Book launch - finally arrives

Hi Folks,

Well, the day of the book launch finally arrived. All that stressing and preparing. Invites out, venue vetted, venue booked, double checked, books packed, press packs put together, websites updated, press releases released. Phew!

Ok, cheque book, credit card etc to pay for everything. Invite list - just in case we get the odd gatecrasher. New outfit - have to look the part!

After a slightly delayed start due to also having to prepare things for the Erotica show as well, which happens tomorrow, and as I'm staying over night in order to get there early, there's more than just the book launch to try and remember, I eventually get out on the road. Still deciding where I'm going to park as I need to get to central london (Covent Garden to be precise), and eventually decide half way down the M3 to park at Richmond - my usual parking place! Train straight in to Waterloo or tube depending on timings. Perfect.

At hotel eventually, after lugging my stupid suitcase (the one with wheels I thought would be perfect as books can be somewhat heavy - stupid me! Forgot the wretched thing likes to twist and not stay balanced at the slightest movement!) - managed to find the hotel, with the help of my trusty A-Z of London. I hate looking like a tourist - but couldn't be helped in this instance.

Phew.

Cup of tea time!

Oh crikey, 6 O'clock already - need to get to the venue.
Finish getting dressed.
Put face on.
Venue details.
Press pack cards.
Books.
Phone.
Purse.
Ready!

Taxi!!!

Found one. Do you know how close you are to it - the taxi man said - nope! Probably quicker to walk! Ho hum! Disorientated so needed the taxi to get there in a calm and dignified manner.

Roger (my author) is already there, waiting patiently outside - it's just before 6.30pm. we go on down to the basement bar. Music is a bit loud, but we get my 'personal waiter for the night' to switch it down a bit to a more manageable level, so we can actually hear each other speak!

Ah, that's better.

Drinks are ordered, and we can start to relax a bit. Books all laid out. Nibbles ordered. Drinks starting to be drunk.

A steady flow of guest trickle in and the book launch launches! They all get to meet Roger, and he makes some new friends amongst the book buyers, commercial managers, and editors of top notch magazines, and other fellow writers.

The champagane flows, the banter is lively. A good time is had by all.

Oh no! I suddently remember I forgot to take a photo of the Author! He's left already. So take a few pictures with some of my buyers instead, to mark the occasion.

I check with my 'Personal waiter' to see how much money I have left to spend out of the minimum spend figure and there is about £40 left - so we open another bottle of champagne - a lovely pink one - and that goes down a treat - to help wind down the launch.

Bill all paid up, all within budget considering! We all disappear off into the night - at someone's suggestion a handful of us trundle along to a casino in Tottenham Court Road - of which I am now a member! :)

Everyone said they had a lovely night - so I guess all that stress paid off. Not as many people came as I had hoped, I guess there were other, more important things for them to do rather than come and view a book and drink champagne!

Their loss!

Come back again soon!

PaulineThe Publisher

We have the book!

Hi Folks,
Well, after a quick call to the printers first thing this morning, I headed off to Essex to pick up our first print run of our new book. After only one mistake on the M25 which led me to continue off down the M20 instead - I managed to get there in two and a half hours without getting lost again!

The last few copies were still being bound & trimmed - it's quite a nice feeling when you see this happening - all your hard work being turned into something real that you can see and touch.
It looked rather good I must say. :)

The cover felt nice, the pages felt nice, and the whole book looked good :)

After a tour around the printers - which I must say was rather impressive - and a nice cup of coffee, I headed back home with our books in the boot of my car.

Three hours later I got home - the M25 leaves a little to be desired at times!

I can now rest a little as I actually have books I can present at the Book launch next week!

Just waiting on responses to invites now!

Come back again soon.

Pauline The publisher

Invites are out!

Hi Folks,

Well, after a couple of evenings & days, of designing, printing, chopping and labelling I can safely say that all my invites are now out there!

Whether or not anyone turns up though is another matter!

I guess that's always a risk one has to take. You have to be seen to be doing the right things - though what they exactly are remains to be seen.

I've invited book buyers, a couple of celebrities (would be nice if they did turn up), a few national newspaper book reviewer types, and some people from the adult industry (one has to bear in mind our genre foro this one!). So out of the 64 invites that have gone out - I do hope that I get at least one third of that attending - then I won't feel quite so bad!

