What do you do on a Book Launch day? by Marion Stroud

What do YOU do when the longed for ‘Launch Day’ arrives and you finally see your work in print? I’m thinking particularly of a book but this could apply to a magazine article , a set of Bible reading notes, or even the more ephemeral world of the Internet. Go out for the day? Have a special meal with your nearest and dearest? Phone everyone you know to tell them? I’ve done all those things and more. But I have never yet done what my friend Cynthia Ruchti does ... but after reading her blog post ... next time I will do differently!

This is part of the story of her Launch Day:

“Today, I held the new arrival in my arms, looked into its soft face, and said, "It's a book!"

So how am I spending my first day with this new baby?

On my knees. The labor isn't over, of course. Marketing, publicity, speaking related to the book, articles related to the book, author events, blog visits, the wonder of interacting with readers.

But I intend to spend this day on my knees.

I'm spreading the cover before me, laying one hand on the cover and one hand on my Bible and praying, "Lord, I know how these two books are connected. Please help readers see the link, too."

I'm turning to the title page and praying for my publishing house, editor, publicist, marketing manager, sales team, publisher...

I'm opening to the dedication page and praying for those for whom the book was written.

I'm asking the Lord to breathe life into the pages, to touch them so that those who pick up the book sense something that can only be Him.

My prayers include practical things like face-to-the-carpet prayers for good reviews, good sales, and readers, readers, readers.

I'm spending time on this Launch Day praying for the real people whose lives resemble the characters in the story. Praying for the answers to THEIR plot problems. Praying for the kind of grace my characters found.

Part of my Prayer Launch includes a praise session--thanking God for the privilege of serving Him through writing. I'll thank Him for causing the proposal to catch the eye of an editor and for the joy of working with both the freelance editor and the publishing house editor that helped me polish the story.

I'm going to spend time before the day's over praying bold, brave prayers, trusting in a limitless, powerful God who loves to give good gifts to His children. I'm going to ask for His favor on this novel, as I've asked from the first word committed to the page.

I'll pray with gratitude for those who prayed for this book, for the endorsers and influencers and blog hosts and reviewers and those who will spread the word to their friends, those who will give it as a gift, those who will hand it to their mother for Mother's Day and start a conversation.

I will lay my Bible over the novel so I can only see the book I call "mine" through the book He called His.

And when the day is done, I will petition God to ask Him for the joy of having a Launch Day again and again and again.”

Cynthia is a remarkably productive lady. At the moment she is writing one fiction title and one non-fiction book a year. This year she is also publishing a Christmas novella. Find out more about her at http://www.cynthiaruchti.com

How do you pray for the books to which you give birth? What is the prayer of your heart on Launch Day? I'd love it if you'd share your ideas with me. Together, we'll build a repertoire of prayers that both cover our books and propel them out into the reading world. Cynthia concludes her blogpost with an interesting question

How do you pray for the books to which you give birth? What is the prayer of your heart on Launch Day? I'd love it if you'd share your ideas with me. Together, we'll build a repertoire of prayers that both cover our books and propel them out into the reading world.