Why hold a book launching party?
Now that my book is completed and is currently in the editing stages, this is a question that comes to mind frequently and I’m sure other authors ask the same question. So I will give you some answers on why you should have such a party. Below I have added some Tips for holding a successful book launching party without stress.
It is a reason to celebrate: After months or years of writing your book. Putting yourself through the frustrations and headaches, when it wasn’t flowing like you wanted it to. Disciplining yourself to write and asking yourself, “Will it ever get finished?” you finally get to see it in print. What a celebration that is. You did it! You started out to write a book and actually finished it. Wow! what an accomplishment that is. Indeed you should have a party.
This is your moment: You are the star of the show. People are coming to see you. Some may ask for your autograph. Make it your time. you deserve it.
What is a book launching party?
A book launching party is a collaboration of many things used to promote not only your book but also yourself.
- Use this event to spread the word about your book.
- Promote yourself as an author and use it to promote upcoming books you may be working on.
- Use it to meet people that may schedule book signings in the future
Where can I hold a book launching party?
Now that you have decided to hold a party in celebration of your new book, you are probably wondering where you should hold it. Here are some ideas
- Your local library
- A local book store
- A banquet room
- An event hall
- At a park
- At a beach
- On a party boat
- Your home
- A friend home
- A coffee house
Promoting the party
Once you have the location, date and time set for the event, it’s time to promote it like crazy. You want to reach as many people as you can for this amazing event. Here are some tips on getting the word out.
- Contact all family members and friends. Tell them to tell their friends.
- Email everyone on your email list
- Use social media, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Google + to announce the event
- Hold a Facebook event
- Contact your local paper, Ask if they would like to write a story about the book launching party.
- Contact other media outlets
- Write a press release
- Put up flyers in your community
- Make an announcement in your paper
- Post a blog on your website
What do you do for a book launching party
As I mentioned before this is a reason to celebrate. make it fun! Make it memorable, not just for you but for everyone attending. It’s a party so make it festive, use some of the ideas I have listed below to help you achieve that.
- Make it look like a party: Hang balloons, throw confetti on the floor and tables.
- Have a poster size print of your book at the event
- Use a copy of your book as a guest signing book
- Have beverages and snacks
- Have music, either live band or some sort of player
- Hold a raffle
- Have people drop their business cards into a bowl. (Great for future contacts) Pull one out for a free book
- Give away a few books
- Have a friend or family member take pictures
- Bring plenty of your books
- Make it easy to buy a book. Use the cube that attaches to an iPhone to take credit cards
What happens at a book launching party?
The itinerary should be pretty simple but at the same time engaging and entertaining. Here is a sample of a party that you could follow.
- Greet guests as they arrive and thank them for coming
- Have a friend or family member direct them to the beverage and snack table
- Once everyone is seated, have someone introduce you. Possibly someone that knows you well and can give a little back ground about you.
- The stage is yours. Be fun, energetic and engage with the audience. Sell not only your book but yourself. Talk about your life, how you came about writing the book. What inspired you to write it.
- Read an excerpt from the book. If you have a prolog, I would recommend that
- After the reading have an open session for any questions
- If you are having a raffle, ask some of the guests to pull out the winning tickets
- Invite guests to come up to your table to purchase books, get autographs and have pictures taken
- After the book signing session, play a little music and mingle.
And there you have it. It’ your party, your night. Make it a night to remember, I know I will.
Below are some of my other articles you may enjoy
Other links you may enjoy
5 ways to promote your book by Dan Kobolt
8 ways to advertise your book for free by Abria Mattina
I hope to be at that stage some time. Make that I will be! It must be so exciting. Thanks for your good advice.
Thank you! I hope it helps when the time comes for you. I know you will make it happen 🙂
You have such great ideas and advice. You didnt miss a thing! It would be a dream for me to write a book and have a launch party.
Thank you! Follow that dream lol 🙂
Parties are always good for things. Congrats on writing a book!
Thank you!
Congrats on your book! I would love to write a cook book. I totally would do a book launching party!
Thanks Joanna, I hope you write that cookbook someday. Let me know if you do.
Congratulations on your book! Book parties can be so nerve racking, but you should get out there and celebrate the achievements!
Thank you. I intend to do a lot of celebrating LOL
There’s a bookstore around my neighbourhood that hosts book launching parties. They also do author signings, which is always fun.
That’s fantastic, wish I was closer I would inquire about doing one
I am so glad you dot your book done. I hope the launch goes well.
Thank you!
This is actually a great idea to get a lot of traffic. I never thought of a release party.
True, a launch party can be held to promote anything other than books. Be creative and make it fun!
