How To Create A Book Launch Event
And how mine went, for The Source of The Wind.
It’s been almost four months since my debut novel “The Source of The Wind” has been out in the world, and a month ago I did something incredibly fun and a little nerve-wracking…
I held an in-person book launch event!
There was no doubt in my mind that I was going to do this. But the thought of speaking in front of people, not as a teacher to my students, but as a creator to loved ones and future readers, was a little anxiety-inducing for this hyper-private individual.
I knew that I wanted and needed to bare my soul, reveal the weirdness and sensitivities of my heart and be in the spotlight for a change. Which is something I love as an ex-performer, but I’ve never really done as a writer. Certainly not when talking about my debut novel that was born out of a very personal healing journey, and holds some of my spiritual perspective in life.
Because I knew I’d have a crazy summer right after officially launching my novel, I decided to wait a couple of months, until my big life transitions calmed down before throwing the event.
And now that I’ve settled in a bit more, after my summer of transitions, I’m finally getting to document and recount to you my first official bookish event as an author!
Ella, how do you create a book launch event?
Good question, my lovely readers. I’m not an expert on this, as I’ve so far just held the one event. But something I've gathered is that, there are no real rules to throwing a book launch event. Only that, you know... you talk about your book and celebrate it. Giving attendees the option to purchase a copy of your book, is also considered a good idea 😉
But you can do that in any number of ways. The only real rule, is that you create an event that you would enjoy.
How do you do that, if you’ve never thrown a book launch event before?
I was lucky that one of my absolute besties is also an author, who has also stumbled onto a career as a book marketer. So when trying to figure out how to plan the event, I listened to her advice.
The most important one being finding the answer to this question - what is the book launch event that I would enjoy?
So, I started with figuring that out. And the best way to do that is by asking yourself lots of questions and feeling into the correct answers for you.
So, if you're about to plan a book launch event, these are the questions I had asked myself, in order to understand what I wanted and what would suit me.
Questions To Ask Yourself When Book Launch Event Planning
Intimate setting, or as many people as possible? What location would fit that requirement the best?
During the day, or during the evening hours?
What kind of potential readers do I want to attract? Where do they hang out?
Would my guests need parking?
What kind of food and drinks would I want to offer, if any?
Do I want to hold a Q&A? Do I want to make the event interactive?
How much do I want to talk about the book? What do I want to say?
How do I want to feel during the event? How do I want my guests to feel at the event?
What’s one thing I could incorporate, that would make me feel confident?
Is there a way where I can make the event even more memorable for my guests?
What vibe am I going for? What vibe suits the themes of the book?
Once you figure out the answers to those questions, starting out with the first and last questions, in particular, you can go about planning the rest of your launch event and figuring out all of the other details.
*Pro tip: The type of vibe you’re going for, and the type of location you want, should always be the first step. Because you, the location and the guests all need to know where and when the event is, and plan their schedules accordingly. Putting in place all of the other details, only becomes relevant once you’ve got the location and the vibe you want, down.
What Did I Want For My Book Launch Event?
I wanted first and foremost, for the location to be a place that expats and international folk frequent. The Source of The Wind is an English novel, but I don't live in a predominantly English-speaking country. My readers have to be people who love reading in English.
So, I picked a wonderful cafe that was recommended to me as a good place for events, that's also very popular with the expat, English-speaking community.
I originally thought about holding the event on a Friday morning, but the cafe couldn't swing that. Because I really liked the cafe and it checked off my number one priority, I decided to let go of this point, and I'm really glad I did.
We held the event on a Thursday evening, right before the weekend starts. This meant that people were done for the working week and were wanting to do something fun and be out of the house, in no rush to get back home on time before the next work day. Even after the event was officially over, a big group of my loved ones and I, went to continue enjoying the night by the beach, which was really fun.
The location being a local cafe, meant that the setting was quite intimate. Which ended up working for me too, as I loved the cosier vibe and felt very relaxed in this setting.
*Pro tip: Especially for the HSPs and introverts among us… a relaxed author = a present author. A present author = a positive experience for author and guests. What will help you relax and be present, even if you're excited and nervous?
One of the perks of working with the cafe, is that food and drinks for attendees, would be from their menu. I loved their menu and this meant that I didn't have to think about catering, even though I did want for attendees to have the ability to eat and drink something, since many would be coming straight after a workday.
*Pro tip: If you book a cafe, hostel, or any place that has an in-house menu, check if you can strike a deal with them, with regards to food and drinks. The cafe told me that they require a 1 drink minimum for each guest at the event, but beyond that, there was no other requirement for me, them or my guests. It saved a lot of headaches on my part, with regards to catering.
Another plus, was that the cafe agreed to potentially hold some copies of The Source of The Wind, for customers to buy on-site, using a consignment agreement. They showcase a few copies to their customers, and if they succeed in selling them, they will get a small percentage of the sale and the rest will go to me.
*Pro tip: Finding local stores and cafes to hold copies of your book on consignment, is huge for us indie authors who don't have our own physical stores to sell out work. If you can find a location for your launch event, that would be willing to do that, that's gold! But no worries, if not… you can (and should) ask around to see who's willing to hold your book on consignment, and it doesn't have to be exclusive to one store or to only the location of your launch.
