It Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This: The Book Tour
Few things in the publishing world are more exciting or gratifying than launching a new author. Last week, First Flight Books had the privilege of getting out on tour with our latest author, Jeff Rimer. Rimer (or Rims as he’s affectionately known by throngs of hockey and sports fans across multiple generations) kicked off his book tour for his debut book, It Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This: Unforgettable Calls in the Booth and Unexpected Turns in Life, in Columbus, Ohio.
First Flight launched the three-stop book tour for our newest author, Jeff Rimer, in Columbus, Ohio, where Rimer spent 20 years as the “voice of the Columbus Blue Jackets,” following earlier broadcasting roles with the Montreal Canadiens, Washington Capitals, Florida Panthers, and years calling baseball with the Baltimore Orioles.
Rims did several media appearances over the week, including one on Good Day Columbus on ABC 6 with host Kurt Ludlow.
Rimer also received a warm and enthusiastic welcome at Nationwide Arena for our private launch party, where current and former players like Zach Warenski and Mathieu Olivier, mingled with other guests, while 97.1 “The Fan,” broadcast live from the venue. Guests got their hands on advance copies of the book and eagerly posed with Jeff for photos before getting their books signed.
Perhaps the most impactful moment, though, came when Mike Ricordati told Jeff during a live interview that when he read the book, he felt like he could hear Rimer’s voice coming through in the prose. There’s no higher praise for an author whose voice fans have come to know, trust, and love.
As we ramped up momentum for the week, Rims was welcomed into a premium event at Porsche Columbus, a Byers dealership. This event was open to the public and the public definitely showed up in support. Wearing team jerseys and iconic Rimer paraphernalia, they were treated to a 40-minute conversation between Rims and his longtime broadcast partner, Jody Shelley. It was a rare reunion of these two iconic sports voices and a more intimate peek into their longtime friendship. Rims offered the audience the rarest of treats; he reenacted from memory his call of the legendary Rick Nash goal against the Phoenix Coyotes. That call would go on to become the title of Rimer’s book.
We rounded out the week with another public conversation and book signing at Barnes and Noble in Lennox Town. Fans—some who drove from many miles away—were treated to nearly two hours of Rimer stories and books signed. And we were thrilled to sell out the in-store inventory!
The entire week underscored what we at First Flight Books believe is at the core of our mission: readers are hungry for authentic stories and voices that speak to them in meaningful ways. And they are eager to connect with the authors behind those stories.
We can’t thank the teams at Nationwide Arena, the Columbus Blue Jackets, Porsche Columbus, and Barnes and Noble Lennox Hill enough for their enthusiasm and excitement over Jeff’s book. So many came together to make the events successful.
We’re looking ahead to more events this fall, starting in South Florida and moving all the way up into Rimer’s native Canada. Stay tuned for specific dates and locations.
Rimer’s book is available now in pre-sale on Amazon. Secure your copy now.
