How to Host a Successful Virtual Book Launch
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The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has required the world to pivot, and that includes first-time authors launching their books. But when the going gets tough, the tough get creative.
FriesenPress author Dr. Dele Ola recently held a virtual launch for his book Be A Change Agent: Leadership in a Time of Exponential Change. Dr. Ola joins us on the blog to explain the steps he took to make his remote launch so successful:
I held a virtual launch for my book, Be A Change Agent: Leadership in a Time of Exponential Change, on February 6, 2021. Prior to my launch, I found there wasn't a lot of detailed material out there on how to host a successful online book launch event. So, I am sharing my experience and lessons learned here in the hope that it will be useful for anyone planning to organize a virtual book launch. This post is especially useful for self-published nonfiction authors who are looking for a jumpstart. I’ll keep it straight to the point.
Before the Launch
Organizing a virtual book launch is mostly about planning before the day itself. The event will turn out well if it is properly thought through. Here are the items that you should consider before the day.
1. Set a date and time that works for a large number of people in your network
If you’re not already a celebrity whose fans will cancel their appointments in order to attend your book launch, you need to set up a date and time that’s likely to work for the majority of people you are connected with. In the case of Be A Change Agent, the launch was held on a Saturday at 1 pm Central Standard Time (CST). Saturday worked for me because most of the people in my network are busy professionals. The 1 pm CST timing allowed people from different time zones to attend, including those in the PST and those in the GMT zone.
2. Create a formal event invite that allows people to sign up to attend
Don’t assume that people will automatically attend your virtual book launch just because you announced it on social media. You need to receive a commitment from potential attendees in the form of an RSVP. There are online tools to help in creating a successful invite. I used Eventbrite and was able to track the number of people who registered so I had an idea of how many people to expect. Eventbrite is not the only tool out there — your invite may be as simple as a form on your website. My experience was that 20% of those that clicked on my Eventbrite page accepted the invite while 80% of those that accepted the invite actually showed up. I started posting my invite online three weeks before the event day. I also sent personal invites through emails and text messages and made some phone calls.
3. Select a suitable online platform
There is no perfect, definitive online platform to use for a virtual book launch. You may host yours on Zoom, WebEx, Google Meet (formerly Google Hangouts), Facebook Live, Instagram, or even YouTube. What is most important is that you are comfortable with whatever platform you choose.
In my case, I invited all attendees into a Zoom call. The private event was recorded, but we did not stream it live on any additional platforms like Facebook or YouTube. This allowed me to properly edit the video before posting on my website and social media. You may choose to broadcast live—it is just a matter of choice. One thing you may need to be aware of is that some of the online platforms have maximum capacities. For example, you may need to upgrade your Zoom account to host a large meeting if you have more than 100 people sign up for your event.
4. Assemble an event planning team
You shouldn’t work alone — get help from those close to you. Your team could be as small as two or as large as ten, depending on what you need to do. In my case, I had four people on my event planning team. The team consisted of my event anchor/emcee, a tech-savvy family member, another family member that handled logistics, and myself. We had a few meetings prior to the event to decide what we wanted the day to look like. We planned all the items from steps 1–3 above, developed an agenda, tested all equipment, and did a mini dry-run of the event. I recommend that you do not handle everything alone. Ask (at least) one more person to join you in planning your event.
5. Send out event reminders
If you send out your invite weeks before the event, you may find that many people register immediately, but afterwards the rate of registration will decline with time. In order to gather as many people as possible to register, you may need to post the invite a few more times — at least a week before the event and again a few days prior to the event. You will find that people will keep registering until an hour to the event start.
6. Follow up with your invitees
If you are using Eventbrite to manage your invitations, you will have opportunities to send follow up emails to those who accepted the invite as an email blast. This email may include links to join the event and any other information you would like to pass along. Ensure that you send this follow-up message a couple of days prior to the event and about an hour before the start. Those who didn’t put the event in their calendars will still join if they are reminded — as long as they don’t need to scroll through hundreds of emails to find your link.
7. Get an event anchor/emcee
The event anchor is the host or emcee, who will also manage all the transitions between items on your event agenda. I did mention above that my emcee was a member of the planning team. My emcee is a very talented events host and professional, who also happens to be a close friend of mine. You too may look for someone within your network or family that can act as an anchor. You may hire an emcee instead if you can, but you can also save a lot of money if someone close is willing to lend a helping hand. Nevertheless, it is not ideal to host your book launch event by yourself; let someone else be the anchor.
8. Plan your appearance and staging
You need to keep the image and message of your book in the minds of your attendees. Although it is virtual, you still need to plan and set up a successful background. Some may decide to use pre-designed graphics while others will prefer a real background. In my case, my background was real. I sat on a couch, close to a fireplace and a coffee table on which I visibly displayed my books. I decided for this type of staging because I thought it was unique and stood out. My emcee used a graphic background with the book largely displayed. If you like, you may use props in the background. For example, a banner displaying your book — but remember it may cost you additional investment. Another aspect of your appearance is your clothing. You may want to dress in a manner that is consistent with your book. In my case, I wrote a business nonfiction book, so I dressed in business casual but my jacket still had a “party style” to it.
