The Book Launch!

The expectation vs. the reality~

My expectation of the book launch was that I was going to spend the daytime doing home beauty treatments: facials, hair masques, exfoliation, nail polish, ringlets, etc, getting glammed up at my leisure. The reality was I spent the entire time up until half an hour before the launch trying to figure out how to upload the book to Createspace and Kindle Direct. After that, I ran around like a headless chicken with my hair falling out, throwing on blusher and ear rings with two minutes to spare.

My expectation was that I was going to practice my speech at my leisure up to three times before the presentation.

The reality was I practiced it once in my bedroom moments before leaving for the venue at a run.

My expectation was that most of the hundred and fifty-odd friends, family and colleagues I’d invited, or at least half would show up. I warned Bruce, the kindly patriarch of my Toastmasters Club, and keeper of the keys to the hall annexe, that we’d probably need to open the side doors to make room. The reality was about thirty people came. The side doors stayed resolutely closed. However, of all the chairs set out, most were filled.

My expectation was I would get lucky enough to get a karakia. The reality was my dear friend, Richie, not only gave the most beautiful, stirring karakia – along with English translations of each piece – but he also sang a song! Unprecedented blessings.

My expectation was I would probably cry, crack up or forget parts of my speech. The reality was I remained steady. I had by some miracle managed to memorise a ten minute speech in three days! It went off better than I ever could have imagined actually – but more about the speech side of things in another post.

My expectation when my youngest son said he wanted to get up and say a speech, was that he would be struck speechless and be too shy to stand up, let alone say anything. If the pattern of his behaviour in the past was anything to go by. The reality was he did fret but in the moment, he did get up and spoke perfectly. I was choked up with pride.

My expectation was I might sell a handful of books if I was lucky. The reality was I sold 24!

Si and I – the super collaborators!

What a great day. I was full of the quiet triumph of the writer over the adversity of the empty page!

My expectation was that the book launch would hopefully go smoothly, however would be unlikely to fulfil all my hopes and imaginations. The reality was it was better than anything I could have imagined. It really was a dream come true. The people dearest to me (most of them) were there, the moment was honoured, the speech was glitch-free, the food good, the champagne cold (even though we drank out of coffee mugs because dear old Frank forgot to turn up with the glasses)!

My mentor from Toastmasters, Debbie, acted as MC

People surprised me by getting up and speaking. The mythology, the ‘story’ behind the book was shared. The magic delivered. And I got to talk about my book all evening long!

Then once I got home, and I had unloaded all the party gear from the car, and stacked the boxes of my books in the hallway, I finally began to unwind. I was still on cloud nine. I simply couldn’t stop smiling.

After one and a half weeks of burning the candle at both ends, to finish the book, and organize the launch party, I had stressed myself to the maximum. The party finished at 5 p.m. At midnight last night, I finally stopped pacing around and thinking.

I picked up my copy of this book. I was able to see it and focus on it for the first time. Talk about ‘magic moment’…

That was when I began to examine it properly. I read the front and back covers, the front and end pages and looked for my pen and ink illustrations.

In all the hurry and haste to make the event a reality I had missed the main point, the book itself is a work of art. It’s everything I could ever have wanted. To be an Indie author is a truly powerful thing to be – to have total control over the finished product. I think I am in love!

What about you – had any dreams come true lately?

 

 

Keep Creating!

Yvette K. Carol

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Think about the legacy of your vision, what will you leave on earth? – Lawrence Lewis Green