How to Birth a Book

This week we are talking about launch parties!

As I thought about writing this post, I found myself wishing that I’d written it closer to my actual launch. That time feels SO LONG AGO! But! I had the great good fortune of joining the wonderful Tracy Banghart as she launched her novel GRACE & FURY just a couple of weeks ago, and I thought I’d talk a little about the advice I gave her.

  1. BREATHE. A launch party feels SO BIG and SO IMPORTANT, but it’s vital that we remember that we’re doing this for ourselves. It’s not to sell books (though that’s nice!) or show off, but instead to honor your book and your hard work. I like to think of it as a celebration of the book I’ve spent years writing behind closed doors and in private.
  2. Invite a friend! Ashley Poston, author of GEEKARELLA and HEART OF IRON, came to my launch and having someone to share the spotlight made me so much more comfortable.
  3. Think of it like a birthday party! Do it however you want. I made a bunch of food because that made me happy. If it doesn’t bring you joy, don’t do it. 

Remember to have fun! If you don’t want to throw a launch party, don’t. If you don’t want to have food, don’t. If you want to have wine, have wine! If you want to read, do it, but don’t if you don’t want to. There aren’t rules for this kind of event, so do whatever makes you happy.

Author: Kaitlyn Sage Patterson

Kaitlyn Sage Patterson grew up with her nose in a book outside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. After completing her M.F.A., she moved to South Korea, where she taught English and started writing her debut novel. THE DIMINISHED will be published by HarlequinTEEN in April 2018, followed by its sequel in 2019. When she's not staring off into space and trying to untangle some particularly troublesome plot point, she can be found in her kitchen, perfecting the most difficult recipe she can find; or at the barn, where she rides and trains dressage horses; or with her husband, spoiling their sweet rescue dogs.