The Book
Mile markers exist in the book publishing business. Marketing manuals contain these lists so authors won’t miss them. You’ll also see them in the wild. I’ve sold my book! My cover reveal! The books have arrived–watch me open the box! There’s a reason for these milestones. They make chronological and narrative sense. I enjoy when others share their moments. The problem is, I don’t feel the emotion they require to be authentic. So when the box of my books arrived and my son set it on the table, I looked at it. Should I film my scissoring open the flaps? Go with the flow? Or, at my own peril, ignore what the professionals have told me I should do?
Not long after, I returned to the room. The flaps were open. A house full of people, and someone opened the box. I got so tickled. The gracious Universe had decided it for me. Taken the burden and made it its own. But what was I to do to let folks know the books actually existed?
A couple of days later, my husband and I went to the Orange Couch coffee house. The Orange Couch is hosting the book launch on April 2. The coffee house is in the Bywater neighborhood of New Orleans where the story is set. It’s a lovely place. It does, in fact, have an orange couch. I sat on that couch, and my husband took the first photo of my actual physical book. Orange is my favorite color, y’all. I’m a redhead, and redheads aren’t supposed to wear orange. But I think it suits. The photo is great, and I’m the type who usually winces at pictures of myself. I’m gonna use it right before the launch to beg people to come. 🙂
In the meantime, here’s the book in all its physical reality sitting sassy on an orange couch.
how to do a book launch for your novel, New Orleans coffee houses, The Orange Couch, When We Were Murderous Time-Traveling Women
Jerrie Stewart
So happy for you!
Ellen Morris Prewitt
Thank you, Jerrie. I much appreciate it.
Kathryn Johnson
Congratulations on the new book.
Ellen Morris Prewitt
Thank you so much! It’s good to hear from you–I hope you’re doing well.
Joe Hawes
what a glorious moment! Good on ya as the Aussies say
Ellen Morris Prewitt
Thank you, Joe. You’ve been there for so much of this journey!
Luanne
Congratulations, Ellen!!! It looks beautiful. I hope you have all the blessings with your book. And that I get my copy soon. Remind me where I would have pre-ordered it from so I can make sure I actually did it. I don’t fully trust myself.
Hah, I had this dilemma last night. i got in from a grueling trip, looked afright, and there was the box of books waiting to be opened. So I took a photo of the opened box with one of my cats. Besides, when I tried to video my hand opening the box I couldn’t even get it open.
Ellen Morris Prewitt
Thank you! You are one step ahead of me on this journey. So funny we had the same “box opening” dilemma. I love the cat solution. I’ve been so impressed with how you’ve handled all the pre-publicity on the book. You probably pre-ordered mine from bookshop.org. Or perhaps Octavia Books, who is handling the launch. Or—ha, ha, one more option—the publisher’s website here https://www.literarywanderlust.com/product-page/when-we-were-murderous-time-traveling-women LMK if none of that rings a bell…
Donna Weidner
Yay! Lookin’ gooood! Congratulations Ellen❤️
Sharon Pavelda
Kudos to Tom for the perfect photo and hallelujah and hooray for the book and for you, Ellen! I’m fantasizing what I would wear to the launch… something much more dramatic than a chicken hat this time. Wish I could be there but sending so much congratulatory love! ❤️
Ellen Morris Prewitt
Wish you could be here too. I know you have the perfect outfit for a New Orleans fantasy with 3 ancestral grannies and one Mississippi fugitive from justice, plus a resurrected Saint and one formerly-dead quite handsome prince.I just know it.
Joanne Corey
Love the photo and am looking forward to seeing the one with you in it!
Unlike most writers, my own order for books went in when it was released, so I was spared the whole open-the-box pre-publication photo decision. Of course, I also am not great on publicity, which, at least mostly, explains my lack of sales, a problem I’m sure you won’t have.
Waiting for my copy of your book to arrive in early April!
Ellen Morris Prewitt
“Spared” is a good way to put it. Some of this I’m extraordinarily excited about. Other parts, not so much. I want to pay attention to which is which and try to do what feels authentic to me. TY for getting the book! I look forward to hearing what you think….