Ava Pennington

Author, Ava Pennington

Hi, all – Ava Pennington here. I had planned to offer a greeting from warm and sunny Florida, but we’re in the middle of a cold spell (well, cold for us, anyway!). That’s okay, because the brisk weather just makes it feel all the more like Christmas!

My last several blogs have been about the launch party for my first book, One Year Alone with God: 366 Devotions on the Names of God. Now that the book launch party was a success and my book has been available for two months, what’s next?

Once the launch party ended, there was still much for me to do. My follow-up list included the following tasks:


–    Post photos:
The celebration began at the party, but it continued on my website and on Facebook. I posted photos on both sites to help friends and readers feel a part of the festivities.

–    Send thank-you notes:
I kept a list of the volunteers who helped make the day a success – people who greeted, coordinated refreshments, took pictures, and sold books! Each person received a personal thank-you note, and several received small gifts as a token of my appreciation.

–    Input newsletter sign-up:
Attendees at the launch party were able to sign up for my newsletter in two ways – by adding their email to my guest book or by checking the sign-up box on the game used for drawings throughout the party.
Of course, after I inputted the names, my newsletter program required each person to confirm that they were requesting to subscribe.

–    Arrange other book signings:
I’ve been contacting bookstores – big-box stores as well as smaller independent Christian bookstores – to arrange book signings. It’s slow going, but two stores are scheduling a signing, and three more stores are considering it.

–    Book tours without the tour:
Radio interviews and blog book reviews have made it possible for me to “tour” without leaving the comfort of my home. My goal is to get the word out and create a buzz about my book wherever and whenever I can.

Finally, I want to enjoy this wonderful season. I celebrated Thanksgiving Day with a full and thankful heart. Of course, I’ll continue my marketing efforts throughout December, but I don’t want the Christmas season to be a thirty-day commercial for my book. Rather, I want to celebrate Christmas by remembering the saying, “It’s not about me!” Christmas is about what Christ did for me – and you – in making a way for us to have a restored relationship with God. I believe God can use my devotional to help others in developing their relationship with Him, but I also know it’s not about me. It’s about Him – the baby born to die so that we might live.

Merry Christmas!

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