How to launch a book (while writing two others) starter kit...

My top four tips

Okay, so a lot is happening. ‘The Close-Up’ comes out in Australia in a week (Nov 1), and then the US and Canada in six weeks (Dec 3). I also have the first draft of book 6 due in a week and another book due in Feb next year. Needless to say, I am busy. But I haven’t written one of these in forever and (for reasons that are outlined below in point 3) I can’t really focus on my next manuscript right now, so instead I am here, noting down my top four tips for launching a book. Well, these are the ones that work for me...

You will need:

1) A black tourmaline bracelet (or a rock, if you don’t mind carrying it around)

Okay, so I don’t know whether crystals really work or not, but I do know that black tourmaline is supposed to deflect any negative energy. Hard to say whether I read this somewhere or made it up, but I choose to believe it bounces the bad juju back to the sender at a multiple of three. Honestly, this is the best (and cheapest) thing I have ever done for my mental health.

2) An eye patch

Because if you are like me, you will be perfectly healthy every day of the year and then just as your book is about to come out (and you have to be on camera or at events), you will get a mysterious swollen red eyelid that is supposed to only afflict children under the age of five. Good to be prepared for the 3-5 days until the antibiotics work.

3) A sense of humour

Because: point two. And also, because there are two plumbers currently in my bathroom as I type this, as yesterday the loo sprung a leak. I am hoping they leave before my next promo interview this afternoon (see point 4). Basically, the universe has a sense of humour… so it helps if you have one too.

4) A willingness to roll with the punches

This is perhaps the most important. Because after four previous book launches where I have been a ball of nerves and fear, I have come to realise that book launches NEVER go exactly to plan. But if you can stay open and flexible, and laugh off the less-than-perfect circumstances, they can be even better that you imagined. They can be magic.

So yes, ‘The Close-Up’ will be out in the world soon, I’ll be shamelessly posting about it on Instagram, Facebook and maybe even TikTok (please forgive me, it’s two years of work... I’m excited!), and I’ll be rolling with the punches, I guess. If you can get to an event, please come, I’d love to celebrate with you! If not, I hope you love ‘The Close-Up’, and thanks for being with me on this journey!

Pip xx

PS. I write these newsletters in under ten minutes (it’s the only way I can get myself to write them at all), so any typos or bad turns of phrase don’t count. I save all my best words for my books…

PPS. I know it’s gets boring but: please pre-order! xx