The five keys to a self-published book release party

Regardless of how you choose to publish your book, one of the fun parts is throwing a book release party. This is the moment when you get to celebrate with all of your friends and family in public the fact that you made it happen. It is indeed a joyful day, but the reality is that there is a lot of work to do, and if you aren't experienced in planning and throwing events, it can get overwhelming and stressful fast.

This week I'm going to talk about the five big pieces of throwing a book release party for your self-published novel. Many of these things will apply to a release party for any book, but I'll emphasize what you need to do and the timeline you should work on if you are planning the event yourself, as so many self-publishers are.

1. Finding a venue: (Tuesday) Choosing the right venue is important. While many people asssume that a book release party will be at a book store, that isn't necessarily the best choice. I'll dig into different options.

2. Asking for help: (Wednesday) Along the way, you'll need a lot of help from friends, family and maybe even some professionals. I'll talk about how to ask people for specific things and make it all fit together without becoming a stress of its own.

3. 5 Creative Ideas to spice up your launch: (Thursday) When I think about a book release party that I want to go to, it's based around the book, but offers something more. When I did my own book release party, I incorporated beer, art, music and other authors and was thrilled to have 75 people come out. It was a great party, I sold all 25 books I brought along and I have a great memory.

4. DIY Marketing: (Friday) Sure, your friends will come, but what if you want to announce your book to the world (or at least the whole city)? I'll talk about how to specifically market your event to get people who are potential readers to your party.

5. Three things you'll forget to do... and how to remember them: (Saturday) All about the importance of gathering your supplies, confirming your help, and getting enough sleep.

Image courtesy emilydickinsonridesabmx via flickr