IWSG: The First Ever Bookless Book Launch

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My second book, just released, had gremlins. I'm not sure what brought them on (too many midnight snacks? an ego check from the universe?), but as soon as the book left me and went into production, they attacked. The merciless little critters kept trying to bring down the airplane of my book production, and I kept checking the seats around me to make sure William Shatner hadn't shown up. 

• First, there was confusion about the launch date
• Then, delays in editing
• Then, more delays in editing
• Then delays in art
• Then, more delays in art correction

It felt like every time the ball came back into my court, I had to turn the work around at light speed to try and get the process back on time track. I was stubborn about that release date. I had plans for a release party, and, besides, I really loved getting my first book published for my birthday last year and wanted to give myself that present again if I could. 

But we made it! Thanks for some fantastic work from the wonderfully supportive marketing team, we pulled it out in the final lap and the book launched as scheduled . . . as an e-book. The paper was delayed yet again due to problems with getting it into Ingram. 

Me, clutching the one paper copy I was able to get by party time. But check out that banner!

Which led to: The First-Ever Bookless Book Launch Party! I had a party scheduled, sponsored by the Friends of the Orange County Public Library. My parents were coming into town for it. My mother-in-law made cookies. My husband created bookmarks. My daughter learned how to use my phone sales gadget. My banners and signs were printed. But . . . there were no paper books :-(  

Those delays getting the book into Ingram meant that there was no way to get a box of them here in time, despite the best efforts of the publisher and the bookseller I was working with.

When I found out, I just about cried. Okay, I admit it, I cried. I moped for an entire evening. 

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But by the next morning, I shook it off. I guess I'm a make-lemonade sort of gal. 

The point of a book launch party is to celebrate the launch of the book. The people who took time out of their busy lives to come and hear me read and talk about the novel will still buy copies if they were going to. In the meantime, there were pages to share, and cookies to eat. 

How do you celebrate your milestones as a writer? How do you handle it when your best laid plans take a left turn at Albuquerque? 

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This posting is part of the Insecure Writers Support Group blog hop. To check out other posts by writers in a variety of places in their careers, check out the participant list. This group is one of the most open and supportive groups of people I have ever been associated with. If you write, you should check them out!


If you want to check out my superhero stories, click the covers below. Change of Life, book two of my Menopausal Superheroes series just came out two weeks ago!