From a First-Time Middle-Grade Author Who’s Still Figuring It Out
Launching my debut author illustrated middle grade book Girls to the Front: 40 Asian American Women Who Blazed a Trail (Out Now! ) has been a whirlwind of excitement, nerves (so many nerves!), relief, gratitude, and pure joy. Honestly, I’ve felt the whole spectrum of emotions, and it’s only March…
Before planning this launch with my amazing publicist Jenny, I tried researching what makes a book launch successful—but came up empty. Why? My guess: there are no hard rules.
Just do what feels right and have fun! (Re-read that again, out loud)
That said, I want to share my experience—especially for anyone gearing up for their own book launch. Here’s a play-by-play of how my whole community and I stepped up to be the in the front for this event, from planning to celebration!
📌 Note: I am not the most organized person. I try, but—hey look, a squirrel! 🐿️ I get easily distracted. There’s probably better ways to have done all of this, so take it all with a grain of salt!
1. Plan to plan
Get your phone or your notebook out or both and start planning your ideal book launch.
Know Your Space, Ask for HELP (lots of it)
The first step was locking down the location and event logistics. Knowing the space and what was possible was key. I was fortunate enough to have an amazing publicist who helped me secure the space.
If you have a publicist—USE THEM. Seriously. This year, I made it a point to ask for all the help I could get. Game changer.
📋 List, Lists, & More Lists
- I started with:
✅ A list of what I needed for the launch.
✅ A list of things to do (broken down by months/weeks).
✅ A list of people I wanted to invite. - My publicist also suggested a moderated panel discussion, so I made a list of potential speakers.
💡 Planning is fun in theory, but looking at everything at once? Overwhelming. Breaking it into small, manageable tasks helped a lot.
2. Two months till book launch…
By December my publicist locked in the where and when, I needed to plan out the rest.
Who’s Coming to Launch?
- Barnes & Noble suggested a guest count of 30-40 people, my brain read that as 100 (lol).
- After two weeks of thoughtfully thinking about who I wanted to celebrate with, I had 180 names of close family, friends, and beloved colleagues on my invite list.
- To track RSVPs, I created an Eventbrite page (optional, but super helpful).
📅 Timing the Invites
- I prepped the evites in November but sent them after New Year’s to avoid the invite getting lost in the holiday madness.
🎤 Finding the Right Moderator
- I reached out to dear friends and colleagues and was grateful to have Jennifer Baker—an amazing speaker, author (Forgive Me Not), and host of Minorities in Publishing join me in this celebration!
(My Eventbrite banner…Canva is GOAT)
3. One Month till book launch…
By the end of December I had made a list of what I wanted to give out for the launch.
🎁 Giveaways & Goodie Bags
- I wanted giveaways that reflected the book’s celebration of Asian American trailblazers.
- I researched small AAPI-owned businesses for goodie bag items.
- I found an amazing baker who made shortbread cookies with the book cover! I also invited her to the event!
📦 Order Timing Matters
I planned for 100 goodie bags but timed orders carefully so my tiny house wouldn’t be overrun with deliveries. But also timed it so they were delivered on time.
📬 RSVP Count: 100 Guests
- By the end of the month, 100 people had RSVP’d!
- Barnes & Noble confirmed our event breakdown—(Pro tip: If your venue doesn’t send this, ASK for it!).
- My house? FULL of delivery boxes. (Cue mild panic.)
📦 How to Transport Everything
- My partner helped pack 100 goodie bags into 7 large storage containers.
- He and other family members split the boxes between them and drove the bulk to NYC the morning of the launch (bless them!)
4. The week of the book launch…
Final Countdown = Pure Joyful Chaos
This week was non-stop:
✨ A whirlwind mini book tour—2 cities, multiple school visits in 2 days.
✨ I attended a conference before the launch.
✨ Packing up last-minute supplies in between.
My publicist helped me secure car service so I can lug boxes to the venue so my husband wasn’t carrying everything alone that weekend. (Again, ASK FOR HELP!)
The Big DAY!
Breathe…1, 2, 3…
Here we go!
- I arrived an hour early to set up.
- Goodie bags were placed all around the room so they were easy to grab.
- Expected crowd? 60 people.
- Actual turnout? Over 100 guests! 😱
🎤 The Event Itself
The people? Amazing friends, family, and avid readers who came to celebrate.
The energy? Incredible.
The conversations? Thoughtful & inspiring, thanks to Jenn.
At the end of the day, a book launch is about celebrating the story you’ve brought into the world and the people who helped make it happen. If you’re launching a book soon—congrats! I hope this inspires or has helped you plan for your own upcoming event.
Again, it’s all about what feels right and having fun! I wish you the best of launches!!
Key Takeaways & Quick Tips
✅ Lean on your community for help. If you have a publicist let them publicize…
✅ Be mindful of event timing—holidays can impact RSVPs.
✅ General rule of thumb, if you invite 20 people expect 60% to show up.
✅ Break down tasks into small, manageable pieces to avoid overwhelm.
✅ Plan goodie bags/giveaways early—support small businesses when possible!
✅ ASK FOR HELP (seriously, don’t do it alone).
In between all this, I did 2 book dummys, drove my kid to her activities, and planned a NYE party for 20+ people…HOW!? Idk…I slept for a whole week after!