Book Launch Thoughts
Susan Hill says that she never does these. I was quite looking forward to mine, but now I'm really not so sure. My local Waterstones (formerly Ottakars) seem happy to host one in October but they've also requested that I provide them with a mailing list of potential audience participants. I'm happy to do this of course, but I've started wondering about the point of it all. I really don't see the point in launching the book to a small gathering of family and friends. That would just be embarrassing and in truth there's hardly going to be a deluge of people wandering in off the street so the whole thing seems a little silly.
Then again, I wonder what I might miss out on if I decide not to go for it?
I've accepted an invite to have an author table at the Folkestone Lit Festival in November and I'll happily do a talk there should they wish me to. This seems much less painful and contrived.
Thoughts appreciated on this...
Then again, I wonder what I might miss out on if I decide not to go for it?
I've accepted an invite to have an author table at the Folkestone Lit Festival in November and I'll happily do a talk there should they wish me to. This seems much less painful and contrived.
Thoughts appreciated on this...
posted by Danny Rhodes at 9:24 PM
3 Comments:
Give yourself a break - it is your first novel so of course the guests at your very first launch will be mostly family and friends. That's ok. It doesn't have to descend into self-congratulatory schlock just because of that. You will set the tone. But do have a rough plan for what you'd like to say/do on the day, otherwise everyone will just stare at you expectantly and you will wish to sink through the floor.
Ask the libraries in Canterbury/Tankerton/Whitstable/Herne Bay to take leaflets: stress the book's local setting. Would tourist information take some flyers as a compliment to Canterbury Festival events?
See if Wottakers will do a little corner of their window for you the week before, perhaps with sample quotes from the book so that people can get a taste of your writing style. Ask them to stick up a poster in their stairwell and lifts. Do you have publicity material from the publisher (or that you knock up yourself inexpensively) which can be popped in customers bags/set on counters in the shop and in the attached coffee shop the week before - too far ahead, and people forget.
Send the info to the Times Culture and Guardian Review - free and they DO list events in Canterbury sometimes, but must be done at least two weeks beforehand. Worth seeing if the local paper would run a little piece with photo about you and your upcoming launch - the fact that the book has local resonances will make it more attractive to them.
Find out if the literature departmentments at the universities would stick up a poster for you.
Think laterally - is it a suitable book for A-level students for example, and can local teachers/schools/students be roped in as a result? This may be a longer term project as October is close, but getting a teacher and class involved is interesting and they might be interested in both the book itself, but also your process of writing. Might involve giving away a book to the teacher in the first instance though. I suspect Susan Hill could tell you loads more about this.
Send out invitations by email that folks can cut and paste or forward to other people - they won't type it up themselves, so make it as easy as possible for them to help you. Make sure you post the final details on your blog so the rest of us locals have it to email out to friends.
Sorry, probably too much info, but I've had to organize one too many book launches!
That all seems good advice. I have been to a few book launches in my time, but I'm not an expert on these things. However, if it were my first book launch (wishful thinking!), I would want to share the occasion with family and friends, to thank people for their support and to celebrate what is, when all's said and done, a great achievement. Enjoy it!
This is all good advice. Some of it I'm already doing but some of it I'm not and most definitely will. Thanks.
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