Spectacular, Spectacular

I find myself frequently reciting the words of a song from one of my favorite movies: Moulin Rouge.

“Spectacular, spectacular

No words of the vernacular

Can describe this great event

You’ll be dumb with wonderment.”

I can’t seem to get the jingle out of my head. In fact, it seems to grow louder as my mind wanders to thoughts of the future. As I’m gearing up for copies of my paperback – Oleah Chronicles: Truth – to be released to the public, two very distinct things keep nagging me at the back of mind. The first: a book launch. I must find a way to make it happen and do everything within my power to make sure that it’s “So exciting

The audience will stomp and cheer”

(again the song continues to gnaw at me). No doubt a predicament that every Indie author must come to face at some point. So much time and effort is put into the construction of a novel that each writer deserves the chance to celebrate a job well done, right? Sure! However, I have different intentions. Celebrations are great and everything, but I’m seeking out the opportunity so I can use it as vessel to market and promote my book.

Let’s face it, first impressions count and the impression that I want to put out to the masses has to be perceived in a positive and creative manner so I can set the tone of what to expect from the upcoming series. It must be approached delicately. Making just the right impression to get just the right amount of attention that’s needed to jumpstart chatter and excitement. There’s just one thing. I have no idea where to start. Yikes!

There’s so much to consider. How much is too much? How small is too small? Where’s the best location? Is it easy to get to? Is there parking? How much will it cost?

That last thought leads me into the second thing: money. There’s a saying “sometimes you have to spend money to make money”, a rule that definitely makes sense to the ambitious entrepreneur ready to take on the world. However … what if that ambitious entrepreneur has a dwindling bank account? The odds are stacked against one another. In other words, a war is brewing. There must be some way to bring order and serenity back so the two can coexist peacefully.

And here’s my eureka moment! It’s all about balance: finding the right amount to put on a spectacular event without going bankrupt. I feel that many authors – myself included – tend to focus too much on the glitz and glam of releasing a book. Of course it’s important, but so is timing and organization so that it can be executed successfully. Once I finally allowed myself to take a step back and see the bigger picture, I realized that in order for this to work, I have to be resourceful. Trying to pull everything off on my own is far too much stress. In order for anything to grow it needs a solid foundation. If rushed, the end result will only bring regret with it.

How does one build a solid foundation? Reach out to friends and family that are willing to help with planning or who have connections with the right people that can. Pride gets in the way with so many and it shouldn’t. There’s nothing wrong with asking for help as long as you don’t take advantage of it. Networking is also a great way to build up a foundation with the right people. There’s nothing to lose and so much more to gain.

With all that said, I’m going to exhale and take heed to my own advice. Everything always finds a way of working itself out in the end, I just have to be patient.