A BOOK LAUNCH – A GOOD IDEA OR NOT?

While my first book was published way back in 1993, my nineteenth title, Justice at Baragula, has just been released but I have now experienced only my third book launch. We only arrived home this morning on the Spirit of Tasmania ferry from Melbourne, Victoria, where we did have a fun time at the book launch last Saturday afternoon. However I am still left wondering what readers and authors feel about book launches.

My first ever book “event” was a book-signing at a local shop way back for my first Mills & Boon medical romance, Priority Care. That was an exciting time for me personally but I cannot say it was a “fun” time for those faithful friends and family who arrived in that shop and bought a book for me to sign. Sure, I was pleased a few strangers were there also, but there really was not much time to talk with them, and certainly no opportunity for anyone to speak to them all and share a few things about that book as can happen at launches.

For that first book-signing the shop owner organised some advertising and of course I did as much as I could letting friends, family and acquaintances know about it. The staff at the relatively small shop even prepared the display and table. For book launches, unless an author has a publisher or publicity agent organise it is up to the author to do it all. This can be time consuming and also even costly, but if the author is allowed to buy the books to sell at such events it can also be perhaps more lucrative.

When I became a member of the Society Women Writers Tasmania, other members were surprised I had never officially launched any of my books. SWWT had a book stall at a large, local Fair and were happy for me to have my launch for Book One, Return to Baragula as part of the Fair’s programme that day. For Book Two, Outback From Baragula, we shared a Fair day at a local church. This went much better and so for Book Three we were able to book a few hours at our daughter’s church in Melbourne and her own church small group volunteered to organise afternoon tea. Perhaps I am simply starting to get better ideas for launches, but this one was the best ever. Although, I have to be honest and say I think it was more because this launch was far from being just about my book. This was a husband and wife launch of three books.

While it proved to be even more time-consuming to organise, this was a really great experience for both Ray and myself. To start with it was wonderful that Ray’s two 31 Day devotional books, CHILDREN: God’s Special Interest and From Eden With Love were released by Even Before Publishing the same month as my book. Would we do it again? Well, we are on June 19th here in Launceston, Northern Tasmania! If this launch goes as well we hope it will,  the answer will be a resounding “YES!”

During our week in Melbourne, I also very much enjoyed time spent with other writers – but space here is gone and you will need to go to my own blog tomorrow – or perhaps even next week to find out more about that.

But right now, what about book launches? Have you ever organised one for your new book? Have you ever attended one? Are they good for authors, good for readers? I would love to have your comments.