On Launching A Book–DIFFERENTLY

It’s a week away from my book launch date–May 19th.

Tomorrow, I will fly from Buenos Aires, Argentina to New York City. Officially, it’s to launch and promote my book, The New Global Student: Skip the SAT, Save Thousands on Tuition, and Get a Truly International Education. Unofficially, it’s to spend time with three of our daughters and raise a toast to the oldest as she earns her master’s degree next week. There’s a lot to celebrate.

I always thought I’d do the traditional book launch, including a splashy party, a crazy couple of weeks of book signings and media appearances. I thought I might do a virtual launch, a coordinated blog tour, or even a turn-your-book-into-an-Amazon-bestseller launch with tons of free bonuses and lots of affiliates promoting my book on their site.

I’m doing things differently. (That’s the theme of my book!)

As it turns out, I’m doing what my friends in the restaurant business call a “soft opening”–that is, rather than invite the press and everyone else to come on in for a crazy and rushed inaugural dinner with a frenzied staff, they just open quietly on a Wednesday night for friends and family and see what they can learn about the prep, the process, what people want and how they can deliver it more efficiently.

So, the first month of the launch will be a wonderful opportunity to meet with educators, innovators, parents and others interested in finding out how to get a great global education that doesn’t cost a fortune. Tom and I will listen. A lot. We will ask questions. We will invite people to join us for coffee or lunch so that we can ask more questions and listen to the answers–and offer advice if that’s what they want. This is our way of reaching out and learning how we can be of greater service to families across the United States.

For the last few years, I’ve been reading tons of ezines and blogs about publishing and building a business based on your book. The thing is, I’m not out to be a millionaire author, nor am I really interested in building a huge speaking business in the United States. Frankly, I love my life in Argentina. There is absolutely nothing I need or want other than to be of greater service. That might sound trite, but it’s true. I have no urge to be famous, no need to build an empire. My reason for writing this book is to offer help to families struggling to find ways to pay for college or give their kids great opportunities.

I understand that I’m leaving a lot of money on the table by not developing all kinds of “killer” products that I could sell to desperate parents willing to pay high prices for private consulting or programs. And I know that some might think it terribly unwise not to milk this for all it’s worth. But the last thing I want to do is gouge the very people I am trying to help, and the reality is that the info they need doesn’t really cost much to share, and I don’t want to add to the burden that parents are already bearing. I don’t want parents to think they NEED to hire someone–because they don’t. I don’t want families to get more stressed about the college process–I want to help them laugh about it. My goal is to help them relax, save money, and see the whole beautiful rainbow of options that they’re too busy to notice.

So, this is the soft opening, the quiet launch, the lunch-and-listen. It’s a family reunion of sorts, and a time to breathe in, celebrate the blessings in my life and be open to new ways to give back.

I can’t wait.

Tagged as: blog tour, book events, book launch, book marketing, book promotion, book publishers, book publishing, book signings, college admissions, college planning, college tuition, family finances, financial aid, global economy, global education, Maya Frost, scholarships, social media, The New Global Student