Time will tell I guess whether all my hard work & stressing, and targetting certain people will pay off. Perhaps the day is completely wrong - there was method in my madness for making it on a Wednesday - it is the day before Erotica - so I'm hoping people will be in town and looking to kick back at least after setting up their stands.

But... as I have been told today by my other half, after his conversation with a few who are actually setting up their stands - they will be working through the night as they have a set time slot in which to set up.

So, bugger, bugger, bugger to that one! Let's hope that not all of the adult industry will be setting up on that Wednesday night!

All I can say at this point in time is that if one person turns up then I think I'll be happy - if a handful turn up, then fantastic! If more turn up and we get to take orders on the night, then mission accomplished. If we get a few reviews then even better as the word will get out without me having to sit on the phones trying to sell the book!!

So, watch this space - I'll let you know whether it was worth it or not.

Next thing I have to organise now is some leaflets / flyers etc., to promote ourselves for all those lovely people attending Erotica. We aren't allowed to distribute in the place so please think about us out in the cold (and hopefully not the rain) whilst we are giving out our bits & pieces.

Exhibiting would be a logistical nightmare for us as we have a little boy, and we would have had to have babysitters for 5 days and nights. Never having had a night away from both of us, it would be unfair. Plus we would possibly have to sell all our stock just to recover costs to pay for the event - so we'd end up with no stock to sell afterwards and no means of affording a print run to replace all the sold books.

There are always pros and cons to have to work out. It's difficult to know whether we are doing the right thing - but we have to at least try something!

So, watch this space.

I'll try and update this blog as often as possible.

Thank you for taking time to read this.

PaulineThePublisher

Book cover for new book - 21st Century Swinging

 

Book launch stress!

Hi folks!

Well this week I've been frantically trying to tie up all the loose ends of putting together a book launch of some description.

Why have I decided to put myself through this I frequently ask myself.

Public Relations & Promotion - is what I keep telling myself - so I MUST remain focused!

I managed to sort out a venue via the web, and made a trip to London to visit said venue. Very nice indeed. Nice central location that won't cost too much money, but looks the biz. As a small independent we have to keep an eye on the purse strings - though I must confess I don't look very hard or as often as I should do.

The book has had it's first proof print done - though a bit of a glitch there as I decided to hand the reins over to someone else and not try to sort it all out myself (as I would normally do) and something that should have only take 3 - 4 days, actuallly took just over 2 weeks - so I am currently not too impressed.

After reviewing the proof, we have since decided to change the title, consult someone else in clarifying some information in the book - and hence re-written some of the book. So, a second proof copy is required. Fortunately I am now liaising directly with the printers and they have promiserd me a 48 hour turnaround. Phew!!

Invites were all laid out last night & the design sorted out. invitees have been listed in my notebook relating to existing customers, business partners, book store, and some of our main book buyers, plus a few clubs relating to the book we are launching - so we can get a review or two on the next printing, or at least we can put it on our website! Oh, and not forgetting some kind of press presence. I can't think of anyone famous to invite in order to tempt the press, but hey - they would be here to take a look at the book and meet the publisher anyway - so probably not a good idea to have the limelight detracted!

So, at present I have no book (in my hand), no invites sent, so no replies, a venue booked - and no one to fill it! Press releases to write & get out there.

How does one run a book launch?!

I've never been to one. Perhaps that is a good thing I don't know! My author doesn't want to be seen/known (he has written under a pseydonym), so there's no real draw for anyone to come other than to get a free drink & a free copy of the book - for review purposes.

Will it all come together - I flippin' well hope so! I have only 14 days left to pull it all together. I'm sure it will - I'd rather not sail quite so close to the wind though on this one!

So, I suspect you've all been wondering about this new book.

It's called "21st Century Swinging - a guide for the tempted" - so would you be tempted?!
Now there's a question. It certainly answered alot of the questions' I would have had - so that's why I decided to publish it. Plus swinging seems to be somewhat en vogue these days - with swinging clubs popping up in every town, and websites galore!

If you'd like to sneek a peek at the cover at least - then check out our publishing website http://www.collectivepublishing.co.uk where you will even be able to pre-order a copy - if you so desire.

If you happen to be a book buyer, or a book store and you would like to order or stock some of our books - then please contact me via the website.

Ok, that's it for now - I need to go and design a poster, write some letters to go with the invites & some press releases!!

PaulineThePublisher