I also wanted for there to be enough space to hold some interactive stations, with which guests can interact and learn about The Source of The Wind, before I officially start talking about it and my journey writing it. I wanted to have a mingling portion in the event, and giving guests something to do while they mingle, felt like a good idea to me.
I also loved the idea of holding a Q&A and playing the song I composed, specifically to celebrate the launch of my novel. It felt like a way I could engage my guests even more, and were both things that I knew would make me feel more comfortable and in my element.
So, how did I plan the event?
Well, here was the plan…
18:00 - Arrival, mingling and stations set-up.
Music is playing and doors are open for guests. The various interactive stations set up, were a board where guests could anonymously answer questions I asked, pertaining to themes of the book; a station with illustrations of my characters, where guests could scan the QR code at the back, to learn more about the characters; a photo-op station where guests can take photos of themselves with their copy of the book; and a little station where they could leave a wish for The Source of The Wind, as it makes its way into the world.
19:00 - Speaking, reading an excerpt, playing the TSOTW song, holding a Q&A.
Background music stops, I thank everyone for coming and I begin talking about the book and my process writing it. I get very vulnerable, sharing why and how I took myself on a healing journey via writing this book, and the magical way the idea of this book came to me.
I read an excerpt from the novel, having chosen a few paragraphs that leave a lasting impression on the guests, and I play the original song I composed about the novel’s plot, in order to celebrate The Source of The Wind and pique the guests’ intrigue in the novel.
I finish this section with a Q&A, where I let my guests ask any questions they want, about the book, the writing journey, my favourite scenes to write, etc.
19:45 - Book-signing and selling.
This is self-explanatory. The portion where I move to the table that holds copies of my books and bookmarks, in order to sell and sign to anyone who wanted one.
20:30 - Finish
By this time, we’re packing our things and we head out, letting the cafe close for the day.
How did it go?
I had a blast! The portion of the event where I started speaking, ended up happening much later, as guests were arriving much later than planned, due to no fault of their own. It was just my luck that on that day, there had been a number of car accidents in the city, causing for traffic to be congested and making people late.
But everyone who had confirmed attendance, made every extra effort to come and I was surrounded by so much love, that my heart was truly warmed.
I was really surprised by how well I had managed to articulate my experience writing the book, the painful and complicated childhood that had lead me to a healing journey via my creativity, and the more spiritual perspectives I hold that had informed parts of the story, without giving too much of the mystery away.
And the questions I had been asked, were some of my absolute favourite to receive. Interesting, thought-provoking and curious questions that get to the heart of the subject and were full of respect, admiration and wonder.
To sum it up…
I often traverse this world feeling like I’m too different, for other people to understand. Too sensitive, too deep, too spiritual, too weird, too intense. This has resulted in me becoming a person that is often over-protective of my inner world, not bothering to try and cross the bridge to the outer world. I don’t always believe it’s worth it.
The Source of The Wind, however, has acted as one of the biggest bridges from my inner world to my outer world.
Over the course of these past several years, working on this book, knowing that I would one day publish it and attempt to cross that bridge, I was often fearful of what I would meet on the other side.
Would the topics of childhood trauma be too heavy for people? Is the main character, with all of her mental health struggles, be read as too intense? Would people be put off by the spiritual aspect of the story, being annoyed by the worldview that was important for me to include?
I had thought that I would at best, meet nothing at the other end of the bridge, confirming the old belief that people aren’t interested in what I need to say. At worst, I feared that I’d be met with hatred, judgement and criticism, the people ready with their pitchforks in hand.
In reality, it was my friends and family, and a few wonderful strangers, who were waiting for me to cross the bridge between my inner world and my outer world. Ready to welcome a more authentic and whole version of myself, with open arms.
I hope this was helpful in giving you ideas about how to plan your book launch! As well as sharing with you how my own experience went, throwing a launch party for The Source of The Wind!
Interested in reading more about “The Source of The Wind”?
When Raphi Cohen’s best friend Jeremiah forces her into therapy for her relationship woes, she finally finds the courage to follow her gut, leave London and end her relationship for good. But it’s when Raphi discovers a disturbing truth about one of her students, that she’s got no choice but to finally confront her own traumatic childhood, as well as help her student. What Raphi doesn’t know, however, is that there are always sources of support available, ready to help her. Including those that are more, let’s say, magical.
Click this post to learn more about my spiritual fiction novel and where you can get your copy!
Books
A full list of the marketplaces are included, such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, Apple Books, Waterstones and more.
Have you planned a book launch event, and if so, how did it go? What kind of bookish events do you enjoy? Feel free to comment below, I love hearing from you! <3
Speak soon,
Love, Ella x
May your words travel like candlelight: quiet, unwavering, and unafraid of shadows.
May the ones who need them find them by feel, not by search.
May every sentence be a thread that stitches soul back to body.
And may your book walk into the hands of those who are ready to remember who they are. Not because it teaches but because it recognizes.🕯️💠🌿
Super proud of you!! 💝🎊