Updated May 2026 to reflect current data.

Richard Lowe, The Writing King, co-hosted a virtual book launch party with Bonnie K.T. Dillabough, a celebration built around two new titles at once: Mastering Your Inner Critic by bestselling author Chris Salem, and Richard’s own Networking Without the BS. Run as a relaxed two-hour open house, it’s a recording of something the publishing world doesn’t do nearly enough, treating a book’s arrival as an actual event.

Co-host Bonnie K.T. Dillabough, a dear friend and fellow writer, has since passed away. Her memory is honored here.

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In this event

Two books worth celebrating

The party put two very different books side by side. Chris Salem’s Mastering Your Inner Critic takes on the self-doubt that quietly holds people back, the internal voice that talks them out of their own potential. Richard’s Networking Without the BS comes at the world from the opposite direction, outward instead of inward: a straight-talking guide to building genuine professional relationships, the kind that actually lead somewhere, without the cringe and the hard-sell that give networking a bad name. Inner game and outer game, launched together.

The open-house format

Rather than a rigid agenda, the launch ran as a two-hour open house, the kind of event where guests can drop in, stay a while, and slip out when they need to. That looseness is the point: it kept the energy social rather than salesy, with room for real discussion involving both authors instead of a single scripted reading. For a virtual event, the come-and-go structure is a smart way to keep the room lively across a long window.

Why a book launch party

A launch party answers a problem Richard talks about often: a finished book doesn’t promote itself. Gathering people for a celebration turns publication from a quiet upload into a moment, an occasion that brings an audience together and puts a new title in front of them with some warmth behind it. Pair two authors and two books, as this one did, and each brings their own circle, so everyone’s launch reaches further than it would alone. It’s promotion that feels like a party rather than a pitch.

Find Richard Lowe at TheWritingKing.com.

Common questions about this event

What was this event?
A virtual, two-hour open-house book launch party, co-hosted by Richard Lowe and Bonnie K.T. Dillabough, celebrating two new books with discussion from both authors.

Which books were being celebrated?
Two: Mastering Your Inner Critic by bestselling author Chris Salem, and Networking Without the BS by Richard Lowe.

What does an open-house launch format mean?
Guests can come and go freely across the two-hour window rather than sitting through a fixed agenda, which keeps a virtual event social and lively and leaves room for genuine conversation.

What is Networking Without the BS about?
It’s Richard’s no-nonsense guide to building real professional relationships, networking that leads somewhere, without the awkward hard-sell that gives the practice a bad reputation.

Why hold a book launch party at all?
Because a book doesn’t sell itself. A launch party turns publication into an event that gathers an audience and puts the book in front of them, and pairing two authors lets each reach the other’s circle.