3 Book Launch Event Benefits: How to Plan a Book Release

A book launch is any event wherein the author or their public relations (PR) team invites a group of people to celebrate the arrival of an upcoming book. The writer will often read from the new book and sign books at these events. Invitees might include friends and family, anyone who had the book on pre-order, fans of the author, or people who frequent the bookstore or venue. In both traditional and self-publishing, a successful book launch serves as the starting point for a longer, broader marketing campaign, possibly even a book tour.

Planning a book launch might be labor-intensive and nerve-wracking, but your efforts can pay off with a plan. Here are three benefits to which you can look forward:

1. 1. Opportunities to meet your readers: When you do a book launch event, you provide new readers with the opportunity to form a connection with you. This makes them more likely to recommend your writing to friends via word of mouth, form book clubs focused on your work, or leave positive book reviews online.
2. 2. Publicity: A book launch party is an opportunity to increase publicity and point new readers to other promotional pathways. As you do your reading, mention your author website, encourage attendees to sign up to your email list, or point them to your social media profiles. Even though you might be starting small, remember this sort of marketing is what helps authors climb the bestseller lists.
3. 3. Sense of completion: Once you launch your book, you can sit back and relax knowing your work is complete. Even if the launch party is just the first stop on a wider book tour, take some solace in the fact that, at least for now, you have done hard work of writing.

Knowing how to plan a book launch party can ease your anxiety as the launch day approaches. Follow these seven steps to help you throw an event worth remembering:

1. 1. Develop a broader marketing plan. A book launch party is typically one aspect of a broader marketing strategy. Invite your target audience to this event and plenty of others like it in the future. Regularly update your author page with news about your writing. Ask bloggers to let you write a guest post for them, or ask influencers to create social media posts about your work. Seek out a book podcast, and ask the host if they would like to interview you about your new book. Create a video book trailer and post it to your social media accounts.
2. 2. Find a venue. You’ll need to find a venue for your event before you can even solidify a firm launch date. A local bookstore or library might make the most sense, although you could also opt for a different sort of venue (like a restaurant or banquet hall) if it suits you. Alternatively, you can plan for an all-virtual book launch, encompassing webinars and other virtual events. Work closely with the venue to ensure everything goes smoothly.
3. 3. Give away prizes and perks. Attract more people to your event by promising giveaways and promos. This will draw in people who might not know about your work specifically, increasing your potential audience. Make special bookmarks, hand out free books, or create other trinkets by which the attendees can remember the event.
4. 4. Have books ready for sale. The point of any book marketing strategy, including throwing launch parties, is book sales. You should have plenty of copies of your book available for new readers to purchase as part of your broader launch plan. If you’re a first-time author, you’ll only have your new work available; if you’ve published other books in the past, bring those along to sell, too.
5. 5. Prepare to speak. It’s common for writers to speak in some manner at book launch events. People will want to hear from you at your own book signing and launch party. Forgo reading a basic book description and read a compelling passage of the actual text. Field questions from readers. Converse pleasantly with them as you sign their books.
6. 6. Promote the event. Effective and effortful book promotion will always be part of a book launch equation. Use your own website or author platform to start your DIY promo campaign, but expand far beyond that in advertising this event and your book in general. Post to all relevant social media platforms and reach out to more traditional media outlets. Interact with readers online often. Do your best to get the event invite and your writing in front of as many people as possible.
7. 7. Stick to a budget. Even bestselling authors should do their best to stick within a preconceived budget for their launch parties. Before the launch, decide how much you want to spend on renting a venue, facilitating giveaways, and so on—and then stick to this number.

Become a better writer with the MasterClass Annual Membership. Gain access to exclusive video lessons taught by the world’s best, including Malcolm Gladwell, Neil Gaiman, Walter Mosley, Margaret Atwood, Joyce Carol Oates, Dan Brown, and more.