Welcome readers, writers, authors, and bloggers!
We're glad you're here! It's the First Wednesday
of the month, when we celebrate IWSG Day in the form of a
blog hop featuring members and guests of the Insecure
Writer's Support Group. Founded by author Alex Cavanaugh (Thank you, Captain!) and fostered by like-minded
associates, IWSG is a comfortable place to share views and literary news as we
record our journeys. Check out the December
newsletter here.
The awesome co-hosts for this month’s posting
of the IWSG are: PJ
Colando, Ronel
Janse van Vuuren, and Natalie
Aguirre!
Today’s
entirely optional question: What elements do you include in your book
launch? Or what do you have in mind for your future book launch? Or what advice
do you have to offer to others planning to launch a book?
One of the topics I hear the most laments about is getting
mailing lists out early. Depending on the length of the campaign, sending out
additional reminders might not be a bad idea. You know I’m hoping for feedback
on my thoughts, right?
Defining target audience, timing of launch, and venue. I
learned a lot my first time out, basically stumbling around 😉
Beyond the immensely helpful blog mentions by faithful
friends with more time on their hands than you do (in the middle of a book
launch), why not make it an event to remember? Even a small group of ten people
all dressed in red T-shirts (as nondescript as possible) is bound to draw a few
curious passers-by. Especially if you throw in a couple dozen cupcakes and a few
rounds of Musical Chairs. By the time my meager group of mini readers sauntered
away with personalized (signed) copies of Beanie’s Backyard, few would realize
that it was they who had turned milling around near the Food Court outside of a
bookstore at the Mall into a book event!
Such fun that was! As I watched the kids, moms, and grandparents walking away, a thought occurred to me, as it all too often does, what if they don’t like the book? What if they don’t even read it?
Hoping to calm my worries, I decided to research how to know
the things I’m so unsure of. Now I’m unsure of that as well 😉
Here’s what I found:
While many believe you have only to read the first 50 pages
of a book to decide if you want to finish it, Page 69, I’m told, is where you’ll
find the heart of the book. By page 69, the author has established a storyline,
introduced characters you won’t mind hanging out with for a while, and
basically found his/her voice as a lead narrator of their latest literary
masterpiece.
See you all out there!
Happy Writing
