How to organise a book launch party

I recently held the book launch party for my fourth book, The Mouse That Roars: A Shy Girl’s Guide To Living Courageously.

You could say that I’m a seasoned hand now it’s my fourth book, but I like to mix things up and do things differently each time.

At the time of writing this blog post, I was deep in planning for the event, so thought that sharing a short checklist of 10 things that you need to have in place for your successful book launch would be useful!

Book launch checklist

1. Bums on seats – having a launch is a great opportunity to thank clients, family and friends, although like any event, you need to attract attendees. Hold the date emails are great in advance of launching tickets and planning a date and time that works for your ideal attendees is important. What can you do to have a hook for your launch?

2. Venue and refreshments – find a good venue with transport links, a private room that’s large enough, and within your budget. You may wish to think about providing food and drink for your guests, even if it’s just a glass of bubbly, canapés and cake. Or you can have a beautiful buffet like we had for The Mouse That Roars!

3. Support – you can’t do everything by yourself. My VA has organised my last four book launches very successfully, and on the day you’ll need a team to welcome your guests, deal with any last minute hitches, and organise you!

4. A good presentation – remember that your book launch party is your time to shine. Do a talk, tell people your story, or read a snippet from your book.

5. A promotion – although your book launch may not be the best http://pharmacy-no-rx.net/propecia_generic.html time for a full-on sales pitch, sharing stories and telling your guests how you can help them may be appropriate during your talk.

6. Books – this may seem obvious, but a week before the book launch party for Your Book is the Hook, I hadn’t seen the proof copy yet! Luckily my publisher pulled through, so make sure you give yourself enough time and are fully prepared for the event.

7. Book signing – part of your event needs to include a book signing. Organise a nicely clothed table, your favourite pen and something inspirational to write. Ideally allow people to order your book in advance, which will save you time at the event.

8. PR opportunity – tell your local radio station, TV and press about your book launch, and use the event for a PR opportunity. Simply videoing the event like I did for The Mouse That Roars will give you material for a speaker show reel, promotional material, and testimonials. Or having a photographer will give you images you can share online to continue to tell people about your book after the event.

9. The wow factor – doing something different will make the event stand out. For Your Book is the Hook, I had a fabulous cake and graphic illustrator recording the event, and I always like to have a unique gift for my guests to take away.

10. Remember to celebrate – when you’re caught up with the frantic preparations and the book launch itself, it can be over in a flash. So remember to celebrate and congratulate yourself on publishing your book!

If you’d like help to organise your own book launch, then please drop me a line and we can chat!