The After Party
Self publishing is hard work. After a whole year of working endlessly on Princess Gabriella and the Never-Ending Kiss the last thing I had on my mind was planning a party.
But, then I thought to myself...
Why shouldn't I celebrate all my hard work with the people I care about and who supported me through the journey?
Now most authors suggest having a book launch party before the book even launches so fans get excited to purchase the story. But my main goal wasn't to sell endless copies of my book and instead celebrate the fact I had accomplished releasing a book.
So why not have an after party?
8 Things To Do For A Successful Book Launch Party
1. EVENT PLANNER
The first thing I did was hire an event planner. Why? Because I was about to launch a book and didn't have as much free time as I normally would. I suggest doing the same!
Keep in mind event planners can be expensive so try to come up with a budget beforehand. Luckily for me, I have my friend Killian who is an event planner so she was able to help me out for a discounted price.
With her help, we were able to come up with the time and date of the event along with the theme and everything we would need to do before the party date.
2. INVITES
The next item on the agenda were the invites. This may seem old fashioned but handing out invites is a great way for people to get excited. Most people still love to read physical copies of a book and I feel a tangible invite is the same.
I made these myself for free using Canva.com. Since I was launching a children's book about a princess I decided to create an invite that encompassed the idea of the story and the party.
I love how my invites turned out! To make them even more unique we created a wax seal at the envelope opening using hot glue and some gold rub and buff. People loved it!
3. FOOD AND DRINKS
You can't have a party without food or drinks! If you have your book set in a different time frame than the present I suggest doing some research on recipes that were popular in the era. To make them more modern, add spices or elements to the recipes to fit in with your party.
Since my book launch party was related to the medieval times we stuck with items such as cheese boards, soup, and cranberry meatballs along with mauled wine which were popular during that time period. We even plated them on wood cutting boards to stick with the theme. Remember to put time aside to start cooking. Begin 2 to 3 hours in advance!
4. DECORATING THE SPACE
Décor is everything! Well, I shouldn't say everything, but it's definitely a must! Decorating doesn't have to be taken to the extreme. Simple things such as having the plates and cups be the color of your cover is all it takes!
I like to take things to the next level so I transformed my home into a wooded castle. This includes building a dragon cave, a drawbridge, floral and décor matching colors and characters from my book. I love the way it turned out and wished I could have kept it up for longer.
5. GAMES
Another great touch to include at your party is games related to your story! I love a little competition and it's even better when your event planner crafts the games so you can participate along with everyone else. This gives people who aren't as extroverted something to do and keeps the party going.
We had a few games including guess the number of kisses in a lantern, a heart word search puzzle involving characters from the story, trivia, and a word scramble. Even better, we had prizes for the winners!
6. MUSIC
I'm always one for background noise which is why it is important to create a music playlist. Pick songs you like or are related to the story. Killian created an awesome playlist with songs relating to kissing or tavern music. It ties in all the elements and creates a great environment.
7. PROMOTIONAL PRODUCT
Have freebies/promotional items scattered throughout the party for people to take home. These can included signed posters, books, book marks, etc. people can grab and talk about while there. Promotional products can also be considered décor which helps with the overall theme.
I ended up printing off posters of the cover for people to take home.
8. GOODIE BAGS
Lastly, I suggest giving people goodie bags as a thank you for coming to the party and helping promote your story. Once again, include items related to your story and/or writing in general!
I put together a good bag with a crown book mark, a notebook, pen, unicorn erasers, bubbles, and Hersey kisses. To bring it all together I also 'wax sealed' them shut with the same seal I used on the invites. Everyone seemed to love them including myself!
Final Thoughts
Hopefully this list gives you a great beginning point to having a successful launch party. I know I had a great time and everyone seemed to enjoy not only the party, but the excitement for the book.
If you don't have a big budget to spend on decorations, food, or an event planner, that's okay! As long as the process is fun that's all that matters.
Let me know in the comments below if you would change or add something to the list to create a successful launch party.
