WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO LAUNCH A BOOK
The Crafty Cat book launch is set for October 29th—17 days from today. The manuscript for both the paperback and the eBook versions are still with my editor getting formatted. Only a tenth of the promotional information has been sent out. I have yet to write my launch edition newsletter…
The launch itself is a bit of a tempest in a teapot since there is no actual event, either in-person or online. I have yet to decide how to celebrate. A video reading? Cake?
What people think a launch looks like.
Photo by Efren Barahona on Unsplash
What I’ll really be doing on launch day.
Photo by Anthony Tran on Unsplash
So what does it feel like to finally see my book in print and for sale? To watch people preorder and buy copies? To get feedback and reviews?
Wonderful as those things are, it’s not my favorite part of writing a book. I love the writing; the story as it reveals itself to me; the little lines I find humorous or tragic and wonder how my brain ever came up with them. By the time the book is done, and I mean done-done and out in the world, I’ve moved on to another story.
Adventure Cat launch at Gifty Kitty
I do miss the days before COVID when there would be an in-person launch party at a bookstore or other venue. Those were fun. But I’m older now and social engagements are more stressful than enjoyable, for me as well as attendees. The last time I tried to do a launch was for Adventure Cat at the cat-themed store Gifty Kitty. I had 5 people in attendance: my cousin, my sister-in-law, my husband, and the two store owners. 2021 was not a great year.
Tinkerbelle and me at Another Read Through
The best book event I had was one of my first, at Another Read Through, a wonderful bookstore that, alas, moved online during COVID. I read from the first two books in the series, Cats’ Eyes and Copy Cats. I brought my registered therapy cat Tinkerbelle, and I think most people came for her.
The (almost) baren wasteland that was November 2016
The least attended, aside from the 2021 fiasco, was for Cat’s Paw, a few days after the 2016 election. No cozy cat mystery could cut through the gloom, shock, and disbelief my fans were feeling at that time.
For the launch of Cat Call, I was able to supply cupcakes with cat pictures on them! The next year Fred Meyers discontinued that line, replacing it with simpler designs and no cats. The movement to make products more cost effective for businesses while raising the price to the consumer has been sneaking up on is for more than a decade and shows no sign of stopping. Corporate greed isn’t anything new.
Lockdown Launch with Tyler
In 2020, I did an online launch of Cat Conundrum on Facebook Live. I didn’t know what I was doing, and for the first half hour, I couldn’t get the comments feature to work, which left me alone to talk at my viewers without any interaction. Finally my friend and editor got it working, but it’s not something I plan to try again.
So this year on October 29th, I will be celebrating National Cat Day, eating cake (I’ve decided while writing this, that cake is a must), and contemplating the next book in the series. It’s already got a name and a starting point. Watch for Cat City, coming in 2025.
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Crafty Cat, the 11th Crazy Cat Lady cozy mystery.
Lynley shifts from quilting to sleuthing when the elder of the guild is murdered and a beloved cat is stolen. Located in Portland.
Preorder the eBook now and get it in your inbox on National Cat Day, October 29th, 2024.
Paperback also available.
Crafty Cat Giveaway
One lucky person will win a signed paperback copy of Crafty Cat plus a special cat-themed gift, my favorite set of cat-print coin purses. These sturdy zippered coin-purses are made of canvas. 4 adorable cartoon cat patterns. Size: 5 x 3.5 inches. Perfect for little belongings, coins cash credit card USB charger cable headset keys lipstick.
To enter the giveaway, email me at molliehuntcatwriter@gmail.com with “Giveaway” in the comment line.
U.S. addresses only. No P.O. boxes. Drawing for the giveaway will be November 1.
