Any Ideas for Matt's Book Launching? (Please Post)
A fellow Dove Taler has written a novel that will be published this spring. L.M.R. is a novel about Del Aucoin, a bomber pilot in World War II who, after almost finishing a tour of duty, is forced to make a choice between his loyalty to his job and country and his loyalty to his friends and crewmates.
Matthew is in the process of planning some book launchings. Tentatively he is thinking of the Walper Hotel as a possibility due to the historical nature of his book.
Are there ideas, which you can suggest that can help Matt in the planning of his book launching. Thinking back to Stones Turned and Many Women, two men what would you suggest.
Some possible Questions:
Besides the Walper Hotel – What other possible locations may be suitable?
What day would work best for attendance? We launched one a Thursday night and one on a Sunday afternoon. What day and time of the week do you think would you suggest?
How can Dove Tale support Matthew?
When should invites and postings for the launching go out?
So post your ideas.
Congrats! Matthew
AKA Bobby Bacon
20 comments:
Larry suggests the 404 Wing up in Wloo.
I'd suggest you want a small space rather than a big space - in a big space, you can have a good turnout, and it looks/feels like a lousy turnout. In a small space, the same # of people feels like an arts-jumpin' happenin'...
If you go with the Walper, I'd suggest the Barristers Lounge. Why? Because people can buy drinks - a cash bar - and you don't have to provide them with drinks. And it is more intimate than simply renting a room there. You can have a reading/launch ceremony at the front (near King Street windows) without taking up too much space - we did that at CanWrite with the event Larry helped to plan,the Spoken Word Cafe. As well, if need be, people can spill out into the lobby. Would you like me to email the Walper, and play on the fact that I was Co-Chair of CanWrite... that we brought in all this business, and that one of our members is doing a book launch? If so, let me know, and I'll find out price, availability.... which days would be cheaper or even free... especially if we give them the cash bar...
Of couse, this is only one option. Larry, what's the 404 Wing like?
I like the idea of doing it at 404 wing, Larry... I will certainly look into them as a venue.
For the Walper, I do agree, Marianne, that the barrister's lounge is ideal. It worked very well for the Spoken Word Cafe (that's where I spent most of my evening) and a cash bar would be most useful to me! :)
If you would be so kind as to e-mail them as you offered, I would appreciate it very much. Thanks!
M@
I've never been there, but you might also want to look into The Boat House, at Victoria Park. I believe it is a restaurant/bar,and I see Erina Harris is hosting a literary event there in March... & I think there are often musician events there, too.
A book is a big accomplishment... HUGE..heck I am not an emotional guy...I am not the huggsy, touchy, feelie, type person. But when I finished my first novel I cried.
writing is a such a solitary action and the people who do it tend not to be salesman...
Writing is the fun part..somehow it would be nice to celebrate Matt's book in a fun way..where people relax and mix...
If I was out to make money, I wouldn't chose writing. I love to write...I will never be John Steinbeck...
I am content playing the lizard lounge as Bobby Bacon...I write poorly but my love for writing, thoughts, and words is strong. So I do it for LOVE..
And a BOOK well that is cause for celebration. I would ask that when when Matt gets a date that each DOVE TALER ask one person to attend our celebration of a huge event in Matt's life...
Before I email the Walper, when are you thinking of a book launch?
The Boat House is a great idea, Marianne. I hadn't thought of it but I've been to see some live music there and the place is nice and relaxing, very casual. I'll definitely keep that in mind too.
As for Mr B. Bacon's comments, honestly, I was too drained to react much when the manuscript was done. I finished it on my one day off between my current job and the last one, which I hated. I was glad to get to the end, distressed by how short it ended up being, and dreading the editing.
Now that the book is so close to being a reality, I'm starting to get really excited though -- more excited than I've been about anything in a long time.
And I'm not much of a salesman but I'm working to make the sales process as non-salesy as possible. Luckily I like to talk to people and don't have much problem with public speaking, so I do have those things in my arsenal.
Oh, and for the Walper, I'm tentatively thinking of a Sunday afternoon launch, so May 6 or 13. Thanks!
Congrats to M@ - finishing any major project is an accomplishment (heck, even a minor project like laundry or making dinner is an accomplishment for me these days) but a book? That's wonderful!
I like the idea of the Boat House or the Walper. And Sunday afternoons have worked well for our launches.
Congrats, again, M@, and note to BB, when I finish a book someday, I am going to cry too.
I cried at the end of each novel I have written. As I was writing the endings... there I was, with tears streaming down my face. So much for the female warrior-writer within, huh? lololol!
I cried because I was moved by story, and the endings for the characters, and the pulling together of plot. I've grown to love the main characters of each book - Elizabeth, Maxine, and Michaela.
Get excited, Matt! Enjoy it.
Many years ago, Larry started a journal which he called Endless Beginnings so he would never have to finish it...still he cries...
Life is suffering, huh Larry? But sometimes, such sweet suffering...
all those tears made me think of what I wrote once, long ago, in 1968
sadness speaks of joy
it's the loss of what we did enjoy
that makes us sad a sentiment
of resounding sweetness
hopelessness we treat with anger
there is no hopelessness in sadness
just a longing for the return of
good times
there are tears for anger and tears for sadness tears of anger are hot and bitter but tears of sadness are warm and sweet
tears for the finishing of a novel, in a way parting with the characters you have laughed and cried with so long, must be tears of joy and sadness.
