In less than two weeks is the book release party for my new picture book, WIENER WOLF! It’s going to be held at Austin’s fabulous independent bookseller, BookPeople, on Saturday, July 2nd. At 11:30 a.m. I’ll start with reading my book as part of their weekly storytime and then I’ll sign books and we’ll celebrate!
There’s so much to do to get ready for the event, as well as promoting WIENER WOLF in general, so I thought I’d make a checklist to see what I’ve done and still need to do.
√ Contact BookPeople to see if they would be willing to host my book release party.
√ Suggest having wiener dog balloon animals and hot dogs offered at the party and be delighted when the BookPeeps say “sure, we’ll arrange it.”
√ BookPeople rocks!
√ Have mom make WIENER WOLF sweaters for our two dachshunds, Baron and Fritz, to wear to the book release party.
Have Baron and Fritz try them on without Fritz biting me.
√ Check to see if dogs are even allowed into BookPeople.
√ Say YES! to BookPeople when they ask if I would like Central Texas Dachshund Rescue to be there with one of their adorable wiener dogs to adopt.
√ Make Zazzle t-shirts and bumper stickers promoting the book. Include a QR code in the designs.
√ Find out what a QR code is and how I can get one.
√ Send WIENER WOLF bookmarks to my agent, Scott Treimel, who requested them so when he takes Petey out for walkies, he can hand the bookmarks out to other dog owners. Is this the hardest working agent in the industry, or what?
√ Make book trailers for WIENER WOLF and post on YouTube
√ Find out what a book trailer is and how to make one
√ Borrow a microphone from fellow Armadillustrator, Erik Kuntz, and hassle him endlessly (without compensation) about how to make a book trailer.
√ Wrangle two wiener dogs and a four year old on a make-shift set in the backyard in 100 degree heat and try to record it on a broken camera without a tripod.
√ Take two.
√ Post WIENER WOLF book trailers on YouTube.
Be invited to go on Good Morning America once the book trailers go viral and are an internet sensation.
√ Respond to the six people who actually viewed and commented on the first book trailer.
√ Get Wolf and Granny costumes for Shelley and Harper to wear to the party so kids can have their pictures taken with them.
√ Jump out of my skin when Shelley comes to pick me up from my teaching gig, and pulls up in our Jeep dressed as Granny.
Make cupcakes for the event.
√ Make a test batch of cupcakes for the event.
√ Devour said test batch.
Practice reading WIENER WOLF out loud, for the storytime. Practice howling and annunciating. It’s all in the diaphram.
Look up how to spell “annunciating” and “diaphram”.
Practice signature and wiener dog drawings for the book signing. It’s a tube with legs and a tail, how much practice do I need?!
√ Create two drawings to be used as prizes for the two costume contests. One is for the photo of the best dog costume posted to BookPeople’s blog and the other is for the best costume worn by a kid to the party.
√ Go do “research” at FRANK, the Austin hot dog restaurant providing free hot dogs for the event.
√ Let marketing at my publisher, Disney Hyperion, know what a good job I’m doing at promoting my book and wouldn’t they like to get started on the sequel.
Take a nap.
√ Thank Shelley for all of the amazing work she’s done helping me to pull this all together and promote it.
√ Post a blog about promoting WIENER WOLF
Jeff Crosby 
Add to your list….Keep this checklist for next release party!
Go Weiner Wolf! Mel just ordered two copies on Ingram (now available on preorder list) for the PSM library. Don’t forget to get your local library to order the book!
: )
Patty
That’s great, Patty! I do need to maintain a Castle Rock presence. I have gone to our local branch of the library and introduced myself. They said they’d make sure to stock the shelves with our books and keep us in mind for book events.
Love the blog, Jeff. I agree with pattywm about the libraries. GOOD LUCK AND BEST WISHES.. We’ve got our copies ordered! You and Shelley are so talented.
Thanks, Sondra! I’ll have to send you some signed book plates to stick in your copies.
Nice work, Jeff-o. Wish I could be there for it. Here’s one more item for your list: Arrange to have someone video the event (especially your first reading to the kids) and post some highlights on YouTube for your out-of-state friends and fans. Good luck and have fun!
Thanks, Tim! That is a good idea. I don’t know of any decent videographers so maybe I’ll just have to strap the camera onto one of the wiener dogs’ backs.
Oh I LOVE doxies!!! I have a dapple named Santino!! Congrats on everything!
Love the blog! Too bad you devoured the cupcakes – you could’ve shared. I dog sit A LOT, my favoite are the dacshounds – second favs are the chiwheenies (Chihuaha/Dacshound mix). I will be looking for the book!
Jeff- I just read your Wiener Wolf book and I am head over heels in love with it!! So is my little wheelie sidekick, Frankie, who happens to be a doxie too. I read it to her… she perfectly understood Wiener Dog. ;)
The illustrations are fantastic and the story, oh, so sweet! I’ll be telling everyone I know about this book- and I’ll be writing a review on Amazon.
Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!
I would really like to know when your next book signing here in austin will be????
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