The Book Launch Event Refresher
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Though it feels like a lifetime ago, there was a time when authors would release their books with a grand, in-person launch event. Often accompanied by a signing and/or reading component, book launches are a highlight of a writer’s career — an exciting chance to showcase countless hours of hard work and determination with their family, friends, and their local community. (Not to mention a great way to generate book sales!)
Of course, the disruption that is COVID-19 has forced new authors to get creative, shifting promotional events and strategies from the physical to the digital. A part of that shift has meant foregoing the live book launch.
But, there’s good reason to get excited. As the end of the pandemic draws nearer and nearer, live events are slowly starting to return — including book launches.
Unless you’re primarily selling eBooks, there’s no replacement for getting to speak face-to-face with your potential readers and allowing them to hold your book in person.
To help you get back into the swing of things and plan your big in-person debut, we’ve put together a book launch event refresher using the expert tips and advice of our Book Promotion Specialists here at FriesenPress.
Note: please consult and adhere to the active COVID health and safety guidelines in your region to ensure your potential event is compliant and safe for all to enjoy.
Finding the Right Venue
Start by reaching out to your network and asking about possible locations for a book launch event, such as cafés, libraries, and hotel conference rooms. With a better understanding of your options, you can more directly research the suggested local venues. To get a better feel for these locations and what they offer, you should set up meetings at a few locations to speak with their event coordinators.
In these meetings, take the time to discuss advertising, food options, tech requirements (microphones, screens, or projectors), and whatever else you might want from the venue on the day of the event. Also, always give them a few dates you would consider for the event in case your first choice isn't available.
Approaching the Media
Once you’ve established a date, time, and venue for your book launch you should reach out to local media members to cover the event. You can do so by putting together a media release to announce your book launch, including details of the event and the publication date of your book. The release should be written and sent out to local media at least two weeks prior to the event. A follow-up communication should be sent 3 to 5 business days afterwards to confirm if they have received it and will use it.
If they decide to attend, you’ll also want to have pre-arranged a time slot for you and the journalist to speak that’s mutually agreeable. A good time for this could be right after a short reading so they’ll be around during it. Be sure not to lock the journalist into anything for too long—you want to ensure everything is easy and accessible for them both leading up to the event, during, and after.
Be Prepared with Promotional Materials
Posters are helpful to promote your event locally, and the same is true of postcards. Both can be handy to leave in coffee shops and bookstores to get the word out about your event. They’re effective in-person tools, but should also still be complemented by posting that promotional imagery online. To allow people to see what's happening in their area, many local event listings will let you post online about an event without charge. Facebook Events are also a great tool. It’s a simple, free resource with the ability to attract potential attendees more directly.
Bookmarks for the event itself are great for passersby who are curious about the book but maybe won't buy it right then and there. It’s also a great value-add that you can put into each book. This will help direct readers back to your website and encourage people to follow you on social media where they can leave reviews.
While you’re at your event, be sure to stand in front of the table (not behind) and try to mingle! Keep business cards on hand as well. They’re great to leave with bookstores or interested customers to establish a connection and promote your book and author brand.
Create Buzz with a Contest
The main driver for selling books is by generating an atmosphere of excitement around your book, and a great in-person strategy to accomplish that goal is by holding a contest at your book launch event.
All you’d have to do is have an entry box for people to submit their names, email addresses, and maybe social media usernames to sign up for the chance to win one of x number of (digital or physical) books. It also gives you an opportunity to build an email list for a newsletter to keep them up to date on your latest work.
At the end of the contest, you can reveal the winners on social media to gain visibility and build your author–reader engagement!
Have Your Books On Hand
Don't expect bookstores to order books for the event. Make sure to order some yourself well ahead of time. Nobody wants to show up empty-handed and it's not worth the stress of hoping your books will arrive in time. Better yet, wait until you have books in hand before you set the date. And get more than you think you'll sell — they won't spoil, plus you'll get a better unit cost, which means a better opportunity for higher profits. More time also means you can pre-sign books, slide a bookmark into each one, or just have one less thing to worry about.
You can also pick a few excerpts to read so you’re prepared. Consider asking a friend to MC for a more lively event — a little banter never hurt! Plus, they can introduce you, take photos or videos to later post on your website and social media, field questions, assist with slideshows, and generally help keep the event on track.
After the Event
While the event itself can be a strong promotional tool, the excitement doesn’t need to end the day of. It’s important to post photos from such an event on your website and social media (don’t forget to tag the venue), as it will often yield significant engagement. Don’t be afraid to emphasize the event’s successes with more photos over multiple posts in the subsequent days and weeks. Also, if you share resulting statistics (like book sales), you can stir up more interest in your book from a wider audience. It can potentially motivate those potential readers who missed out on the launch to follow you more closely and avoid missing any future events.
Lastly, using the email addresses you’ve collected from your earlier contest, you have an opportunity to connect again with your attendees by sending thank-you notes. If you have them actively opt-in, it also allows you to build or expand your mailing list for email promotions and newsletter updates.
By following these best practices in preparation for your in-person book launch, you can create some buzz around your book, better connect with your audience, and sell a few extra copies. All it takes is a plan with a little forethought to meet your goals and make it a successful milestone event.
Remember: your book launch is not only a way to kickstart your marketing campaign, but a celebration of a finished product that you’ve spent months — if not years — of your life developing. So, enjoy the experience of finally sharing your book with the world!
