We’ve talked about how to take care of yourself while writing and launching your self-published book, but there’s something very important we have NOT talked about yet…
CELEBRATING!
You’ve invested at least an entire year of your life (and money) to make your book a reality.
While the hard work of selling your book and helping more people is not over once your book has launched, you 100% deserve to celebrate the accomplishment that you have achieved.
This blog post is dedicated to all of the hard-working writers who have published books, and to those who are in the book-writing process right now.
DO. NOT. STOP.
You WILL publish your book. You WILL help more people, including those you have never met. You WILL be an author. Keep going.
And once you ARE an author, it’s time to celebrate.
We’ve compiled a list from our Paper Raven Books team and the authors we’ve worked with on our favorite ways to celebrate publishing a new book.
We hope this list gives you some inspiration (and something to be excited about) for when your book is officially launched!
30+ Ways to Celebrate Your Book Launch + Earning the Title of “Author”
- Treating yourself to a meal at that restaurant you’ve been meaning to try for the longest time
- Opening that bottle of liquor or wine you’ve been saving for a special occasion
- Spending an entire day (after your 5-day launch week!) doing some of the things you enjoy but didn’t have time to do while working on your book — think of it like an additional birthday!
- Going for a hike or bike ride or long drive or … anything to get away from your computer for a few hours
- Going to a concert featuring your favorite band or orchestra
- Update your LinkedIn profile and/or email signature to include “Author” — sometimes the little things mean the most
- Take that Yoga or gym class that you’ve been missing out on while writing your book
- Getting a massage
- Getting a manicure and pedicure
- Getting a facial
- Getting a massage, manicure, pedicure, and facial — all on the same day!
- Read a book that you’ve been excitedly waiting to read — it may even inspire you for your next book!
- Go to an animal shelter to pet the cute animals
- Binge-watch your favorite show (or a brand new one!)
- Have a staycation and explore your local area
- Take a class to learn something new (bonus points if it has NOTHING to do with writing, marketing, or the topic of your book)
- Create a music playlist full of the most positive, energizing songs you love
- Purge! Now that you’re an author, it’s time for a new chapter in your life. Start with your closest and get rid of anything that doesn’t make you happy and/or you haven’t worn in at least a year.
- Buy some gorgeous stationery and write letters to your favorite people
- Take a really long, warm bath (if needed, rent a fancy hotel room for a night!)
- Splurge on an expensive face mask you’ve been wanting to try
- Take a blanket to your favorite spot outside and watch the sunset
- Take a nap in the middle of the day — because you don’t have to spend that time writing your book!
- Visit that museum exhibit you’ve been curious to see
- Walk. Go outside, take your phone only for safety, and just start walking. Let your instinct guide you on where to go.
- Sudoku, board games, video games — you pick! Play a game without watching the clock.
- Have lunch with one of your favorite people (even if you have to have lunch over Skype!)
- Play with your kids! Take them to do something they would enjoy but you didn’t have time to do while writing your book.
- Buy a plant for your office. As you nurture the plant, it will remind you of all the time you spent writing your book and what you’re truly capable of when you dedicate yourself.
- Make a vision board for how you’d like to promote your book after your launch, and what opportunities you hope being an author will bring to you.
- Set aside a morning or afternoon to do absolutely nothing — no plans, no chores, no other people, just relaxing and letting your mind wander
… and that’s just the beginning.
If you’ve launched a book already, how did you celebrate afterward?
If you're in the middle of preparing your book for launch, how would you like to celebrate afterward?
No matter how you celebrate, know that you DESERVE to celebrate.
Your hard work deserves attention, especially from you. :)
Bio: Victoria Klein is a two-time published author and the VP of Productions for Paper Raven Books. Formerly PRB’s Book Project Manager, Victoria has helped numerous authors through the self-publishing process from start to finish. Through her monthly posts, she’ll reveal the biggest concerns and mistakes of self-publishing authors, and how to solve them.