launch party – The Debutante Ball

Learning all the things you never thought you had to learn, or debuting in a pandemic.

Wednesday, August 12, 2020

I simply can’t believe it’s been a whole year. This week, we’re talking about what we learned as a Debutante. To be honest, this entry was hard to write, because my expectations about what I thought would happen this year debuting Architects of Memory and what actually did happen were so incredibly different. Like Pluto-versus-the-Sun different. When I applied to be a Deb, my release date was January. I was…

It’s Your Book; It’s Your Party

Tuesday, August 4, 2020

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Well, our official topic this week is lauch parties and swag. I think I’m the only member of our 2020 class who got a launch party. Minor Dramas & Other Catastrophes released on Feburary 2nd. Covid was front-page news at that point, but it still seemed awfully far away. No one here in Minneapolis fully grasped the threat. At my launch, 150 people jammed into my local indie. Gretchen Anthony…

A Party for THE DREAM PEDDLER

Friday, August 16, 2019

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I considered not having a launch party for my book. I’m not a big fan of being the center of attention (which is funny, because when I was ten years old this was my favorite thing ever), and I didn’t want to hand sell books to close friends. I was excited for them to buy it—I just didn’t want to be the one selling it. But publishing a book…

A Year or a Career

Friday, January 18, 2019

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Before writing this blog post, I never really gave much thought to a bucket list for this year. Or a career bucket list, for that matter. I daydream about miraculous debut and career events all the time: I see my book in O Magazine. Terry Gross wants to interview me on Fresh Air. I make the NYT bestseller list. Wait, they get bigger: eventually, I win the Pulitzer…

Seven Random Tips For Your Launch Party

Friday, June 30, 2017

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My second book will be out next May and I’m already in party planning mode, especially after living through planning the launch event for Allegedly. Yes, my party was great, yes I had an amazing turn out. But the stress of it all almost killed me. So here’s some tips that will hopefully save you from my same mistakes. Start planning six months in advance-Look into spaces, dates, times. Have…

It’s your LAUNCH PARTY. Don’t fuck it up.

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

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Amy’s Launch Party Dos and Don’ts Notify the bookstore in advance that you’re planning to have your launch there. They tend to be real party-poopers when you just show up with a margarita machine,a fajita grill, and a Mariachi band. Don’t go to someone else’s launch expecting to be able to co-host it. That writer may be a diva who insists on being the center of attention; some authors…

How to Plan a Launch Party That Won’t Make You Craz(ier)

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

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After I signed my book deal it didn’t take long before I started hearing about something called a “launch party.” Most of the authors I met seemed to agree that a book’s arrival in the marketplace warrants a shindig of some sort. Big or small, they said, a launch party is a great way to celebrate your achievement and promote your book at the same time. Being a fan of…

Launch Night Bliss (and Launch Night Tips)

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

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I am alone among the Debs in that I don’t have to fantasize about my book launch: I have already lived it. Louise wrote beautifully about her upcoming book launch. She said, “I have realized that the party is not just to celebrate the novel being published—it’s my chance to say thank you to all the people that made it possible.” I love that about Louise. She’s a generous, caring…

Book Launch: Fantasy vs. Reality

The City Baker's Guide to Country Living by Louise Miller

Monday, June 27, 2016

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I have been dreaming about my book launch party for as long as I have been dreaming about publishing a book, which is another way of saying a very long time. Your book party is your chance to celebrate. Book in hand, it’s your moment to say YES, I did it. All of those years of writing and revising, all of those hours agonizing over agent lists and query letters,…

Deb Joanne’s Not Feeling Guilty

This week’s theme here at The Debutante Ball is guilty pleasures. I was going to write a post about certain foods I love, which probably aren’t good for me, and certain books I love that probably aren’t in the running for Pulitzers any time soon. But then I thought I’d rather break ranks and talk about a real pleasure: my launch party that was just this past Saturday. Because, let’s…

Monday, July 16, 2012

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