9. Prepare your equipment
Ensure that you get all equipment — computers, cameras, phones, tripod stands, cables and chargers, displays, etc. — ready before the event. In my case, I logged into the event using two devices. I had the main camera directed to me in the position that I liked to appear, while I had a computer (not visible to the main camera) beside me through which I monitored what was going on, saw the chats and saw the attendees. The computer was kept muted with the video off and volume turned to zero throughout the event.
During the Virtual Book Launch
I will now run through the agenda that we used during the virtual launch of Be A Change Agent. Remember: this is how my launch unfolded, and yours may very well be different. I want to share what worked for me. The whole event took about 100 minutes. Here’s how it went:
1. Welcome
This is the opening of the event, handled by the emcee. During the welcome, your team will keep admitting attendees into the event. The emcee can scroll through the attendees list and mention names of people as they get into the virtual room. The emcee may ask people to type where they are joining from and announce the locations. Lastly, the emcee can make a big welcome announcement and discuss housekeeping items, including the agenda.
2. Emcee’s Introduction & Author’s Bio
Next, the emcee introduces everyone to the purpose of the gathering. The emcee can read the author’s bio and then introduce the author to take over the virtual floor.
3. Author’s Opening Remarks
Your opening remarks should be kept simple — just general greetings, leading into the next item, which is ....
4. The Purpose of the Book
Take about 10 minutes to discuss the purpose of your book. Let this be a prepared speech that is well thought through but try to let it flow naturally. Remember that this is part of your first appearance at the book launch and sets the tone for the rest of the event. This shouldn’t be a sales pitch but a snapshot of why the book was written. Be passionate. Be real. Be authentic.
5. Keynote Address
Ahead of the event, you could invite someone who knows the subject of your book to do a 10-minute keynote address. Ideally, the keynote speaker should have read your book and be willing to expand on your initial speech on the “why” of the book. Incorporating a keynote address from someone respected in your field could earn you additional credibility with the audience. In my case, the 10-minute keynote address was presented by a contributor to the book: the foreword writer.
6. Book Reading
You may read your favorite section of the book, especially one that is central to its theme. I will suggest that you do not use the introduction or conclusion. Choose a section from one of the middle chapters and read for about five minutes. You may be surprised how well your audience receives this.
7. Comments from “Sneakers” and Readers
Invite people who have had the privilege to read your book before the book launch to make comments about your book. The “sneakers” may be people who helped to review your book. In my case, the sneakers were the eight people on the back cover of my book who read the book before publishing and wrote advance praise about the book.
8. Live Book Buying
Provide an opportunity for your attendees to buy your book live. Before the launch day, make sure that the book is available for purchase from various online platforms. In the chat area, let a member of your team post all the channels through which your book is available for purchase and let people take off and buy live from those sites. The emcee can announce that anyone that buys live can post in the chat area, then announce the purchases. We did this at my book launch and it was fabulous. I also partnered with a local online bookstore where I have a consignment agreement. The local bookstore was able to sell autographed copies to those in my city. The store took the orders, supplied me autograph information and received the autographed copies for distribution directly from me. The emcee should remind your live book buyers to write book reviews for you on the various platforms from where they have purchased, especially Amazon.
9. Questions for the Author
This is one of the most important parts of your virtual book launch, which can go concurrently with the live book buying. Allow attendees to ask you questions about the book. You may ask them to post questions in the chat area or use a raise hands feature or ask by coming on camera, depending on the size of your audience. This Q&A session is a major showcase of your book. Prepare for it.
10. Acknowledgements
Do this whichever way works for you, but ensure that you make an effort to acknowledge your attendees. In my case, we had about 90 attendees in the room. I was able to read through all the names in less than 5 minutes. I also appreciated specific people in my life who helped me through the writing of the book and in other areas of my career.
11. Door Prizes
Spice up the event with door prizes. A door prize could be almost anything, like free copies of your book, cash prizes (or a gift card), access to resources, etc. In the case of Be A Change Agent, we asked four questions to the attendees and provided each correct respondent with a $20 Amazon gift card.
12. Chat Room
The emcee can officially end the event but keep the platform open for people to socialize. You may be surprised that some people — family, friends, colleagues and associates — you haven’t met or communicated with in a long time would meet up at your virtual book launch. Some people who haven’t been in touch with you for years may also be present. Provide an opportunity to reconnect and socialize, while the official event is over.
After the Virtual Book Launch
After the event, remember to reconnect with your attendees. This is part of why you need them to officially register for the event; you will have their contact information. Send a message to thank them for attending your book launch and for the support that you received during the event. Send them the link to the recorded event if available — they will help you to share and spread the news. If possible, conduct a short survey on the event (I recommend Google Forms for this).
Thank you for reading my tips on a successful book launch. If you would like to watch the virtual book launch of Be A Change Agent: Leadership in a Time of Exponential Change referenced throughout this piece, kindly click here to visit my website.
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Dr. Dele Ola, P.Eng., is a change leader, a seasoned public speaker, and an accomplished professional engineer. He has assisted a large number of businesses to adopt new innovative processes and technologies that significantly improved their competitiveness. He has taught and mentored individuals and groups in the areas of communication, leadership, and interpersonal relationships. Published with FriesenPress, Be a Change Agent: Leadership in a Time of Exponential Change is his first book.
