Best Indie Book Store Creates Best Book Launch with Karen White!

Foxtale Book Shoppe in Woodstock, Georgia was recently named by Atlanta magazine as the Best Indie Bookstore in the Atlanta area.  That's quite an honor because there are lots and lots of amazing bookstores around.  I love Foxtale for many reasons but probably the main thing I like about them is their book launches.

I recently attended a book launch for Karen White's newest book, Return to Tradd Street.  Some of my friends are avid fans of this series about psychic realtor, Melanie Middleton who solves mysteries and sells houses while nurturing her on and off romance with Jack Trenholm.  I had no trouble enticing them to attend the book launch.  My youngest daughter was in town after the holidays and once she heard cupcakes were also involved she was eager to attend as well.  She took a picture of us after we decorated our cupcakes at the cupcake bar...

Karen White arrived with her dog in tow.  She explained to the crowd that he was not only the inspiration for General Lee, the dog in the book, but he is also her constant writing companion. 
  

Karen shared lots of information about her inspiration for her books, her writing process  and her plans for upcoming books. Gracious and personal, attendees felt like one of her inner circle.  One of the women present was such a fan she single handedly created an interest in some of Karen's earlier books which have been out of print. There was an opportunity to buy a raffle ticket and win a basket of her books and other goodies. Another giveaway was the chance to have to have your name used as a character in an upcoming book.  Proceeds from the raffle benefitted the Wounded Warrior program which is near to Karen's heart due to a nephew who was injured in Afghanistan.  The event ended with an opportunity to have a book signed and to spend a moment talking personally with Karen.

Although I bought the newest book, I haven't started it yet because Karen's books are so addictive, I know I won't be able to put it down.  I'm waiting for a few days of free time to relax and relish the story.  You know, one of those lazy evenings in front of a fire and no work to report to the next day....

Foxtale and Karen White are experts at putting together a successful book launch.  I've written about it before but here are some of the key components and how they were incorporated into this book launch.

How to Create a Magical Book Launch

Be Remarkable---Most of the book launches have a theme, decorations and refreshments that coordinate with the theme of the book.  Return to Tradd Street, begins with the main character pregnant, so the cupcake bar featured decorations and icing in pink and blue.  There have been book launches that included coffins and book launches that included costumes.  You just never know what new thing will be featured but you can count on it being unique.

Be generous--Karen's use of a raffle to benefit the Wounded Warrior program was a wonderful way to give to a charity.  Once guests understood the reason for the raffle, there was an outpouring of support.

Develop relationships--Karen was as interested in hearing from her readers as she was in sharing herself.  She took time with each to talk and share.  In addition, she gave away two opportunities through the raffle for readers to get their name used as a character in her book.  This was a truly clever way to engage readers! Writers who stay engaged with their readers through Facebook and other social media continue to nurture those relationships.  Currently, Karen is touring various book stores and she keeps readers up-to-date with regular posts and pictures.

Be grateful-No one likes someone who feels the world owes them something.  I haven't met many writers like this but they are out there.  A successful writer (a successful anything) puts others first and is more interested in giving than getting.

Be real-Readers love to know the ins and outs of writers' lives.  Karen shared that she has many qualities in common with the main character in her Tradd Street books including perhaps alphabetizing her spice shelf and being just a teeny bit structured...

Like this post?  Share with friends on Facebook and Twitter!!

Five Ways to Make Your Book Launch Successful

Last week I wrote about a series of book launches that I attended at Foxtale Book Shoppe.  Four launches in about seven days to be exact!  This week I promised to go into more detail about how different authors made their launch memorable. 

Be Generous

Many authors have a cause that they are benefiting through sales of their books or the launch.  Mary Kay Andrews sold raffle tickets for amazing prizes and gave the proceeds to Bright Pink a breast cancer awareness and research organization.  Claire Cook at the movie premier for  her book, Must Love Dogs, had dogs available for adoption walk the red carpet. 

