Invite, Excite, and Sell: The Pre-Launch Party

A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog titled, Things You Need for Book Events. That is the first step when preparing for your Pre-launch Party and other book events. The second step is to actually plan your Pre-launch Party. I recommend that you start planning two months before the actual event is to occur.

The most crucial step when planning your book Pre-launch Party is to decide where you want it to be. This is entirely up to you, but here are some things to consider: price, how many people you are inviting, what time of day you are having it, and what type of drinks and snacks/food you want to serve (the time of day will dictate this, along with the place you want to have the party held). Prices vary from place to place, and each location has its own requirements (such as the number of people they can accommodate and whether a minimum purchase of food or drinks is required). For instance, if you are hosting a Pre-launch Party at a cafe, specific conditions may apply. When I was inquiring at different places, in the city, in which I live, the places I thought of were the local rec center, coffee shops (there are certain ones that have a room available), and a clubhouse that I have access to. Other places are libraries, bookstore cafes, your home, or a friend’s home. Obviously, a home, or clubhouse, is less expensive. Most clubhouses, especially if you live in a community that has one, only charge a $50 to $100 deposit, and then if everything is put back in order, after the party, you get your deposit back. In some areas, libraries have a room that you can reserve. You will need to make sure that your event aligns with their policies. Check their meeting room booking page on their website for specifics, or if you are like me, you probably have more questions than what is on the website, so I like to call and speak to someone. Also note that events at a library are free to the public. So, if you want your Pre-launch Party to be friends and family only, this would not work. Also, generally, public libraries have policies that you cannot sell books. The whole purpose of a Pre-launch Book Party is to give the people you invited early access to buy your book, before anyone else can buy it in a store, on Amazon, or on your website. Locally owned coffee shops will sometimes have a room that they rent out for different types of events (normally, the chain coffee shops do not have a room). One locally owned coffee shop that I contacted offered two types of event spaces. Their policy was that you had to purchase $100 worth of food and drink from them for your event. They also had set times which varied depending on whether the event was being held on a weekend day or a weekday. The bigger the city, the more options you have, too. I prefer the clubhouse option because the setting is intimate (for friends and family), I can have whatever food and drink I want to serve, I have control over the number of people that show up for the event (those invited vs. other people that come into the facility), and I can sell my book at the event.

Once you have the event space, the next thing you will need to decide on, is food. You can do as little as you want, or as big as you want. It also depends on the time of day that you are having your Pre-launch Party. If you want to hold the event in the morning, or around 10:00 a.m. or 11:00 a.m., you could do a variety of things, such as different types of muffins, bagels with different types of cream cheeses, brunch-type finger foods, and fruit. For the drinks, you could serve different types of caffeinated and decaffeinated coffees, juices, and teas. If you are having the party over the lunch hour, from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., you could have little sandwiches, cheese, and veggie trays. If you are having your event after 1:00 p.m., different types of desserts and/or cookies, along with water and tea is fine. My event was in the afternoon, so I bought two big trays of a variety of cookies and offered tea and water. In the afternoon, especially at an event right after the lunch hour, people are not very hungry, so having food that is more of a snack works. Also, I liked the idea that there weren’t any dishes involved, and people could stand easily, if they wanted, while mingling and still hold a napkin with a cookie on it. One important thing to remember is that people are coming to the event to see you and your book, not to eat a meal. Also, you have plenty to set up regarding your book, so you probably do not want to also have to set up a whole lot for food and drinks. For me, an intimate, simplistic party not only makes people feel more at home, but it is one less thing you have to worry about. If you are buying your own food and drinks as opposed to having the event at a place where they require you to purchase theirs, you will want paper cups and napkins (and plastic eating utensils and plates, if you are having something a little more formal). It is also important to stick with your theme. Because my book is about forest animals, I ordered napkins in a variety of green shades, along with matching cups. There was also a display of flowers which sat on a round log, to give it a “forest feel, and add a little something to the food bar.

