Early March and it is cold as anything out. This morning (which is yesterday morning as this is posted) I woke up very early and then stayed up to watch the lunar eclipse. Our moon (which is naturally also your moon) had nearly set by the time the eclipse was total, but I got to watch each bit of it over about twenty-five minutes.
Watching it put me in a weirdly more positive mood than I've experienced for quite awhile. I like that steady old moon and her utter dependability.
Another dependable thing is the monthly meeting of the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Link to the sign up page here for all the info: IWSG
Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time - and return comments. This group is all about connecting!
I'm quite interested in today's question so I will have at it - it comes at a very good time as I'm about to do a soft launch of Little Birds.
What elements do you include in your book launch? Or what do you have in mind for your future book launch? Or what advice do you have to offer to others planning to launch a book
My debut novel The Crooked Knife was set in Labrador and I was quite insistent that it would launch there. My publisher wasn't all that supportive of this idea, even though I paid for all my travel myself. I did the launch at the Labrador Interpretation Centre (a museum) in the village I'd lived with my partner for five years - North West River. They have a small theatre which is where I set up. I got a good crowd for a town of 400 - about fifty or sixty people. I was introduced by a friend from NWR. I read from the opening knowing that no one had the book yet. It was both terrifying and extremely satisfying. The crowd, most of whom I knew, asked really wonderful questions and the whole feel was just what I wanted, celebratory. I did two more 'launches' (heck, ships launch more than once!) after that - one in St. John's, Nfld and one in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The one in St. John's was quieter but still well attended. It was in a small café. I was introduced by my sister-in-law who had published with the same publisher and is a well-known person in town, having been a CBC radio host for many years there on a popular daily show.
I guess my favourite though was the one in Halifax. I'd organized to do it in a small theatre (The Bus Stop) in the North End. My family and friends came out in droves and I was introduced so wonderfully by one of my closest friends, a fellow writer. It felt wonderful to have this chance to share what was so close to me for so long. And people were so interested in what I'd been writing about - the struggles the indigenous people have in Labrador (anywhere actually), the environmental devastation caused by the putting in of a huge hydro dam, the descriptions of the land - which is a part of Canada most people never see.
So those were the launches. Because they happened at the tail end of COVID there were problems. People weren't used to coming out, but they did. I did radio interviews in Labrador and in St. John's but nothing in Halifax. I had a book publicist and she was as helpful as she could be, with the time she was allowed to offer, but I managed much of the details myself. I'd been a publicist in my past (for music primarily) so knew how to put things together. I had a wonderful event in Chester, a village that I consider my hometown though as a Forces brat I don't really have one. It was a theatre event where I was interviewed by a friend and again had a good crowd.
My second novel Little Birds will be self-published in a couple of weeks (just finalizing everything). This will be a soft launch - mostly online. When the weather warms up I plan to do more - still unsure of what exactly. I don't think I can get the same crowds for a second book but I suppose that depends on a few factors. I would like to do a small launch in Halifax and perhaps see if I can do some book store readings. I will start my publicity campaign after the soft launch. Little Birds deals with the issue of human trafficking. It is something that has gotten a lot of attention lately, as it clearly deserves. It isn't a cheery topic but one that evokes much emotion. I think I handle it in a sensitive way and the fact that indigenous women are more vulnerable than other populations to this kind of activity is well-known. Because of that I want to be very careful how I approach publicity.
I really don't have any suggestions for others launching books - I think it so much depends on the type of book and your own level of comfort being the center of attention. I spent lots of years in theatre and can stand up in front of any crowd without fear. I would tell those who dislike this to consider they are advocating for their book, not themselves. It does make it easier.
This is me at the Halifax launch of The Crooked Knife.
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