On July 16th, I co-hosted a live cover reveal party for The Light Keeper!

My publisher set everything up, pre-arranged other authors and influencers to share my cover, and had the cover designed, of course. All I had to do was attend and practice my answers to the questions. Let's discuss what the cover reveal party included, just in case you want to do one, too.

We announced the cover reveal party starting about a week in advance and reminded our target audience of the party the day before and the hours leading up to the party. I made some images where I could tease the cover but kept it mostly covered to help build some anticipation. I also created a video on TikTok to help spread awareness about the party.

What are the perks of attending a live cover reveal party? Without perks, what would be the point? During my party, we held two giveaways. One was for an amazon gift card and some fun cover swag. The grand prize was the first ARC of the book! Another perk of attending the party is seeing the cover before anyone else, which is fun. We also included a Q&A session to let readers get to know me a little better or to ask any questions about the book. I had one person ask who was my favorite character and why.

Leading into the party, we had it broadcasting live on Instagram and YouTube and had the link available for viewing on Twitter. My publisher used streamyard to go live simultaneously on those platforms. It also gave her the space to show slides while alternating between her and me speaking.

Here's an example of how the party unfolded:
1) Welcome
2) About the author
3) Giveaway #1
4) Inspiration for the book
5) Live reading of book intro
6) Cover reveal
7) Inspiration for the cover
8) Author Q&A
9) Pre-Sale Announcement
10) Grand Prize Giveaway

In all, the party took just over twenty minutes. You should plan for your party to last between twenty and thirty minutes. The length will depend on how many questions you receive and how long it takes for you to read the intro to your book. I practiced reading the pages in advance and timed myself.

Unfortunately, I do not have a recommendation for how to judge if a cover reveal party was successful. I had less than one-dozen attendees, but more than I expected as an emerging author. I was delighted to learn we already had a few pre-orders of my novel before we revealed the link.

I recommend hosting a cover reveal party because you want to announce your cover with all pomp and circumstance. Why not give yourself a larger platform to do so? It costs almost nothing to do, and by recruiting others to help share the news, you have the potential to grow your audience.