Besides benefitting a cause, many authors have special giveaways that generate interest in upcoming books.  Typically the sweepstakes is related to the theme of the book.  For instance, Wendy Wax gave away a trip to England in conjunction with her book, While We Were Watching Downtown Abbey and Claire Cook gave away a trip to an elegant spa in Texas, in conjunction with Time Flies.  Not every author can of course afford such lavish prizes.  But anyone can put together a chic bag filled with books and related items to give away. People love a chance to win!

Develop Relationships

Readers not only enjoy winning things but also learning about the author's life, their writing habits and research.  Book events that provide a time for the author to talk and answer questions are popular.  Erika Robuck engaged her readers with stories about her research on Zelda Fitzgerald and how she connected through personal aspects of her own life.  For instance she has a relative who was a psychiatric nurse so she had insight into this profession when she decided to make a psychiatric nurse the main character in her book, Call Me Zelda.  Claire Cook talked with her audience about having a book made into a movie and what it was like to walk the red carpet.  Another way to develop relationships is to have an active online presence where the author is communicating with readers about their lives.  Authors like Claire Cook are a master at this as they not only share their activities related to launching a book but take an interest in their readers' lives and comment on it when the reader attends a book launch.

Be Remarkable

In the past book signings were always held in bookstores but the new trend is to hold a book event in a unique venue that is somehow related to the book.  Mary Kay Andrew's most recent book, Ladies Night is about home decor blogger so she held her book launch at Kudzu, a home decor store in Sandy Springs, Georgia.  The goal is to create a unique and memorable experience that people will come to for more than a book. Recreate a theme or historical aspect of the  book.  Hold it in an unusual location.  Provide refreshments that tie into the theme of the book.  Encourage readers to dress the part of characters in the book.  Use music, decor, goodie bags, events to continue the theme.  Mystery books could involve a mystery to solve as part of the event.  Books about dogs could be held at a pet store in conjunction with dogs for adoption.  The possibilities are as endless as your imagination.

Be Real

Readers can buy a book easier and cheaper online.  They come to book launches to experience something unique and to get to know the author.  Sharing personal experiences and insights makes the book more meaningful. Getting to know the author as someone who is real with a family, a history, and their own personal quirks not only brings people to the book launch but encourages them to buy books.  Karen White, at the launch for her book, The Time Between, for instance talked about her compulsion to organize things and how she has used that trait in her characters.  She also talked about the difficulty of naming characters and how she used the name of one of the owners of Foxtale Books in her newest book as a character.  Claire Cook, at her book launch, talked about the theme of women reinventing their lives and how that has been her own story. She said that she knew that she just had to get over her own fear and do it, so she wrote her first book at the the age of forty-five while sitting in her minivan waiting for her daughter to finish swim practice.  

Be grateful

Every author is aware of the important role others have played in their success.  Thanking family, editors, agents is standard but still heartfelt.  Authors who express gratitude to their readers and who follow that up with real interest and concern in their lives recognize the gift they share.  The connection between an author and her readers is more than that of customer to seller.  It is best described as a large extended family made up of the author, the reader and the imaginary characters in the book who often seem more real than imaginary.  Authors who can nurture this relationship while thanking their readers for the gift of their participation understand the true nature of the book launch.  

Want to read more about marketing books and creating a unique book launch?  Here's some great books:  Stress Free Marketing, by Renea Winchester and Sell More Books by J. Steve Miller.  I highly recommend both! 

Wonder what your calling is and how to turn dreams into reality?  Sign up for the email feed at www.acalledwoman.com and receive the  free Called Woman Manifesto along with weekly motivational and practical emails.

Thanks for reading!! Like this post?  Share with friends on facebook and twitter. 

*Following my affiliate links in this article will result in a small commission to me at no additional cost to you.

Related articles

• Five Amazing Book Launches and Five Unique Tips
• REVIEW~ LADIES NIGHT by Mary Kay Andrews....
• Best-Selling Author Mary Kay Andrews' "Ladies Night"
• Just add lemonade
• Giveaway and Q&a With Author Mary Kay Andrews,ladies Night Out....