Has anyone done a launch party for a new release before? I was wondering if you sell your books or is it really just an advertisement for the release.
BOOK LAUNCH PARTY
- Thread starter CynV
- Start date
- Status
- Joined
- Mar 26, 2005
- Messages
- 5,011
- Reaction score
- 697
- Location
- Sacramento area, CA
- Website
- www.umbachconsulting.com
Every one I have been involved in has been a sales event. I can't see much point otherwise.
--Ken
I had a launch party, complete with catering. People EXPECT to be able to purchase a signed book. If you plan on a big party, may I suggest you eat ahead of time? I sat for over 3 hours signing and all the good food was gone. Bummer.
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2008
- Messages
- 4,010
- Reaction score
- 4,825
I've seen true launch parties, ie, separate and apart from a signing/sales event. In both instances the author ended up selling copies she had on hand of her book. So...if you don't do a combined signing/sales & launch event, consider having some copies on hand and asking someone to be the designated "seller" so you don't have to handle money from your guests.
~suki
~suki
Yeah, that would make a huge difference. I had to buy the books I sold at my party. Unless you're a big deal, most authors only get a set amount of copies, and it's not enough to handle a good marketing campaign, much less a launch party.
- Joined
- Mar 26, 2005
- Messages
- 5,011
- Reaction score
- 697
- Location
- Sacramento area, CA
- Website
- www.umbachconsulting.com
Perhaps others have a different understanding of "launch party" than I do. A few examples from my experience (mostly direct; one by report).
Small press (Willow Valley Press), Dandelion Through the Crack: publisher rented space in a community facility, put on an event, and sold hundreds of copies to a packed house.
Book I published (very small scale, but nice; local author). Party at a local independent book store. Books sold via the store. (Few dozen copies.)
Friend of mine published recently via a local subsidy press. Author & publisher put on a heavily promoted event at local Borders store (dunno which footed how much of the related expenses -- band out front, for example). Books sold by Borders. (Nearly 100 copies that evening.)
Book I published by local authors (an anthology). Launch at a local Borders. Store ordered and I delivered 100 copies, and several of the authors were there to sign books (sold of course by the store). Sold most of the 100 that day, and the store had the rest autographed for later sale. (Borders paid me for all 100 in due time.) Editors/authors made most of the arrangements with the store's community relations person, but did not provide the books or sell them.
Friend published a novel, put on an event also at a local Borders (lots of publicity). Drew a crowd. Don't know sales, but books were sold by the bookstore.
Friends wrote a book (in the "For Dummies" series published by one of the big houses). One of the authors owns an independent book store. Launch party at his store. Nice turnout. Sales via the store (presumably). Dunno sales numbers, but probably pretty decent for a small, local store.
Those are the sorts of events I am familar with, FWIW.
--Ken
Small press (Willow Valley Press), Dandelion Through the Crack: publisher rented space in a community facility, put on an event, and sold hundreds of copies to a packed house.
Book I published (very small scale, but nice; local author). Party at a local independent book store. Books sold via the store. (Few dozen copies.)
Friend of mine published recently via a local subsidy press. Author & publisher put on a heavily promoted event at local Borders store (dunno which footed how much of the related expenses -- band out front, for example). Books sold by Borders. (Nearly 100 copies that evening.)
Book I published by local authors (an anthology). Launch at a local Borders. Store ordered and I delivered 100 copies, and several of the authors were there to sign books (sold of course by the store). Sold most of the 100 that day, and the store had the rest autographed for later sale. (Borders paid me for all 100 in due time.) Editors/authors made most of the arrangements with the store's community relations person, but did not provide the books or sell them.
Friend published a novel, put on an event also at a local Borders (lots of publicity). Drew a crowd. Don't know sales, but books were sold by the bookstore.
Friends wrote a book (in the "For Dummies" series published by one of the big houses). One of the authors owns an independent book store. Launch party at his store. Nice turnout. Sales via the store (presumably). Dunno sales numbers, but probably pretty decent for a small, local store.
Those are the sorts of events I am familar with, FWIW.
--Ken
Ken - I guess "my" definition of a launch party is more personal in that I held and paid for the event and invited my friends, family, writer's groups, etc. I had the other events at bookstores, but I considered them book signings.
- Joined
- Dec 21, 2007
- Messages
- 2,995
- Reaction score
- 616
The launch parties I attended were quite different than the ones you described. The parties were...well parties with hundreds of people. Club setting, music, eating, hookups (maybe the hookups were a bonus
). Attendees had to pay for their own drinks. The author and the publisher thanked everyone for coming. That took less than a minute. And the party favor was the book.
On a side note, one of my contracts forbids me to sell my own books. So the only way I could have a launch party to sell books is at a bookstore where invitees could purchase the book from the store.
Why are you forbidden from selling your own books?The launch parties I attended were quite different than the ones you described. The parties were...well parties with hundreds of people. Club setting, music, eating, hookups (maybe the hookups were a bonus
The author and the publisher thanked everyone for coming. That took less than a minute. And the party favor was the book.
On a side note, one of my contracts forbids me to sell my own books. So the only way I could have a launch party to sell books is at a bookstore where invitees could purchase the book from the store.
- Joined
- Dec 21, 2007
- Messages
- 2,995
- Reaction score
- 616
I never asked.
But I should restate what I wrote because it's not completely accurate. What I'm not able to do is buy books with the author discount and resell those books. If I wanted to sell books at an event I would contact the publisher. They would send books for free, I'd sell them on behalf of the publisher (I think), and return the unsold copies. I've never done this so I'm not sure how the logistics would work regarding processing payments.
On edit: Thanks CaoPaux for the explanation. So I figure that I wouldn't be selling the books on behalf of the publisher if there's a noncompete clause. I should've left my initial response as "I don't know" because now I fear I gave wrong info. Some day I'll dig out my contract and reread it.
Last edited:
Well, coming purely from an accounting standpoint, it shouldn't matter as the author usually pays the same price that the distributor pays, so the publisher has the same net regardless. I would think publishers would want you to get people to buy your books no matter how as their bottom line is not really affected. That being said, there are plenty of indy bookstores around the country that will get authors books at the same discounted price AND you get credit for the sales.
- Joined
- Dec 21, 2007
- Messages
- 2,995
- Reaction score
- 616
I'm not sure of the publisher's reasoning. That said, I don't want to sell my own books so I never gave the clause a second look. I'll promote my books and that's as far as I'll go. Besides getting a sales tax number and having to complete yearly paperwork isn't worth the hassle to sell a few books. At least not for me.
- Joined
- Mar 26, 2005
- Messages
- 5,011
- Reaction score
- 697
- Location
- Sacramento area, CA
- Website
- www.umbachconsulting.com
I'd recommend that you make arrangements with a local bookseller (a book store or someone who does such sales for events). Let them work it out with the publisher or distributor or wholesaler.
--Ken
LOL escritora! I always forget about that part. I'm a degreed accountant and former CFO, so filing a sales tax return for me is no harder than getting a beer from the fridge. I can see why people wouldn't want to hassle with it, though.
That's my plan as well. The last launch party that was thrown for me was at a friends house, I'm thinking bigger scale this time but also doing signings at Borders, etc.
Thanks guys.
- Status