Plan a Book Launch Party for an Ebook

Do a presentation based on the book's content, not just a signing where you sit at a table. Nonfiction authors can speak on their book's topic or plan an interactive activity based on the topic. Novelists can do a presentation based on some aspect of the book's story or do a short reading. Children's authors can read the book aloud, speak on the topic of the book, and plan fun activities for kids. All authors can talk about writing and publishing and take questions from the audience. Be creative and plan something interesting!

Print lots of bookmarks and handout several to all of the attendees so they can share with others. If you print your bookmarks with uncoated paper on the back side, you can sign the back of the bookmarks.

Encourage attendees to bring their ebook reading device to the event. They can download the ebook on the spot.  You could even provide a laptop computer where people can order the book if they don't have their ebook reader with them, but you'll need to make certain that each person logs out of their Amazon or other ebookstore account after using it.

You can "autograph" Kindle ebooks by using KindleGraph to send personalized inscriptions and signatures to the customer's Kindle ebook reader.

If your ebook is available on the Nook store, you may be able to arrange an event at a Barnes & Noble store. Last year B&N announced that they were going to offer autographing services for Nook Color devices, but it's hard to find any details on how to do it. Your local store event manager may have information on autographing.

Remember that you'll need to promote your event heavily. Suggested promotions include press releases to local media, emails or evites to your friends and local contacts, announcements on your blog and social media accounts, and postcard invitations. Ask others to help spread the word.

Promote Your Book Through Events

I’m a total extrovert and I know that not all authors fall into this category. I have been honored and humbled by friends of mine who have stepped forward and all on their own, set up book events and speaking engagements on my behalf. I encourage folks, if they’re a bit shy, to enlist their friends in helping promote their work. I have found that friends like nothing better than to contribute to my success, which may be in part, a reflection of the type of friend I am to others.

I always go out of my way to ensure that my friends’ projects are successful, and I think people remember that and want to return the favor. When I go about scheduling a local event, I look to see how I can contribute to the organization. Sometimes, it’s offering to donate $1 from my book sales at the event back to the organization. Other times, I will tailor my presentation to their needs. Often, I’ll offer to give a small writing workshop on a topic that’s salient to the group. 

As authors, we have big imaginations and large amounts of creativity. I encourage authors to put on their creativity hats and use them when designing their marketing campaigns. I will say that one of my first books, which was about Katherine Stinson, the fourth woman in the US to earn her pilot’s license in 1912, came out the month before 9/11. That actually sucked because my target market for that book was female pilots, many of whom lost their jobs as a result of 9/11 because airplanes laid off a lot of pilots and the women were some of the first to get laid off.

But a funny thing happened out of that. I didn’t let the fact that those women lost their jobs stop me. I just reached out and figured out that male pilots, too, wanted my books, and they wanted to give them to their daughters. Then, I discovered that there’s a whole lot of pilots who have their private licenses and don’t fly for the airlines. And those people do have money, because owning a private plane costs a lot of money. 

Once I figured that out, I found out that almost every little dinky town in the US has a little airport or airstrip, and there’s people hanging out there all the time. And there are fly-ins and air shows all over the country, all year long. You can see where this is going. Before long, I was trading books for rides in small airplanes, and at each air show, I met folks who introduced me to other folks. 

Before I knew what was happened, I was invited to go to the EAA annual convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where I was a featured speaker and had a spot at the Author’s Table. Over 20,000 people come to that event over a week’s time period. I made connections there to keep me busy for the next year, and sold out two printings of that book. I still buy them now on ebay and resell them.

What you Should Not Include in your Book Proposal

One of the most successful features in Glamour magazine is the “do’s and don’ts,” where photographs of people in stylish and not-so-stylish clothing are compared. Why do readers like seeing these photos? It’s easy to see what a style disaster is when you’re looking at it, so that’s why I’m taking this approach in advising authors what NOT to include in a book proposal. There are many tips on what should be part of a book proposal but I believe authors would benefit from learning what should not be included in a proposal.

 

1.Never Say Your Book is Unique and One of a Kind

While your book may be full of useful information and be well-written, editors don’t want to hear you insist it’s so special that there is no other book available on the same topic. When evaluating a proposal, editors need to see whether similar books have sold well. If you say there isn’t any other comparable book, the editor will have to do some research to find related titles. Unless you’re writing a memoir, assume that there are related titles and spell out how your book differs from these books. For example, if your book is about 401(k) plans, say your book will cover strategies for everyone from new employees to retirees. Explain that your book is more comprehensive or includes real-life examples but saying that there’s never been a book like yours is not helpful.

 

2. Don’t Talk about Launching Marketing Efforts When The Book is Published

Just a few years ago, authors began marketing books after they were published. However, in today’s 24/7 competitive arena, marketing is almost as important as editorial content. You may still be writing your book but you have to think about marketing well before your book is published. Never say, “When the book is published, I will start blogging, Tweeting or design a website…” You need to start building your community months or even a year before your book’s pub date. Begin collecting names and email addresses well before your book is completed. Build up your social media platform (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) so that your proposal includes a specific bulleted list of metrics such as FB followers, newsletter subscribers, unique monthly visitors to your website, a calendar of recent speaking engagements, etc. This detailed information could persuade a publisher to take on your project.

 

3.Never Say Your Title or Manuscript is Final

If you’re self-publishing, you can choose your title and control everything from content to design. However, if you’re hoping to work with a larger publisher, you need to be flexible about your title and content. While you may be certain that your title is persuasive, publishers have more experience so you shouldn’t say that you’re unwilling to consider another title. Most editors will try to include some of your words or phrases but titles change frequently, based on the development of the manuscript as well as input from marketers and sales reps. It’s also important that you be receptive to editorial direction. Editors don’t want to edit or have you rewrite chapters on a whim. Usually, editorial feedback is designed to improve your manuscript. You may say that you don’t want to make any changes but if your manuscript would end up being an 800 page book, chances are your editor will insist on cutting it down to a more reasonable page count!

 

4. Don’t Over Promise Endorsements or Publicity Support

If people have confirmed that they will provide endorsements (back-cover blurs), include their names in the proposal, especially if the people are well known. But don’t say that you expect Bill Clinton, Oprah Winfrey and Stephen King to endorse your book. Endorsements are useful and most books will have several on the back cover but promising celebrity endorsements isn’t a smart strategy. Editors probably won’t believe you and consequently may be skeptical of other promises contained in your proposal. The same is true of potential media appearances.  Be realistic. If you have appeared on radio or TV, list the programs in your proposal. There’s a strong possibility that you will be asked to appear on the programs again to promote your book but never claim that you have some “in” to a national show unless you have an email confirmation that can be included in your proposal.

 

5. Don’t Fudge the Numbers

When you include information about your background or your previous books, be truthful. It’s easy to check on sales figures so include accurate sales data about your other works. If there’s an explanation for a particularly low sales number, you can include it. Perhaps, you sold books off your website, rather than having sales go through accounts. That’s something an editor will want to know. If you haven’t done much public speaking, don’t say you’re an experienced speaker who has given keynote addresses. If you have media experience, be prepared to offer video or a link to a recent appearance. With today’s technology and available resources making “vetting” easier, honesty is the best policy. Believe me, I will often Google a prospective author.  On several occasions, I’ve turned down proposals because of concerns, i.e. complaints about a financial planner or bankruptcy hearings for an author writing about personal finance!