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
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