One of the biggest parts of getting your book out into the world is to have a real-live launch party for people to hold the book in their hands.

As a writer, the prospect of meeting people face-to-face may be terrifying, but I promise you, you want to do this. The energy of a real-life meeting can be essential to getting people excited about your books. Just think about it. When you get to know someone’s personality and see their facial expressions, don’t you feel a little more connected with them? That is exactly what you want!

Plan your launch a couple months in advance so you can spread the word. If you have a book about your personal story or expertise, then track down local groups and clubs that may be interested in your topic. It doesn’t have to be the exact topic. As long as the people in that organization would relate to your book, then go ahead and send a personal invitation to the leader, and ask that they invite the group.

For example, a book about starting your own business would be of interest to a variety of entrepreneurial groups. It may also be of interest to business majors at the local college. High school teachers who teach business classes could be interested, along with anyone running a club for students thinking about business careers.

Along with generating a crowd, you also have to select a venue. Though book stores—local ones only, if you are self-published—are popular, don’t be afraid to consider different shops, restaurants, or other businesses. A book on essential oils might have a great launch at a local spa. A memoire of three years in Italy could be coupled with a taste of Italian cuisine in a party room at a local Italian eatery. For my middle grade fantasy series, I selected a frozen yogurt place because the entrance to the secret world is through an ice cream machine in a small shop—all the ice cream shops near me are chain restaurants, and I didn’t want to go that route.

Depending on what you have planned for your launch, you could sell tickets, especially if you are giving a talk or including a meal or gift of value. One of my clients did a huge fundraiser on a yacht for her book launch. Everyone who purchased a ticket for the fun-filled evening received a copy of her book about igniting personality traits that can help you through difficult times in your life. Plus, all the proceeds went toward a charity she selected. If you have giving on your heart, then this is a fantastic way to do it, even with a small event.

A workshop can give people a taste of your expertise, and you can offer the book at a discount or included in the price of the workshop. If you want to hold a workshop as part of your book launch, then check out my post about holding workshops.

With so many ideas for your book launch, which sounds like it would work for you?