Wednesday, August 7, 2019. The Pre-Launch event is tomorrow. I understand from people in the industry that this pre-launch is unique. I can’t imagine not doing this pre-launch event prior to the main event. I have a month and a week before the “real” launch September 13, 2019. And I am nervous!

I will be playing to a friendly crowd of maybe 20 people. Mary Belden has joined the team as my Administrative Assistant. Lee has been working at publishing my blogs, and he is currently working on the slide show/video. I have been refining/revamping the Retreat2Read boxes and the Book Club in a Box.

I spent the weekend at my daughter Maiya’s, and a Retreat2Read Gift Box came in the mail—it was a great disappointment. She and I hashed over it, and we came up with some new and better ideas. I feel as though the value is now where it needs to be.

Tonight I will be rehearsing my “spiel”. I have paid a lot of money to refine my talk, to make it more than just a reading. Mary B had some great input on it, too. I am feeling as though things are coming together. It will be interesting to see how it goes tomorrow night at Cream & Amber, Mainstreet Hopkins.

August 8, 2019 The Soft Launch

I have done something that isn’t so usual in the book launch world—I hosted a pre-launch to practice! A local book/craft beer store, Cream and Amber hosted the event, and advertised to their clientele. I invited a few close friends. And I tested my launch materials on the group.

I ordered in books as did the bookstore, and I also had my other books on hand for additional book sales. Part of my product line also includes promotional items that I refer to as “swag.” I had some of the swag for sale individually, some were part of gift boxes. Every gift box also included a book.

Input for improvement came from several guests. Everything from improvements to my speech to different way to merchandise the swag and books. I’ll be simmering down the input and making final changes for the Official Launch September 13.

Good ideas come from all areas, not just from one smart person, but the collective can be smarter than the individual.