Oh the weather outside is frightful
But Page 158 is so delightful
And since we’ve no place to be
Let us read! Let us read! Let us read!
On June 20th, despite a torrential downpour, more than forty friends and family members came to help me celebrate SOMETHING BETTER’s release day at Page 158 Books in Wake Forest.
It was a wonderful night, by all accounts. I was there, but I sort of blacked out once I sat down with the owner for my author talk. The last words I really remember her saying are: “And we’re going to talk for about thirty minutes…”
But I do know that once it was over, I was left buzzing with adrenaline, feeling like the belle of the ball. I’m so grateful to everyone who came and took pictures and shared them with me so I could piece together the fragments into a memory.
Here are a few things I learned:
1) If rain is in the forecast, deliver all party supplies early enough so you have time to go home and change.
2) If you don’t do this, have an emotional support team (spouse, child, bestie) who will volunteer to lug everything in and park your car while you swan about signing things. Thank you, Cass, Patrick, John – you were stars all week!
3) When you thank your family – do not forget to include your husband and children. Whoops.
4) If you plan to read aloud, check the lighting. Also, don’t be vain. Just bring your glasses, Joanna.
5) If possible, make your first event a friends and family affair. They are generous with their laughter, applause, and compliments. You will feel like a rock star.
6) Signing books while simultaneously holding a conversation is HARD. PRACTICE ahead of time. I truly apologize if I signed your book with an incoherent fragment of whatever conversation I was having at the moment.
7) When signing the bookstore wall, use your full name. Otherwise, you will have to go back a few days later and sheepishly ask to fix your signature.
In spite of (or possibly because of) any little snafus and my stop-motion memories, this launch party was everything I ever dreamed it would be. I am proud to now call myself a PUBLISHED AUTHOR and the owner of a Bookish Bucket List with the first two items crossed off:
My Bookish Bucket List, January 4, 2022
The final lesson I learned: Dreams do come true.