I had never heard of such a thing as a book launching party but this is such a great idea! Congrats on your book!
Thank you! We all need to promote our work and this is a great way for authors.
Congratulations for you work! I am sure it will be a great success!
Thank you!
Great tips! I do have writing a book on my vision board/bucket list so I will definitely keep this information for future reference.
That’s awesome!. Good luck!
Congrats on your book! I’ve always wanted to write a book. Thanks for the tips. If I get around to writing the book, I’ll have these in mind.
Thanks! It feels good. The easy part was writing the book. The hard part is promoting it LOL
Really awesome tips! I will be sure to keep these tucked away on my Pin boards just in case I need it in the future 😉
Thank you! I hope they will help you.
A party boat sounds like a great place to hold one! My sister held one of hers at a Starbucks. It was great.
Congrats to your sister for publishing her book. That’s fantastic. I like the idea of a party boat also, certainly makes the book launch grand 🙂
Thank you for the motivation. I’ve been writing my book in my head for years and yet haven’t been able to take the time out and write it. This will be my goal this year.
I hope you reach your goal. Taking out just one hour a day will make a huge difference. Good luck!
This is really useful info. Thank you.
Thanks
Congratulations on your book! You really shared some very helpful tips regarding a book launch. Are these tips location specific or can be applied anywhere?
Thank you. These tips can be used in many ways not just for launching a book. No matter what you are trying to promote these guidelines will help.
when i write my book, i will definitely use these tips. i will bookmark this right now
Thanks and good luck with your book.
Hi Tina!
Will keep your tips in mind when the time comes to present a book. Like your idea of making it a party, a celebration. Actually would love to join a book launch organised by you because I do not think I have every seen one that sounds as much fun.
Thank you! My whole intentions are to make it fun and memorable 🙂
What I realized after reading your post is that there used to be a proper way to do everything. However in this internet age almost everything became digital and things like a launching party don’t get held, get forgotten about … especially if it’s an e-book.
That’s a shame because it’s just not the same as being in a room with people, socializing and having a good time. Technology today is making many of us anti-social, which is why I tend to keep many of the old traditions going.
One day i want to be hosting my very own book party. Thank you so much for the tips. These were very helpful.
You are welcome. Good lick with your book.
That sounds like a great Book signing party. I did attended once and it was awesome to be able to talk to the author and gain a bit of insight about the book.
I agree. When reading a book I love to know how it was inspired and the history behind it. This can be achieved at book launching parties.
I’d love to write a book and host my own boo launch party someday! Sounds like an amazing and rewarding experience.
I will be doing it soon and I’m so excited. It takes some planning but like you said the rewards will be worth it.
I have thought about putting my blog posts together as part of a book. When I do this I will definitely be keeping these things in mind. I know having a launching party would be a good thing.
You can apply these tips almost anything. Even your blog 🙂
After all the hard work that goes into writing and publishing a book, it makes sense that a launching party would be such an important event. These are some great tips for organizing one.
Exactly. It needs to be celebrated in a big way with those close to you.
This is so awesome. I started writing a book a few years ago but I’ll probably never finish haha. Would be fun to have such a party.
Never say never 🙂
Awesome ideas. I will totally keep in mind.
Thanks!
Congrats on the book. These tips will make your book party so fun.
Thank you! I hope so 🙂
These are all great ideas. I’d love to hold a book launching party on the party barge at the country club. I think it would be the perfect place to have one. I love a lot of your ideas about that, the beach would be fun too.
The barge sounds like a wonderful setting.
I am excited because my friend is launching her first book in the next few months, and I keep telling her she should have a launch party. These tips are perfect and could not have come at a better time!
Wonderful and congratulations to your friend.
These are such great tips, I dream of writing a book one day. It’s been something I’ve thought about since high school.
Never give up on that dream. It took me twenty years to reach this stage. Excited that finally my book will be published in the late summer.
Congratulations on writing your book! I have never been into any book launching yet and looking forward to attending it in the future too. let’s dream big and make it real!
Thank you! Yes, dream big LOL.
I love these tips! I need to have a book launching party sometime soon.
Thanks! Have to make if fun!
Wow, you really know your stuff. I would love to go to one of you launch parties!
Well, thank you so much. I’ll be posting pics when it happens.
A friend is in the process of launching her second book and could use this for reference. Thank you for sharing this information. I’m sure it’ll be a good use to her.
That’s wonderful! I wish them the best of luck. I hope these tip will help in her adventure.
Proper planning is a must in any event,even on casual event. I love book launch parties 🙂 it is very engaging.
If done right, they can be a lot of fun 🙂
Thanks for such a useful blog post! I’ll be coming back to it time and time again!
You’re welcome and thank you!