Having a book launch party is a great way to celebrate a milestone with friends and family. It’s also an opportunity to test out your promotion strategy in creating awareness for your book.
Tips for throwing a memorable author book launch party.
Pick a date- Make sure you consider who your audience will be, and the best days and times for them to attend. Try to pick a day that is relevant to your book, or is coordinated with a supporting event.
Create a pre-party buzz- Now that you have your date planned, start building anticipation and awareness around the event. Post pictures of the planning phase, choosing the venue, theme, menu etc. Post these pictures throughout your social media platforms and encourage friends to share.
Have a theme- Get a bigger bang for your buck by creating a theme to support the launch party. If your book is about animals, you could have the party at a local zoo. If you published a children’s book, a party in a park is appropriate. The more creative you are, the more successful your party will be.
Choose a venue- There are dozens of venue ideas to choose from, most of which will take some planning and maybe a little extra cash. Parks with covered spaces, theaters, art galleries, museums, and hotels, (just to name a few) make great venues to support your theme and audience. These places are usually willing to let you rent their space, especially on off days or hours. Individual homes although quaint and inexpensive, limit the number of guests that can attend.
Serve food and drinks- Create a limited menu matching the venue and times you have chosen. Serving wine and beer along with cheese and finger sandwiches would be appropriate for a museum or art gallery. An author who we published wrote a book about Civil War letters she found and her Irish heritage. At her launch party, she served Irish food, had Celtic dancers and music, and a Civil War Reenactment. Think about your audience and the time of day for your party to match it properly with your menu.
Provide entertainment- Standing around talking with guests for hours can definitely work, but having the appropriate entertainment will put it over the top. Hiring a music ensemble to play at your art gallery party would add a nice touch. Having a clown or magician at a children’s book launch party would entertain the kids and free up the parents to talk about and purchase your book.
Get a headcount- Send out your invitations early and ask for an RSVP. Knowing how many people will be attending is important for proper planning. You want to have the right amount of people showing up, so knowing ahead of time is key.[Tweet “A press release focusing on an event in support of the book might get more media attention.”]
Launch a press release- Creating a press release around your book release party is a brilliant way to get more attention for your book. Media outlets get press releases every day, and even though there can be an interest just based on the subject matter, a press release focusing on an event in support of the book might get more media attention.
Invite local media- Be proactive and contact local media to invite them to the party. Go beyond the random email and pick up the phone to try and create a connection with local media. If they show up, thank them during the event for taking their time to attend. One article about your book can help create additional awareness and possibly pay for your launch party.
Thank people for attending- Carve out some time, preferably early in the event to thank your guests and honor those that helped you with the event and the book. Keep it short, sweet and from the heart.
Take and post lots of pictures and video- Make sure you plan for someone to be your official photographer and or videographer. If you don’t have any favors to call in, consider hiring a professional photographer to spend an hour at the event. Professional photos and video content will go a long way in helping to promote you and your book. Direct them to concentrate on images of you speaking with guests, signing books, making your ‘thank you’ speech and other empowering images. Create tons of memes, posts, and tweets surrounding the event. Encourage guests to take pictures with their smartphones and post them on social media. Offer a special gift for the guest with the most “likes’ or shares for an individual image. You can never have enough pictures or videos!
Remember to breathe and enjoy all of the planning and preparation that goes into this event. It’s a time to celebrate with those people that have supported you. Most importantly it’s an event to honor you, the author, on your journey of bringing your work to life. Feel free to share this and all our blogs with your fellow authors.
Rick Lite of Stress Free Book Marketing, stands at the forefront of the ever-changing book industry. He is a seasoned book marketing professional with over 13 years of experience in the industry. Rick’s expertise comes from tirelessly working on new and innovative ways to market his own books and CDs with his company and parent company, Stress Free Kids. Embracing the core values of integrity, innovation, and growth, Rick works closely with authors to create custom, robust book marketing programs. His easy-going manner provides “stress-free” support and comfort to authors going through the book marketing process for the first time. Rick is quick to share his knowledge and “insider tips” for a successful marketing campaign that will lead to increased exposure, awareness and most importantly, sales.