The feeling is called dread.
Guess What?
You know, first there’s a post, “I’m so excited, I just received my book through the mail!” And there she is, Wilma Writer. With a smile that’s bigger than her face, next to her shiny new book. She didn’t take this many pictures of her firstborn.
Pretty soon you are dodging your inbox. Trying to sneak on and off Facebook without being noticed. It gets hard when your friends are posting things you’re dying to respond to. But you have to have resolve. You must be strong.
And then you let your guard down.You responded and were noticed. Busted.
Wilma, whose book is about to be launched, instant messages you.“I would LOVE it if you would join my launch team.”
Don’t do it!
I’m here to tell you three reasons you should NOT join a launch team.
I have researched this for a full ten minutes, okay maybe six. And I have a partial handle on it.
After all, who better to share this than a published author who dreams of being on the New York Times Best Seller List?
So here goes.
Why you should NOT join a launch team:
1) If you join a launch team others may then think you are available to join their teams. And you’ll be asked every week and pretty soon it’s all you’ll ever be doing and you’ll feel like all you are good for is tweeting, and sharing on Facebook and googling, and on and on and on.
2) You might hate the book and you’re definitely not secure enough to give anything less than five stars. After all, didn’t you just get six stars out of a possible five for your book about hiccups that you were sure would be a big hit? Giving an honest review might mean the end of a friendship, and your friend list is not the kind to write home about anyway.
3) You just might enjoy it. Even though your list of things you enjoy has shrunk down to ‘eating chocolate’ and ‘watching TV’ and eating chocolate is mentioned twice. The truth is, you cannot remember the last time you enjoyed something new.
They say it takes a village to raise a child. I’m not sure if that’s true. My husband and I raised our children, but I do know it takes a team to launch a book.
Why, you may ask?
5 reasons you might want to join a launch team:
1) It’s a numbers game. In order for many book-buyers to see a new book, it has to be high on the magic list.The higher it goes, the more people see it. You can help someone’s book move up the list.
2) A writer can only tell their friends and family about their books for so long before they start dodging you. And you see that glazed look in their eyes when you begin talking about it. Believe me, I have seen that look and it is not pretty.
3) Some day your turn will come to launch a book. Of course by then all the people you helped launch will no longer return your emails and phone calls because they are bigger than you are, but there is Karma and if you help others, well, it might boomerang back to you.
4) Being on a launch team will give you experience. So when it is your turn you’ll know what to do, and more importantly, what NOT to do. Like expecting people to set their alarms and wake up at 3:00 am to tweet about your book. Enough said.
5) You may actually have fun. I don’t mean going to Hawaii kind of fun. But it may be fun being part of something bigger than you are. In sharing the excitement when someone’s book gets to the top of the Amazon list. You’ll get to cheer knowing you were part of that.
Let’s face it, launch teams are part of our future for those of us brave enough to self-publish. And we have the opportunity to give someone a hand. Everyone needs clappers.
Note: if you would like to experience a launch team I just happen to have two you can choose from. Don’t worry, I won’t track you down. Much. If you are interested email me at anne@annepeterson.com and I’ll add you. 🙂
Interesting – and amusing! Thanks, Anne. I’ll highlight this on the Christian Poets & Writers blog – http://christianpoetsandwriters.blogspot.com.
Mary,
Thanks so much for reading and for your comment. I appreciate you highlighting it on your blog. Thank you so much.
LOL – Brilliant, Anne! Great hook title and 180 plug for jumping onto the team. Yes–I’m building my experience, but will only jump onto projects I can be joyful and honest about. Thanks for paving the way for a newbie like me. My book should be in hand in December–and I’m stumbling through this process watching you, milady. Will be working on my reviews within the next couple of weeks. On personal deadlines at present.
Joy!
Kathy
Kathy,
Thanks for reading. I thought I would have a little fun with the post and who knows, maybe snag a couple more people. I got to 100 on my launch team for Emma’s Wish. Actually 117. I really think this is the only part that doesn’t come easily. But there are so many steps to launching a book and that’s okay, it just takes a little longer than you might think. Thanks for being a part of the team!
I have no idea what to do on a launch team, but I would like to learn.
I would love to show you if you’d like to join ours, Claire.
Lol, what an honest and entertaining post!
Debby,
Thanks for reading. I enjoyed writing it. Writing is so much easier than launching a book.
No truer words ever spoken! Writing is my joy, then comes publishing and promoting, lol. 🙂
A fun post, Anne!
3 against…5 for…= 2 Yes!
I am with the Yes!!!!! 🙂
My purpose in writing this was to inform and to have a little fun. Glad you saw I was trying to have fun. I need fun, don’t you, Katina? Thanks for reading and thanks for being on my team, in more ways that one.
You are welcome, Anne! You always inform and share…from the first time I met you. I love that about you. But I love you. Period. Life is life. Having a little fun makes easier to live it.
Patience and trust, Anne mou!
Love you too, Katina. I can’t help it.
<3