Book Launch update

A month ago I wrote about my plans to have a book launch party.  Well I did and it was awesome.  So was it successful?  That depends on how you define success.  The target age for the book, “Zapped! Danger in the cell” is 8 to 13 years old, defined as middle grade.  The book is entertaining, but it is also educational.  It correlates directly with aspects of 5th and 6th grade science curriculum which deals with types of cells, structure, organelles and their function.  It allows kids to learn about the cell, its organelles, structure and functions without the tedium of a text book, but rather the fun adventure of the four main characters who are shrunk and zapped into an animal cell.

So what happened at the launch?  Well there were book sales and signings.

There were games that engaged kids in attendance including making a model cell out of candy. And there was great food.
A few things that I consider as successful occurred at the launch party. 
1.    We got the books in the hands of several elementary school teachers book in the New York City Public School system, Westchester County Public School System and in St. Kitts (in the Caribbean) public school systems.
2.    There were people who headed book clubs for adults and middle grade kids who bought not just my new release but also my older titles.
3.    A journalist in attendance wrote an article profiling “Zapped!” Danger in the cell and the authors.  That article was published in “SKNvibes” an online newspaper/ezine that targets Kittitians home and abroad and posted to the St. Kitts-Nevis Times Facebook page.
4.    We got the book in the hands of parents of children in the target age.


So why do I think that the launch party was worth it?  It got my name out there.  It got my book out there.  It got it in the hands of people who have the potential of sharing it with others on a large scale.  It gave my older titles a booster shot.  Most of all, we had a great party that I probably would have had anyway since it was my birthday.

So should every author run out and have a launch party for each book title?  That would depend on your goals, what you consider success, how much you are willing to invest in promoting your book, and ....(you can add your goals here).

This was my first ever launch party and because of the positive experience, it is definitely something I would do again.