A Book Launch Like No Other
May 2007
Project Dr. Richard Barbrook spent nearly five years writing and researching his long awaited book Imaginary Futures: From Thinking Machines to the Global Village, Pluto Press, May 2007) a definitive guide to the political history of the internet, tracing the development of cyberpolitics, from the 1960s Cold War period. The author, also a lecturer at the University of Westminster, wanted to generate appeal among his diverse audiences, reaching both academics and everyday people who followed his work over the years.
Outreach This book needed to win reader appeal and match varied expectations for its intended audiences. To meet the challenge and scope required, the Hai Media Group began early awareness building among pop cultural media outlets, youthful influencers as well as respected literary agents, book review critics, academics and technology journalists. Key programme elements included:
-Development of a content-rich website: www.imaginaryfutures.net
-Early digital seeding with production of a series of YouTube videos, and creating a YouTube channel for the author, and establishment of a MySpace page and Facebook personal websites for the author to keep in touch with his fans and creation of a Flickr.com image group.
-Early release copies were provided to more than 60 outlets, both among traditional book reviewers and a number of blogs, popular culture magazines and radio and television broadcast journalists.
-A book launch celebration was organized in the heart of London’s Soho district, at a popular night club.
The book launch event included a presentation by the author, and a critical debate with Cambridge University’s Simon Schaffer.
The early evening discussions, were followed by entertainment from live music, including a guest appearance by Chicago House music legendary performer Robert Owens.
Results
By offering an evening that would appeal to both the author’s academic associates and friends in the music, art and technology communities of London, the Imaginary Futures book launch on 16th May 2007 at Madame JoJos, was a memorable celebration with 300 guests, that both endeared the author to academic and literary communities, and brought together a vibrant and new generation of fans for the author’s work. Coverage of Imaginary Futures has appeared, among numerous blogs, as well as having earned attention from The Guardian, The Independent and The Times Higher Education Supplement. One literary agent told the author:
“It was the best book launch I’ve ever attended and I wish all the hundreds of similar events I’ve been too were like this. This is the way it should be done!”