In this past week, I’ve had the joy of attending three book launches. Each book launch had a distinct flavor and reflected the authors and the nature of their books.

Since I don’t get to these events very often, I thought I’d share my observations about them.

 

Lean Into Your Yuck: 7 Steps to Mastering Nonfiction Book Structure by Alexandra O’Connell

A book editor and writing coach for over 10 years, Alexandra O’Connell published her first book this year.

According to the Amazon description of the book:

“Lean Into Your Yuck provides the guidance and tools the pros use to flesh out structure and fast draft a book that engages your readers. Learn how to create a better manuscript from word one and:

  • Clarify your hook, middle build, and conclusion
  • Target your readership into the literary marketplace
  • Develop an effective writing schedule – and stick to it”

The approach that Alexandra used for her book launch was that of a Zoom meeting. I liked this approach as we could all see who was at the book launch and could write her congratulatory notes in the chat. Her colleague Polly Letofsky, award-winning author and owner of My Word Publishing, added to the energy as the event’s emcee.

Most of the social media related to this event took place prior to it. Alexandra created eye-catching posts on social media that ran regularly right up to the event. She tagged key people involved with the production of the book as well as other close supporters. Plus, she made very effective use of hashtags in each post.

Order this book here.

 

Hold My Crown: Women of Grit Share Stories of Resilience

Lead author Michelle Mras and 11 other women she brought together share their powerful stories for this amazing book. An author of two other books, Michelle is a keynote speaker, coach, trainer, television host and podcaster.

According to Amazon:

“Hold My Crown is a compilation of stories from women in various stages of life. They share their tales of resilience through life experiences and situations that could have crushed them. No knight in shining armor came to their rescue, so they had to take matters into their own hands and get dirty. Each woman pulled themselves from the depths of fear, despair or betrayal to become wiser and stronger in order to emerge as the highly successful women they are today.”

Held in a comedy club in downtown Colorado Springs filled with supporters of the authors, the launch had a festive vibe. Michelle emceed the event, describing her connection to each author, then inviting each of them to speak. Their short summaries of their respective chapters were very inspiring and compelling. I liked that there were breaks throughout the three-hour event so that attendees could mingle with the authors and others.

There was an extensive build up to the event via Facebook and Instagram in particular. Michelle and a colleague created a Facebook event for the launch, plus a Facebook group. People were taking all kinds of photos during the event, which they shared afterwards in social media posts to keep the momentum going.

Order the book here.

 

No Limit Over 50: What to Do When You’ve Been Let Go, Replaced, Displaced, or Just Want Something Different from Life by Bob Poole and Steve Dotto

Bob Poole and Steve Dotto co-wrote the book for people over 50 who are changing jobs or careers. Quoting from the back cover of the book: “Changing jobs or careers over 50 sounds daunting when you drill down and start lining up all the elements that need to be in place to be successful, but it isn’t – if you have a plan and stick to it. This book gives you that plan.”

Steve and Bob primarily used email to alert their followers about the book launch. Both are well known in their fields. Steve describes himself as “Canada’s most respected geek,” and his mission is to help people over 50 to master technology. Bob has over 50 years of sales and marketing experience and has authored four other books.

As they got closer to the event, they posted on Facebook and LinkedIn. Afterwards, they encouraged those involved with the book to promote it via social media posts. Steve and Bob had asked me as a LinkedIn trainer for folks 55 and up to contribute a section on LinkedIn to the book. That made me even more invested in promoting this excellent book.

Instead of using Zoom for a virtual book launch, they used Facebook Live. Those who joined them in real-time could post comments and ask questions. I think this format worked well for the two of them as they essentially interviewed each other.

Order this book here.

 

About Joyce

Joyce Feustel helps people, especially those ages 55 and older, to become more comfortable using social media, particularly Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

She works with business owners, business development professionals, leaders of nonprofit organizations, job seekers, consultants, and many others. Find her at www.boomerssocialmediatutor.com.