To launch or not to launch

To launch or not to launch.

That is the question.

I have always enjoyed book launches. The reading of new work, the chance to catch up with fellow writers, to meet new ones; to celebrate someone’s achievement in just bloody well finishing a novel, to share their joy in seeing their dreams in ink and on paper, to drink the wine and hear the author get perhaps, a little emotional, with their friends, family and fellow authors cheering them on.

Yes, I love book launches. 

Other people’s.

The thought of doing my own launch was an entirely different matter. The difference between going on a lovely holiday and being the tour-guide.  I found the whole idea terrifying.  What if no one came? What if I rambled, or forgot what I wanted to say, or worse, simply froze?

Girl. Boy. Sea, is my fourth published book. I made myself a promise while writing it, that if it found a publisher (not a given, it’s quite  a strange book!), I would do a launch. I’d make myself.  I like I ought to.

And do you know what.  It went okay, maybe even well. More than 50 guests and 35 hardbacks sold and signed, which I am assured, is quite respectable for this sort of thing.

(The amazing Fionna Kennedy introduces me)

(Lucy Van Smit asks me a question that gets me thinking)

So what have I learned? What are my insights, from being at several and now having ‘hosted’ my own?  Well, if this is not ‘advice’ as such, it is at least a list of the benefits of my experience:

·      Invite lots of people. They will come. And you will be surprised who will. You may be surprised who you actually know.  And don’t feel at all bad about posting your invitation on various writerly social media pages.

·      Get wine.  If you are lucky enough to have a budget for this, great. If not, at least invite people to the pub for a drink before and/or afterwards.

·      Get the right bookshop. If it’s a small affair, go for a small, quirky place. If larger, Waterstones shops are great. You’d think this is obvious, but I’ve been to launches where the space is too large, and, conversely, seen so many people at a launch there was no room in the actual bookshop and folk had to stand outside.

·      Look after people.  There will be people who don’t know each other, and are a bit shy. Introduce them to each other, then move on to the next.

·      Do a reading.  I didn’t want to, but my publisher gave me a strong nudge. But make it pretty short.  They can read the book at leisure. You need to whet their appetite not drown them with words.

·      Remember to give a brief précis of the story.

·      Make a list of people to thank. Every writer knows how important all your ’people’ are and this is a great chance to give them the credit they deserve.

·      Do a Q and A, and plant a couple to get it going.  It’s like the dance floor, no-one wants to go first.  In my case I even gave up the ‘speech,’ opting instead for a fellow author (the brilliant Lucy Van Smit, author of dark YA love story The Hurting), to interview me, which is all more interactive and fresher in my opinion, than having someone just ‘talk.’

·      Say thank you afterwards. Oh, and if you are reading this and you came, and I haven’t thanked you, er…thank you.  It IS appreciate

·      Remember: you know this stuff. The author Clare Furniss (Year of the Rat) once said to me about ‘events;’ you are speaking about something you are passionate about, to an audience who are already interested.

·      Oh, and remember your Sharpie J