There is no doubt that the day you finally have your book in your hands is one of the happiest days for a writer. After so many months – if not years – of writing, reviewing, editing, submitting, and finally posting, you can see and touch your baby. This occasion calls for a grand celebration, and what better way to send this book into the hands of your readers than with a book launch party.
One of the main considerations for this party is that you probably thought of it when you were planning to write the book. The marketing plan for the book must be prepared before the book itself to ensure success. Taking into account the theme and the audience of the book, the theme of the party is determined along with all the activities. The best days to have a book launch party are Friday or Saturday for the greatest attendance. The time of day has a lot to do with the theme; it could easily be a beach picnic with wine and cheese or an overnight masquerade.
These are the key ingredients of The Ultimate Book Launch Party:
- Theme: Select a theme directly related to your book. Fiction books are excellent in this regard.
- Invitations – Create a unique launch invitation. You can get an inexpensive software program and design and print your own invitations. Request for confirmation of assistance.
- News and Media: Remember to prepare a press release to mark the event and send it to your local newspaper at least four to six weeks in advance. Don’t forget to send a personal invite to your local news person.
- Party Registration – Have everyone sign up for your party registration and include their email and mailing address. Tell them they’ll be the first to know about your next book sale, book launch, contest, and giveaway.
- Game or Contest: Create a game or contest around your book.
- Food and Drinks: Have something simple to offer your guests on elegant serving plates.
- Reading: Read parts of your books or, better yet, have a few of your guests read a small part. If anyone in attendance has read his book, ask them to tell the others. Nothing sells more than a satisfied reader.
- Photos: Take lots of photos with your guests while the party is going on. You may want to give one of them the camera to take pictures while you visit with everyone present. The images will be great for promotional materials, websites, and blogs.
Note: You may want to have a release form ready for all attendees to sign in reference to permission to post their images online or any printed material without compensation.
- Sell: Offer special discounts to your guests who purchase 2 or more signed copies of your book. Have bookmarks, flyers and mail order forms for everyone and those who don’t buy can take them home and order later. For those who don’t buy on the spot, you can offer them the same special discount if they order within the next 48 hours.
- Follow up: Send guests a thank you note for coming and include 2-3 business cards with a small discount offer for your book on the back for them to give to family or friends. Make sure your discount has an expiration date to keep book sales going on a regular basis.
That is. Easy, fun and profitable! Let your imagination run wild and create The Ultimate Book Launch Party for you and your friends.