Why In The World Should I Go To A Book Launch?

My lovely wife, Julia May Jonas, wrote a long, thoughtful, sweet, and frankly spot-on post about book launches on Facebook, in advance of my own book launch. Because you are probably not friends with my wife on Facebook (and if you are WHAT ARE YOU NOT TELLING ME), I'm re-posting it here:

Adam, amazingly, is having a whole other book (Near Enemy) published this year and is having his book launch party this Wednesday, January 14th (about one year from the launch of his last book). Until Adam and I got together, I didn't go to many book launches - I felt that whereas my presence actually affects a piece of theater (or if it does not affect it, it is, at the least, a symbiotic relationship), the book is already finished, and it is just as good for me to skip the launch and buy the book some other time and consume it in private, where books should be, and are oft most enjoyably consumed. 

But the challenge with being a writer of novels is that the solitude never ends. You write your book alone, you privately hope someone agrees to publish it, you read reviews and comments, glowing, vitriolic and in-between, in solitude, and except for the intrepid soul who might write you an email or mention your book in a tweet, you watch as two or more years of work seem to get swallowed up by an abyss. 

I'm not saying this to suggest that you should pity the poor writers, more just to say, "Go to the book launch!" This one in particular, as I am speaking with vested interest, but also in general. It really really matters to the writer. It's the one time they get to connect with people. They shower and choose their outfit and everything. Also they are fun, brief and have free wine pretty much 100% of the time.

All of this is true. Especially the part about free wine. My book launch for NEAR ENEMY is Wednesday, January 14 at 7PM at BookCourt in Brooklyn. I will be freshly showered, GUARANTEED.