarks with your book details can be printed cheaply – you can give those to everyone, it might remind them to buy your book. Put buy links on them.
Door prize- I had two Viking dolls– one of which I gave away as a door prize.
A signup sheet if you have a newsletter.
Help Get someone who has a good eye to take photographs- the event will pass in a blur and you will be so glad you have them later
Catering if you are lucky, a friend or family member will handle that. if you have to do it yourself keep it simple-there is enough to be stressed about
The End of the Event-
Thank people for coming and ask them to please post a review of your book.
Be gracious, say goodbye, leave them with a good impression.
Afterwards
You may have to close chairs and leave the space clean and tidy-even wash-up. it certainly brings you back down to earth, on the glamorous life of an author.
But you have done it – you have successfully launched your book.
Sonia Bellhouse- Author. 