I am grateful to Norma Thornton, secretary of the Northern California Publishers and Authors, for asking me to come as a speaker at our monthly meeting last September 13. It was an honor and a learning experience to be a guest speaker for the first time.
They said my talk was very informative. Here's a an outline of my an hour and 1/2 discussion on how to host a book launch on FB. My discussion, How to Make Your Own Book Trailer, will be on my next post.
HOW TO HOST A BOOK LAUNCH ON FACEBOOK
1. Why host a book launch on Facebook?
a. Most people are on FB.
b. It’s free!
c. You don’t have to dress up.
d. Guests can pop in and out at any time.
e. You don’t have to worry about not having enough space and food or
drinks.
2. Guidelines on how to host a book launch of Facebook
a. Know the purpose of your book event
b. Create an account on Facebook
c. Create an event
YouTube instruction on how to create an event:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JofZzq6w4nE
- Name the event
Ex. My own Facebook Virtual Book Launch of The Bluebird’s Cry
https://www.facebook.com/events/677352339080148/
- Set the date and time
Ex. Sept. 3, 2016 at 12 PM – Sept. 4, 2016 at 11:30 PM
- Write a brief description
d. Create an eye-catching Facebook banner to attract more attention.
e. Send out invites by clicking the INVITE button
f. Give a clear instruction on how to join your book party event. Tell
them to just follow the link and just type “interested” or “going.” On
that day, post the link again to remind them and mention the day
and time.
g. Have your books ordered on time, at least a week before so you can
mail out a signed copy as soon as possible.
h. Post an introduction and keep it pinned on the top of the page.
Examples:
video of yourself – what the party is all about and what to expect
picture of a welcome drink
welcome banner or poster
i. Keep the party alive! Entertain your guests by using visual and
auditory aids. Prepare all your materials in advance.
Examples:
Videos
Photos of the book cover, characters, or setting.
Interviews
Quizzes/Games
Inside look or behind-the-scenes – what inspired you to write the
book, how long did you write the book, what anecdotes can you
share, etc.
What I did at my own Facebook party:
- Provided music by posting my husband’s video
- Interview (8 questions and answered) that were posted one at a
time throughout the day
- Quotes that are relevant to the theme of my book. I made it visual
to catch the reader’s attention
- Behind the scenes
j. Encourage your guests to participate.
What I did at my own Facebook party:
- I asked a couple of friends to post a picture of them holding my
book. Then my other friends did the same. Some posted it on their
own page.
- I asked a question.
- Invited them to participate for a prize or free book giveaway and
announced the winners during the event. I have a picture of me
holding the book.
*The secret is to keep them interested until the end.
k. Ask a friend to post on Facebook or Twitter that the party is going
on. Or, if you are not too busy, you can do it yourself.
l. Make sure all guests are welcomed and all questions are answered.
m. Repost the link to your event the next day.
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