by Jessica Barrett, Events Manager
There are two great things about Groundhog’s Day. The movie. And, the prospect of winter ending sooner, rather than later. But what does Groundhog’s Day have to do with a book launch party?
The premise of the movie is that Bill Murray’s character has to repeat Feb 2 over and over until he gets it right. Marketing of anything, even your book, requires a lot of do-overs, as it’s a learning process.
Events are one segment of the book marketing process, and one you’ll want to repeat to gain awareness for your book. The first event you should hold for your book is a launch party. If your book just went live or is about to go live, plan a launch party. Has your book been live awhile, but you’ve not had a party? Then plan one. Already held one? Then throw a re-launch or a 100-copies-sold party.
Hosting a launch party is far less intensive than the events in Punxsutawney, PA. While they can be fancy, they can also be simple. The key is to get the word out. Send out an evite, post an invite on Facebook and update your author website and blog – and encourage your invitees to forward the invite out to others. Put out some snacks and drinks. You may want to shape your get together around your book’s genre. If it’s a history on picnicking, serve picnic foods. If it’s a romance novel, plan the party around Valentine’s or Sweetest Day and provide festive treats. Consider holding the party at a locale that relates to the book, or at a restaurant or bar or in multiple locations around town so your guests don’t have to travel so far. Don’t forget to have plenty of copies of your book on hand and to prepare a short reading from your book.
If you really need a reason to self-promote, since it’s Groundhog’s Day, and the furry dude will likely see his shadow, plan a another-six-weeks-of-winter-means-more-time-to-curl-up-with-a-book-party. Either way, start promoting today and plan your book launch party.
Plan your book launch party…
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