Saturday was wonderfully surreal. Although the Border Line pre-publication launch party was intended for local friends, very dear old friends and my daughter and partner came to stay, and a dear friend from Ireland and dear writing friends from Wiltshire also stayed nearby.
I was very grateful for messages of support from my blogging friends and also this wonderful card made by the multi-talented young singer Charlotte Hoather.
We had more than enough food. A tithe of it is visible in this photo.
I saw little of the party, as I spent most of it in my working den signing copies (and taking the moulah). I was aware of my husband and everyone working very hard, looking after about sixty thirsty people. Note the lovely rose, a gloriously sweet-smelling flower, cut and brought round by my next door neighbour. 
To a large extent this party was a thank you to friends, particularly this who have read, proof-read (free copies) and given feedback on the text and cover of Border Line. I’m not pretending that selling the book was not part of the aim, but you wouldn’t think that this is the recommended method for selling books. However I’m two boxes of Border Line down, six more to go. The bookmark I made, seems to have been a big hit too. Hooray for the old printer!
I brought the greenhouse pepper in after a frost scare last week, and left it as decoration for the party. I am absurdly proud of it and don’t know if I will be able to bear cutting and eating it. How absurd is that?
Green Writing Room 
It looks a thoroughly civilised way to sell books, Hilary. When can I buy my copy? Charlotte’s card is beautiful. She is indeed very talented. I downloaded her latest album and loved it. The pepper ought to be framed and stuffed (!) for posterity. It makes a delightful decoration. Congratulations all round.
Thanks so much. Wasn’t it sweet of Charlotte in the midst of her non-stop life to make the card. I also downloaded her music AND she sent me the album too. Border Line goes live on December 5th, up to then I can do print copies from home for friends in the UK, but HK is out of reach until the eBook is out.
HK? What does that acronym mean in the publishing world?
Hong Kong… unless you can think of something better.
You have done a great job and I hope you’ll sell lots of books. The pepper looks just about ripe for a curry.
Thanks, so far, so good. My writing group took some copies today as well. Hmm not very keen on curry, I’m thinking ratatouille.
The food, the rose, the celery and THE BOOK! Congratulations, Hilary!
Thanks so much. I’ve only just realised that it looks as though the rose is growing out of the back of my head…
Wow. Congratulations. You are available on Amazon on 5th Dec. I shall acquire a copy then .
Thank you so much. I do hope it lives up to expectations.
How absolutely lovely the card is! I cherish such tokens of support and friendship. It looks like a lovely event, and I wish you enormous success with your book.
Thanks so much, the card gave me a lovely boost and made the family laugh as I’m not exactly a high heel wearer.
It is certainly one way to sell books, which I could never attempt. You have done very well. Charlotte’s card is lovely.
It worked rather better than I expected, though there is a cake mountain in my freezer now, in spite of giving cakes to anyone who passes by.
I have self published -all non-fiction of local and family history -and have had ‘book launches’ at many different venues, but never at home. Nor have I submitted material to agents, publishers or even shared with reading groups. You have got me thinking about a whole new way of writing. A great inspiration, actually. Many thanks.
There are advantages and, of course, disadvantages to doing it at home. On the plus side, you keep costs down and friends are happy to come to a party in a place they know and you get to give them really nice food. On the minus side, there’s A LOT of work involved and it may be seen as less ‘professional’. As Threadgold Press is run from my desk, it seems that home was right for me. Good luck with your ventures.
I am SO HAPPY for you, Hilary, you clever thing ! – it must have been wonderful. I do wish I could have been there, for my own pleasure.
Your husband must be so proud of you he could burst !
Thank you, I do feel buoyed up by your kind thoughts. My husband is bearing up well, the party was only the beginning – and this is why I’d rather not be a publisher – I’m now running a marketing department from my desk.
I wish you infinitely more success than I had, Hilary – that is, until I realized that having my blogging friends read my book was more satisfying than unknown persons’ buying it.
But you’ve done all the hard yakka, and deserve the joy of seeing that rewarded. May this happen VERY soon !
Thanks for the wishes. I bet you’ve sold more Dreams than I have had copies of Border Line printed (300). I shall be taking one of my new copies of Dreams to a very dear friend tomorrow. I doubt I shall sell Border Line to more than a dozen strangers, so I have to sell hard to friends. No one is inviting me to talk to libraries – though I will be talking to the residents in the local sheltered housing this week. I have spent today parcelling up copies, so the pile is going down.
What pleasant news, Hilary! A hearty congratulations to you! The publishing world is so confusing but I am glad you figured it out and are on a roll!
ps I shall eat that pepper in a flash for you!
My grasp on the publishing world is of the fingers-hanging-on-the-cliff-edge type, but it word after a fashion. I wish I could beam the pepper to you.
What a great launch. And your food spread looks so yummy! But most important… I wish you lots of sales.:)
Thanks, that side of things is going well so far and it not officially published yet.
I can’t wait get my paperback from Amazon at the start of December, I should get it in time for the Christmas break then 😊.
You are so kind, Charlotte.
Congrats on the book launch. Great photos and a terrific card from Charlotte. I just had a book launch of my own a couple of weeks ago and indeed they have a touch of the surreal about them. And – as always – I had way too much food! I look forward to ordering my copy when Border Line goes live.
You’re very kind. Happy to reciprocate… I think I have ordered it… after a little confusion I have it. Not sure our subject areas have much crossover, we shall see.
I like what you did with the bookmarks. It’s amazing what actually sells books.
Thank you, that is one of the great benefits of doing it yourself, you can add stuff that the mainstream guys wouldn’t bother with. It’s also amazing what a very old printer can do!
Not at all absurd. I would be proud of it too, but now that you took a picture of it, you are allowed to it. Your party food looks scrumptious, Hilary.
The pepper is still on the bush! Stuffed pepper on Christmas day perhaps? I’m glad you like the look of the food.
Baked in the oven stuffed or raw stuffed? 😀
Baked in the oven, one of the family is vegetarian and I would love to give them something special for Christmas lunch.
You can see that it was sumptuous! great pepper
It made a lovely meal for my son-in-law who is vegetarian.