Book Launches: The Creators’ Perspective
In our previous post, we discussed book launches from the perspective of an audience member.
We thought it would also be fun and informative to learn what authors and illustrators have to say about book launches. David LaRochelle and Mike Wohnoutka, the award-winning author-illustrator team who created the fabulous See the Ghost: Three Stories About Things You Cannot See featured in that post, not only agreed to be interviewed but were incredibly generous with their time. Their thoughts and insights are below.
David LaRochelle: Book launches are a great way to celebrate what we've been working on for years. So much of what we do as authors and illustrators we do in isolation. Even after a book is published, we don't get to meet most of the people who will be reading our books. But at a launch party we can mark our accomplishment in the company of friends, much like a graduation party. Even introverts like Mike and me enjoy this chance to be around so many supportive people.
It's also a great way to meet and visit with readers of our books. We heard some very nice stories yesterday about how our books have helped young readers learn to read, and how our books are constantly being checked out of libraries. It's affirming to hear an audience laugh when we read our books out loud. It's a reassurance that our books are connecting with kids (and adults). These positive reactions are helpful to have in our memories when we are alone in our studios again, perhaps feeling discouraged as we struggle with a sentence or a sketch.
A book launch can also be a great source of publicity. Not only the event itself, but all the ripple effects of people posting photos of the event afterwards on Facebook or Twitter, or sharing the experience with their students at school. It also establishes a good relationship with the bookstore. The store will be promoting our books for weeks before the event, and a successful launch will provide the store with good sales. If we leave the staff with a positive impression of us, they might be more likely to hand sell our books to their customers. It can be a win-win session for everyone. The photos we take of the event and share with our editor and publicist show that we are actively promoting our books, and that can be a big plus when they are deciding if they want to publish more of our work.
Mike Wohnoutka: I think David pretty much covered it here. :)
David LaRochelle: See the Ghost: Three Stories About Things You Cannot See is a funny book for early readers, and the third in a series about Max the dog and Baby Cakes the cat. In the story, Max and Baby Cakes encounter a ghost, the wind, and a tiny fairy with hopefully humorous results. It is the sixth book that Mike and I have worked on together. In my 35 years of writing, I've never had the close relationship with the illustrator of one of my stories as the one I have with Mike. We were friends before our first book together, and we've become even closer working as collaborators.
One of the joys of creating a book with a friend is that I have someone else to share the accompanying joys and frustrations. The thrill of winning the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award was more exciting because I won the award with Mike. Likewise, when one of us is struggling with insecurity about our work or we face a bad review, it helps to have a friend to commiserate with.
(Note from Wordplay Wisdom): The Theodor Seuss Geisel Award is awarded each year by the American Library Association to "author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished American book for beginning readers published in English in the United States during the preceding year.") In other words, it's a HUGE honor!
It's also true that two heads are better than one. Mike gives me suggestions for my story that undoubtedly makes it stronger, and hopefully my rough sketches help Mike as he creates the characters. We always say that it doesn't matter who comes up with the idea; the important thing is do to whatever is best for the book. And sometimes that requires us letting go of our individual egos.
Collaboration is great, but other than Mike, I can't think of anyone else that I would feel comfortable working so closely with. Finding someone else you trust, respect, and enjoy working with on creative projects isn't easy, at least not for me.
Mike Wohnoutka: David’s creativity never ceases to amaze me. When he told me had an idea for a book in the series, I thought it would be something like: “See the Mouse” or “See the Duck.”
I was blown away by David’s idea of a story about things you can not see. So clever.
David and I have become more and more collaborative with each book. He will show me the story and ask for my feedback before sending his dummy to the publisher.
With SEE THE GHOST, I have to admit, I thought David’s idea might have been a little too creative. I thought there was no way in the world Candlewick would ever publish a book like this. For example, the cover idea of David’s original dummy had nothing on it except a patch of grass. So, before we submitted the story to the publisher, I suggested adding Max and Baby Cakes to the cover and adding the picnic scene to the “Wind” story. David and I always say our number one goal is to create the best book possible, and oftentimes this means letting go of our egos and listening to each other's suggestions.
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David LaRochelle: Book launches vary greatly. They can be as simple as an author reading a passage from their book and then answering questions. Or they can be considerably more elaborate, with fancy refreshments, activities for the children, music, PowerPoint presentations, costumes...the possibilities are wide-ranging. It's a wonderful opportunity to learn the story behind the book, and get a sense of the author as a person. A well-planned launch is fun and informative for the audience...and is free!
If you are an author yourself, book launches are a great way to hear about the writing process of someone else. As I mentioned, book creators often work in isolation; a book launch gives us the chance to ask questions of someone else in the business. By watching and listening to other authors and illustrators at a launch, I always learn something that can help me with my own presentations. Chances are there will be authors in the audience, and that's an excellent way to make connections with other people in the field.
Mike Wohnoutka: I agree and I second everything David said.
David and Mike, thanks again for hosting a terrific book launch and for sharing some of your thoughts about book launches!
Be sure to check out See the Ghost: Three Stories About Things You Cannot See and the earlier books in the series, the 2021 Theodor Seuss Geisel Award-winning See the Cat: Three Stories About a Dog and See the Dog: Three Stories About a Cat. These books are beautiful, funny early readers that are engaging for children and enjoyable for adults.
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