I did not cry on the end of my memoir. But one, that is not a novel, and two, it isn't finished. The story is still going on. And I've laughed, but mostly cried all through writing the memoir. Hot tears and sweet tears.
Matt, congratulations. Let the sweet tears flow. What I've seen of the boat house, I like it too. I am not a Walper fan. The most attractive thing in there, for me, was that elevator door that kept on opening and closing, during a reward evening. No one in the elevator. Spooky! The Walper is just not a "Wild Thing" place, raher stuffy, but hey, if your launch is there, I'll come anyway.
Hey, an idea...
Should we add Matt's book launch and other info to the "What's New" portion of the DT website?
Also, Matt, it might be a good time to add your bio, etc., to the website. Check out the other DT writers and the consistent format, and present the information in those chunks and within similar word lengths. If you want to do this in time for your launch, let me know, and I'll contact Jo to find out her schedule/ availability.
good idea
Wow. Keeping up is hard to do!
W.T.: I do understand your reservations (hah! hotel pun! whee!) about the Walper. I guess for me it evinces the whole period my novel is set in. Not having lived through (or at all near) the war, a lot of what I identify with the period is the jazz age that preceded the depression -- when you read young soldiers' memoirs, you'll find that many of them were obsessed with this new "jazz" music. Something about the Walper expresses that to me, malfunctioning elevator or no. :)
As for the sweet tears, I'd rather expend the emotion on the next manuscript. After all, I have the loyal DT audience to impress with that every fortnight!
Marianne: You have probably not forgotten that I was planning to do this around the Xmas season. I did not. Why? Best left unasked. (It involves video games, I think.)
And I'd love to get myself set up there. It's on my list. Along with getting my personal site up and running, and the site for the novel... and the blog posts... and and and.
In the meantime, I quit my job this past week! As of March 4th I'm an independent contractor. Whoo! Who needs a writer? Who? You? You? Give me money!
Sorry, practicing. Anyhow, on the plus side I'm working from home as of the 4th. On the minus side, things are really busy already and it's only going to get busier. We'll see what happens from here.
xena: Believe me, I'm excited. It's just manifesting as agitation instead of... well, anything useful. Stupid neuroses.
Anyhow, many thanks for the many congratulations here! You guys rock.
Hey M@, I do get that. The paralel to that time period. I once saw the ballroom in the Walper with that enormous chandelier, all in style. It had that historical feel to it. Rather grand. Speaking to the imagination. I think, (maybe I am wrong and it is just my perception)that the Walper has lost some of that atmosphere. Changes were made. To me it is trying to be something it isn't anymore, and that robs it of style.
There was a time when I felt awed being in there. Remember when Reggies went up in flames and the restaurant went into the Walper? It wasn't Reggies anymore and it wasn't Walper anymore. Maybe that was when some of my disillusion started.
But hey, that has nothing to do with your book launch. As you explain it, Walper should be the right place. Is there going to be Jazz music? What about dancing the Charleston? Oops that may be the wrong war. That's the nineteentwenties. Jazz must've come during the second world war? I remember school dances with Jazz bands... I was 12 or 13, two, three years after the war.
Does your novel have pictures in it? maybe having time period pictures on display during your launch would enhance the mood?
I was indeed thinking of jazz, w.t. And I gather that much of the dancing was jazz-related too. I'm not much of a social historian of the period, though.
I do intend to display some interesting things at the book launch. I will have a case of authentic war memorabilia on display, as well as some posters with information about the bombing war to give some context for the novel. I would love to have a jazz band play, but I suspect we'll just be getting a CD of Billie and the Bugs Play Your Jitterbug Favourites on a small sound system or something.
It's looking pretty good for the Walper now, too. I'm really hoping that part works out.
I remember two Jazz bands. One was called "The Ramblers" I was crazy about them. Another, I think also known in Canada or maybe The States, was called
"The Skymasters". My 17 year old sister swooned over them. I wonder if the web has info on the music of the Skymasters...
We danced Fox trott and so on school dances, but a real favourite was the Jive. And the Boogy Woogy.
Gee Matt, I typed in "Skymasters" Jazzband" and up came among others, Henk Mentgeert, pianist for The Skymasters. Played for people as Dizzy Gillipsy, Mel Torme, etc. Time: 1947
You may want to look at that. Don't get discouraged, it starts in Dutch, the biography, but it continues in English, the stuff you want to know.
I may have spelled the guys name wrong. Can't read my own notes proper.
This may help you in the kind of jazz you want to choose from. I'm pretty sure Dizzy Gillipsy and Mel Torme will still be available and on CD
A while ago I had a Jan Boersen coming to me with his writings on the Second World War. He's dutch as you may guess by the name. He lives here in Kitchener. The information he has on the war qua stories, transportation, air,sea and land, is awsome. He has lots of pictures.He is a fanatic collector. He wanted an opinion and advise about his writing. I did my bit and then referred him to the C.A.A. Branch. I gave him your name, Matt. He was going to come to a Monday meeting. Did he do so? You may want to talk to him.
Anyway, his phone number is:
576-1309
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