Monday, April 23, 2012

Publication Parties


You’ve published a book – and now it’s time to celebrate! Publication parties are one of the funnest book-related events you can host, and they can serve as a great platform toward building a broader audience for the book. You’ll need good organizational skills and some money to throw a party (don’t expect to break even on it), but you get a fair amount of press, and that in turn will help drive future book sales. A publication party can launch your book promotional campaign.

Plus you've worked really, really hard on a book. You deserve to celebrate. 

This coming Thursday, April 26 is the publication party for my third book, The Potomac River. Congressional Cemetery is hosting the party – this historic 1807 cemetery is quirky and immensely fun to visit. The party is a fundraiser for the cemetery, and the cost is a very reasonable $30 per person. That includes a signed copy of the book, cocktails, food, and special tours of the cemetery. Rachel Sergi and Frank Jones from the DC Craft Bartenders Guild are making amazing cocktails, and Philadelphia Distilling is supplying Bluecoat American Dry Gin. People can register and pay at www.congresionalcemetery.org


Congressional Cemetery, founded in 1807


I’ve hosted a publication party for all three of my books; as I write nonfiction, I find that teaming with a local historic site is win-win for the book and the site itself. The site gets many visitors, increased public awareness and raises always needed funds; my book gets press and sales. We both benefit.

My second book, Prohibition in Washington, D.C., came out in spring 2011. As I lead the “Temperance Tour” of Prohibition-related sites in Washington, it seemed natural to host the publication party at the Woodrow Wilson House – the president when Prohibition began. The house has a very rare Prohibition-era wine cellar, and the book has a chapter called "Woodrow Wilson's Wine." We held an amazingly fun party at the house on May 19, 2011. More than 100 people showed up – and we sold out of books. I signed books until my hand ached! 


Garrett Peck toasting "To Temperance!" at the Woodrow Wilson House


My first book, The Prohibition Hangover, was published in August 2009. We held the publication party at the marvelous Mansion on O Street, in Washington, DC’s Dupont Circle neighborhood on September 7, 2009. The mansion has been an occasional happy hour locale after the Temperance Tour.

The Mansion on O Street is five townhouses that FBI director J. Edgar Hoover had linked together as apartments for his G-men. H. and Ted started buying them in 1980 and converted them into a private club and hotel. There are several dozen secret passageways, many disguised as bookshelves and spice racks, that help you navigate between the different rooms. Each room is filled with art, everything is for sale, and many rooms are quite novel – such as the Log Cabin Room, which is exactly as it sounds.

About forty people showed up – mostly friends, though a few people who read about it in the Washington Post. I gave a ten-minute talk and awarded books to a few people who had helped me enormously, such as Larry Slagle.

The event had an open bar, and they made up a cocktail to serve that included my name: the Pick a Peck of Pickled Peppers Martini (Absolut Peppar, Cointreau, and a splash of cranberry for color). I kept the sign as a souvenir. My friend Russ Jay came up with a nickname for the book, which he referred to as my new child. He called it “Tipsy.” 

The possibilities are endless for a publication party. Rather than throwing the party yourself, you can team with a museum or organization for a winning combination: a big crowd, lots of press, and lots of books sold.

Party on!

Garrett Peck

No comments:

Post a Comment