You’re publishing your own book, now you need to organise your own launch event! Here’s a handy checklist…

Draw up numbers

Your event will mark the moment that your book will be launched to the world, but you’re footing the bill, so be clear about why you’re doing it and how to maximise the event’s impact. To help you budget, make a quick list of who you’d like to invite, and who’s likely to come. Better to invite too many than too few – no one wants to read their book to three people!

As a publisher once advised me: ‘Invite people who will make you look clever and cool.’ As well as family and friends, you want a crowd that will create a buzz that people feel flattered to be a part of. In my case, that means editors of litmags, arts journalists, publishing people, book bloggers, fiction types prominent in my social networks. Invite your co-workers, your boss, your favourite authors, your old neighbour, any famous people you vaguely know. Be shameless!

Find a venue

To host, say, 50-60 people, you don’t need a massive space, but it does need to be big enough for people to gather comfortably, hear you speak, and absorb any latecomers.

Depending on where you live, you will need to choose between local and central. With the former, you can push the ‘local author’ angle, especially if your book has a local angle. But if like me you live in the suburbs of a city and are inviting people from other areas of the country, it makes sense to choose a more central venue that makes it easy for the widest number of people to get to.

Choose somewhere affordable and memorable (quirky is good) without breaking the bank. Many bars and cafes will host a reading for a small or no fee, in exchange for a certain amount spent on food and drink. They will often offer better rates earlier in the week when they’re quieter. Other common choices include bookstores, libraries, galleries, or somewhere that links to your book.

Sort invitations, stock and merchandise

Design your invite around the book cover and send it out personally to the people you really want to come. Create a Facebook Event. Ask people to share with relevant contacts. Make sure you have enough books for the night – you can use the stock later, and you absolutely don’t want to run out of books. You might also want to organise some merch that you can give away with sales on the night, such as bookmarks, tote bags, and mugs.

Promote the event 

Share the invite in all the usual places – your social media, blog, website – and ask all your invitees and social contacts to help spread the word too. Start promoting a good time before the event – say two months – and then just keep drip-feeding reminders, with a greater cadence of messages in the last couple of weeks.

Think sales 

Have a trusted friend handle sales on the night (unless it’s a bookshop doing this), so you’re free to mingle. Offer cash and electronic payments if you can. Have a cash float ready for making change.

Prepare a few words 

The classic book launch format is a gathering of two to three hours interspersed with a few words from the author. Get someone to introduce you – a good speaker who can build some excitement, ideally someone with a connection to your work. Typically, you might say a few words about the genesis of the book, say your thank yous, and do a short reading. Choose a section that’s upbeat, dramatic or humorous – this is a party after all!

Working the room 

In all the excitement, keep your professional head on and rub shoulders with people who can help promote our book or your career. Make a point of introducing yourself to unfamiliar faces and gather contacts that you can follow up on afterward.

BIO: Dan Brotzel (@brotzel_fiction) is author of a collection of short stories, Hotel du Jack, and co-author of a new comic novel about an eccentric writers’ group, Kitten on a Fatberg (Unbound). For 10% off your order, quote KITTEN10