Launching my Book

 Book Launch

Planning Stresses

Publishing my own book is a very new experience for me. While it’s obviously not the way to make money I like writing and I just felt I should take the process to its end result. I’ve ordered 100 books and if I can sell some of them it will help to cover some of the expenses of editing and printing. 

I had a few problems and on the night I was a bit stressed, though I kept telling myself that it’s no big deal. I had made the mistake of booking a room in a library and then getting flyers printed but then I found that the library was not available on the night I wanted, and really only for 2 hours on any other night!  However, in the end, we found another venue in a nearby Uniting Church hall, which turned out to be perfect for our needs, plus the folk there were so helpful.

I’d also been worrying about the turnout. It was a free event with no bookings and as no one had booked we had no idea of the numbers and if it was a rainy night that would put some folk off driving out for an evening appointment. Plus it was very close to Christmas and many who had said they would come then found they had to attend Christmas event that evening.

The Evening

But it all turned out so well. About forty turned up and it was so good to see so many of our friends, family and associates meeting each other and enjoying the get-together

Before and after the program there was a slide show about the house and garden renovation. There is a lot in the book about the renovation of this old family house and garden but in fact the book includes a lot more. It tells about the friends we made on the island, and about the joys and the difficulties of travelling to and living on an island in the Aegean.

Program

Maria Millers, the teacher at my writing class, and former publisher, was Master of Ceremonies. After welcoming everyone she engaged Takis and I in conversation about the renovation of the house asking us questions like, “Why does the book have that title?”

Then Malcolm Faul who is the president of the Melbourne branch of the Mediterranean Garden society talked a little about the society and asked me some questions about our garden in Lemnos. The MGS is a worldwide society that promotes water-wise gardening.

Visiting a MGS garden with the group

www.mediterraneangardensociety.org

And finally Maria closed and launched the book.

Eating and Signing

Takis and I had done the catering - mostly finger food – and as we were not sure of numbers we guessed that we would get 40 max, and we made 40 of everything. Lucky guesswork, as that is about the number that arrived!

The book was on sale for $24 and while everyone was tucking in to savouries and cakes, tea and coffee, Takis and I signed books. We both did this as though I had written the book the project definitely was a joint effort in so many ways.

The Future?

I’ll place the book in a couple of local bookshops, and after Christmas I hope to post the book on iTunes as I believe you can embed a photo slide show with the book and that might interest some folk. Also, here in the Melbourne area, I’ll be doing one or two book talks at libraries.

Its all been an interesting exercise, the writing and the publishing. Having just gone through this last aspect I have been made very aware that writers do not just sit at their desks composing (a process I find very enjoyable) but they also need to be salespeople, as they are composing something that will then go on sale (a process that I don’t really appreciate). However, if this launch is anything to go by, even this part of a writer’s work can turn out to be very enjoyable!