On Saturday, February 3rd, IF YOU ARE AN ARTIST celebrated its book birthday, and launched into the world with the help of the wonderful Aaron’s Books, and all of you! Thank you so much to all who attended the event, purchased books, and took time out of their busy weekend to help celebrate.
Phew! I can finally let out a big sigh of relief knowing that the event went off successfully and without a hitch! Well, aside from my six-year-old being home sick and having to miss out- but that seems to be a common occurrence this year. (Is anyone else dealing with CRAZY amounts of illness?) Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE my people, and events are exciting, but for this introvert and INFJ personality type, anything in which I have to speak or be in front of a group is extremely taxing. I often collapse afterward and feel exhausted for days. So while it was a wonderful day, and I am extremely grateful, I was also glad to retreat to my little writing and illustrating hobbit hole afterward.
My favorite parts of the event were seeing so many family members and friends, getting to share the special moment with my daughter (she wanted to sit right at my feet the entire time), reading to the kids in attendance, and spending the day in a cozy and magical bookshop.
To any fellow kidlit artists and illustrators who are planning a picture book launch, here are some of my recommendations to help the event run smoothly:
Plan ahead! Make a plan, gather ideas, and get to know your local independent bookstore owners and librarians well in advance!
Reach out to a favorite bookstore- they might have info for authors on their website- but if not, choose a slower day of the week to approach them. Or, consider your library as a potential event space. If you have a ton of people coming, you may want to plan on renting an even larger space! I’ve heard of people renting restaurant rooms or bars, and having more of a party atmosphere. I wanted my event to be a cozy setting with a story-time for kids, so a book store was the perfect location for me.
Have people pre-order their books through your local bookstore and then go into the store a few days before the event to sign them. I made bookplates using GotPrint, and then took them in the day before the launch event to sign and personalize. Signing them all at the event could tie you up, and prevent you from being able to talk with your guests! Consider adding pre-order swag and including an option for personalization when people order (Aaron’s bookstore did this for me). I included a bookmark with art from my book, and an illustrated sticker. (Sticker printed with Sticker App and bookmarks with VistaPrint.)
Plan your flow in advance! Mine included an introduction, story-time for kids, Q&A, some additional signing/personalization and then time for coloring, refreshments and mingling. My wonderful critique partner, author Jen Raudenbush, took photos and videos for me, and the lovely Alex, Aaron’s events and social media manager, helped with my introduction and announcements.
Consider creating (or asking your illustrator to create) some coloring sheets, worksheets or a little craft that accompanies your book, and set up a kids activity center.
Kid-friendly snacks and beverages! Goldfish, Hippeas, and lemonade were a hit with the little ones!
Don’t forget to soak it all in and enjoy the day! You’re finally a published author- yay! Don’t forget to be proud of yourself and appreciate how far you’ve come.
Be gracious! Don’t forget to thank your book launch hosts with a special gift, special book related swag or a thank you card!
Retreat back to your introvert bubble, take lots of naps, and do not leave the house for the next few days.
Are you planning on an in-person picture book launch? Where are you having it? What are you planning on doing? Tell me all about it in the comments, I’d love to know!