The next thing that you need to do is invite people. Like any other party, this should be done about a month in advance. In my newsletter, I mentioned that I would be having a Pre-launch Book Party and to keep watching the newsletters for updates. This was a great way to let all of my email contacts know about the event. I also sent out text messages for those who do not check their emails every day. Also, my illustrator has friends and family that are not my friends and family that she invited too, so that was nice. Again, because of having my book printed by a printer, and only ordering a certain amount to begin with, I only wanted a certain number of books for the Pre-launch Party, so that the other books would be for other upcoming book events, as well as for those purchasing from my website. If you wanted, you could send out invitations, but that is also an added expense, and it takes time. Most people these days rely on texts, emails, and private invitations through a social media platform such as Facebook, but there is nothing wrong with mailing out an invitation if that is something you want to do.

Another decision you will want to make is what you are going to wear. There are no “faux pas” when it comes to dressing for this occasion. If you are one of those people who feel uncomfortable wearing a dress or dress pants and prefer jeans, then go for it! Just keep in mind what your setting is, and what you want your tone to be. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good pair of ripped jeans (and I like to dress them up), but this is more of a professional type setting, and you want to be taken seriously as an author, so if you wear jeans, in my opinion, they should be dressy jeans. If you love to wear dresses, skirts, or dress pants and feel comfortable in doing so, that is great too. For me, I wanted to wear something that fit in with the theme of my book, so I chose to wear a nice “moss” shade of green dress, with tan suede boots. The dress was not too fancy (I would teach in it), but it made a nice statement. It’s also an important day and event, so you should want to feel that way.

On the day of the event, you will want to set up about an hour and a half ahead of your guests arriving. You will want to make sure that you have everything you need, in order to do a partial reading, to let everyone know what to expect, and to sell your book. For me, having all the little things in one place makes it a lot more organized, and in one place, when you are unloading your car for the event, and when you are needing to do another event down the road. For a complete list of items, check out my Blog, Things You Need For Book Events. I am also a list person. I make lists for everything, so that I can double-check that I have all of my items. There’s nothing worse than to forget something for an event, because at that point there is no time to run home and get it. You will also need time to set up for whatever food and drinks you are having.

The last thing that I would suggest doing, especially if you are not used to getting up in front of people, or if you get nervous easily, is to have something prepared to say. This can be typed or written on a notecard. At this type of event, you will want to do a little introduction and welcome everyone to the party, let them know how the event will work (partial reading, Q & A, book purchasing/signing, and refreshments), and give them a little background of the book (if you are starting the reading, in the middle of the book). Also, for your guests not to see the book before you show it to them for the first time, you will want to “hide” them. I put a sheet over the books. This also prevents your guests from wanting to buy the book before the party gets started, or before anyone is there to take the money, etc. Remember, the Pre-launch Party is run a little differently than other book events. This is your first time presenting your book publicly, so you want it to be special. After the partial reading and Q & A, but before you start signing books that are purchased, you will also want to mention the Swag Bags so that people will know to take one, as well as letting them know how much you appreciate them for their support, and for coming to the event. The reason why I say you will want to let them know about the Swag Bags, and how much you appreciate them, before you start signing the books, is once you start there isn’t time afterwards to thank everyone, and most people will probably leave, once they have purchased your book and you have signed it, or they will leave sometime before you are finished.

Remember to have someone take pictures of the entire event, of you and your illustrator holding the book together and separately, of you and your illustrator signing books, and pictures with family and friends. You want these pictures not only to look back on and remember this special day, but you will also want them to promote your book on social media platforms, as well as have pictures in your newsletter.

Last but not least, have fun! This is a very special day for you as an author. You have accomplished something major; something that took years to do and took a lot of your time and now the day is here. Take the compliments and enjoy every minute. Feel proud of yourself, and let your guests feel your excitement. If you are excited, they will be excited for you, and in turn, want to buy your book.