Tag: Party

The Ultimate Book Launch Party

There is no doubt that the day when you finally hold your book on your hands is one of the happiest days for a writer. After so many months -if not years- of writing, revising, editing, submitting and finally publishing you can see and touch your baby. This occasion calls for a big celebration and what better way to send this book off unto the hands of your readers than with a Book Launch Party.

One of the main considerations for this party is that you probably thought of it way back when you were planning to write the book. The book marketing plan must be prepared before the book itself in order to ensure success. Considering the topic and audience of the book determines the theme of the party along with all the activities. The best days to do a Book Launch Party are either Friday or Saturday, in order to get the most attendance. The time of day has a lot to do with the theme; it could easily be a picnic at the beach as a wine and cheese or masquerade during the evening.

Here are the key ingredients on The Ultimate Book Launch Party:

  • Theme: Select a theme directly related to your book. Fiction books are excellent in this regard.
  • Invitations: Create one-of-a-kind invitation for the launch. You can get an inexpensive software program and design and print your own invitations. Request to RSVP.
  • News & Media: Remember to prepare a news release to mark the event and forward it to your local newspaper at least four to six weeks in advance. Do not forget to send a personal invitation to your local news person.
  • Party Register: Have everyone register on your party register and include their e-mail and mailing address. Tell them they will be the first to know about your next book sale, book release, contests and giveaways.
  • Game or Contest: Create a game or contest around your book.
  • Food & Drinks: Have something simple to offer your guests on elegant serving plates.
  • Reading: Read portions of your books or better yet, have some of your guests read a short portion of it. If anyone assisting has read your book ask them to tell the others about it. Nothing sells more than a satisfied reader.
  • Pictures: Take plenty of pictures with your guests while the party is going on. You might want to give the camera to one of them to take pictures as you visit with everyone there. The pictures will be great for promotional materials, websites and blogs.

Note: You might want to have a release form ready for all the attendants to sign in reference to authorization to post their pictures online or any printed materials without compensation.

  • Sell: Offer special discounts to your guests who buy 2 or more signed copies of your book. Have bookmarks, flyers and mail order forms for everyone and the ones who do not buy, they can take it home and order later. For those who don not buy on the spot you might want to offer them the same special discount if they order in the next 48 hours.
  • Follow Up: Send the guests a thank you note for coming and include 2-3 business cards with a small discount offer for your book on the back for them to give to family or friends. Make sure your discount has an expiration date in order to keep the book sales going on a regular basis.

That is it. Easy, fun and profitable! Let your imagination roll and create The Ultimate Book Launch Party for you and your friends.

Party Planning Business – How to Start?

If you are asking yourself what is in it for me there are many things to consider about starting a party planning business. Are you the one people always come to when they want a party planned? Do you always have ideas about parties, and think about how much better a party that you attend could be if you had planned it? If you have had any of these things happen to you, maybe a career in party planning could be right up your alley.

The first place you should start in the party planning business is finding the niche that is right for you. If you are always being called upon to supply food, then maybe you should look into a catering business of some kind. Start with things that you are good at, like making appetizers, or main dishes. While this field can be quite demanding, it pays really well, and there are many people and businesses that can use a good caterer.

While you don’t really have to have any real formal training for the party planning business, you should at least have a high school diploma, and it is a good idea to take some courses. There are many duties that a party planner has to cover. You have to be able to talk well on the phone, deal patiently with customers, even if they are rude and obnoxious to you. You have to be able to book space for the party, get caterers, and an assortment of other things. You have to be able to be really detailed, and look ahead to unforeseen circumstances, like if the caterer backs out at the last minute, or the entertainment you booked doesn’t show up.

You don’t have to actually start a party planning business yourself, there are many different venues to choose from. You could work for a hotel or restaurant, or some other company. You can also start small, planning parties for friends and family, to see if this is really the right choice for you. This also gets you some real hands on experience, and is something you can add to your resume when seeking bigger planning jobs.

So if you feel that a career in the party planning business is right for you, then there are many resources to help you. You can go to websites like Party 411; they have an abundance of tips and information that are free. If you look up EzineArticles, they have an abundance of topics about all aspects of party planning, from tips on foods to serve, to step-by-step instructions on what you need to do to start your own business. If you do decide this is a right step for you, and you are really considering starting your own business, then you should go to your local city building and get a business license.

One of the reasons for doing this is that with a party planning business license, you can get a wholesale tax identification number. This way any supplies that you need to buy are at wholesale prices, and there are no taxes on what you buy. A business license also protects you, and businesses who need party planners hire more people with a license than those who don’t.

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