How to Launch a Book in Ten Steps
A book launch can be an exhausting experience, especially after all the effort that you’ve put into getting the book out in the first place. Although book launches aren’t as important as they once used to be, it’s still preferable for long-term sales, if your title has a good start. And, hopefully, a top-ten ranking in its category on Amazon. Here’s a guide to a book launch in ten clear steps.
I’ve just launched my 12th fiction title, The Island Daughter. This novel, Book 3 in the Love on an Island series has sold better than any of my previous titles. It was No1 Hot New Release in its category on Amazon post-launch and ranked in the top 5 in two other categories.
I try to follow a certain routine when I publish a title. Here is a summary of the ten most important steps to a successful book launch.
1. Prepare a Launch Timetable
The best book launches are like military maneuvers. They need to be planned ahead. With a schedule written down, whether it is in your diary, or on a spreadsheet, you can be certain that nothing is forgotten, or dropped off. It’s also easier to deal with any unforeseen issues if you have a firm plan set down.
The better your strategy, the better the launch.
2. Publish the Paperback Copy
If you can, publish the paperback copy first before the eBook comes out. If you don’t have a large Beta readership (a group of first readers) this can also be a way to gauge the reaction to the title before its official launch. You can gain some early reviews so that when the book comes out, your sales page already has some social proof.
Prepare the book for publication with IngramSpark first (if you are using this service), because it takes up to six weeks for the title to appear in wholesalers for brick and mortar bookshops, and online retailers, such as Barnes&Noble.
For Amazon KDP, publish the paperback about a week before the eBook.
If you are running out of time, you can flip this around and launch the paperback a few weeks later. This will give you an additional opportunity to promote the eBook version again. You could even consider discounting it to celebrate the paperback launch.
Think of the eBook and paperback as separate products, which can have different launch dates.
3. Promote One of Your Other Books
If writing a series, increase the advertising for Book 1 and offer a discount or make it free for a limited period, if possible. I ran a week-long free promotion for The Island Affair, the first novel in the series, two months before the launch of The Island Daughter.
If you are not writing a series, try promoting one of your other titles, or increase your advertising budget. In both cases make sure that the back matter in your book mentions the forthcoming title, as well your newsletter, or Launch Crew. (see below)
If a reader enjoys your writing, they will come back for more, so make sure they are aware of your new book.
4. Increase Your Audience
At least a month before the launch, boost your efforts in increasing your audience. The larger it is, the better your launch.
According to marketing studies, about 1% of those who are on your mailing list will buy your book. So, if you have 10,000 subscribers, only 100 will buy. That seems a bit low to me, and obviously, it depends on the quality of your list. Do you just have readers who are after free books, or are they real super fans who will buy anything you write? If the latter, I would put that figure nearer to 10%. That’s still not very many sales.
You can see how important it is to have a large mailing list for a profitable launch.
One way to increase your mailing list is to promote your reader magnet – if you have one (I hope you do!). Make sure all your books mention your mailing list at the front and back of your title.
Advertise your list on Facebook, if you can afford it, making a calculation of how much a new subscription is worth to you, using the 1-10% rule above. Promote your reader magnet on your social media platforms. Make sure your website has your offer prominent on all of the pages, and there’s a pop-up. Join Bookfunnel, Boosweeps, or similar newsletter-building giveaways two months before the launch date.
If you are more inclined toward social media, now is the time to increase your following. The social media following is generally less engaged with you than those readers who have signed up for your mailing list. But this isn’t always true. If you know your audience on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, or one of the other platforms is more likely to buy the new book than through a mailing list, concentrate your efforts here.
Your mailing list and social media following will guarantee early buys and reviews.
5. Prep Your Audience
Your existing audience, whether on social media or in the form of a mailing list (or preferably both), are your most ardent fans. They are so-called ‘warm’ customers. They know you, like your writing style, and are the most likely to buy the new book. But they need to be prepped for the launch.
According to studies, it takes 7-10 ‘touchpoints’ for a customer to purchase an item. What this means is that a potential reader needs to see, or be reminded about, your book between 7 and 10 times before they will buy.
Start the process early. Months and weeks before the launch, while you are still writing the book, talk about the forthcoming title on your social media, blog, and newsletters. Tell them about your writing process, your struggles, and your successes with the work. Keep your audience excited about your new book.
Closer to the launch, send weekly newsletters (or more often if you want to) to your list. Also, start prepping your audience on social media.
You can organize a cover reveal, give them the first chapter sneak peek (you can also use this as another lead magnet), arrange competitions, and teasers, or describe characters, settings, or the subject matter. Let your readers know when they can preorder the book and post a video when the first box of paperbacks arrives. Have your cat or dog snuggle up to your stack of books.
The possibilities are endless.
If you have a specific launch team, send them the advance review copy in good time, and make sure they understand the importance of reviews on the launch date, or as close to it as possible.
The more you prep your audience, the more of them will buy your new book. Remember the 7-10 touchpoints.
6. Blogs and Reviews
The universally known truth is that reviews sell books. Publishing your paperback copy before the launch of the eBook will give you some reviews, especially if you've prepped your audience to post them for you.
A blog tour is another great way to get reviews. Take time to schedule a blog tour or arrange guest posts about your book with appropriate bloggers. This needs to be planned ahead - bloggers are organized and will need time (often months in advance) to read and add your book to their sites.
Ask readers on Facebook Groups, social media platforms, and fellow writers if they’d like a review copy. If you are very organized and have a list of people you know will review the book when it comes out, make sure you send it to them in good time.
Quote the reviews (and comments) you’ve received by email or on social media on your book sales page, or even as the front matter of the title. Don’t forget you can update your book anytime, especially if you use Vellum to design the interior.
Reviews sell books.
7. Update Your Backlist
Make sure the back matter in your previous books is up to date. Add your new title to the “Also by'“ -page and don’t forget to go and update these again to add the link to the stores when your pre-order is live. You may also wish to add the first chapter of the new title if it’s ready to the back of the book. If not, add an enticing description of the new title, and cover.
When a reader loves a book, they will devour it right to the end. This is your chance to showcase your other books to someone who is delighted to have this information.
8. Pre-order
This is the moment when you need to decide whether you are going to publish your eBook exclusively on Amazon or ‘go wide’. (See a post here about the pros and cons of either strategy.)
Set up a preorder on Amazon (and other eBook retailers if you are ‘wide’). Make sure the description is excellent! Use the many free HTML tools to make your blurb stand out. I use Kindlepreneur's free online book description tool.
Discount your new title to whatever you are comfortable with (from 99p/¢) for a short period just before the launch. This will give your book a boost when it comes out.
Make sure you pick the right categories – ask Amazon to add 8 more when the book is published. (Read my post on how to add up to 10 book categories on Amazon.)
Monitor Amazon rankings. If you are lucky, and you’ve done all the above, your book will have an orange Hot New Release or Bestseller sticker for being No1 in its category. Take screenshots & post about these on social media, your newsletters, and on your blog.
The pre-order period allows you a little more time to get your marketing efforts lined up. You have a tangible link to the product that you are selling and you can update all the backmatter in your other books, and set up promotional campaigns.
9. Promote and Advertise
Schedule advertising for your new title. You can apply to BookBub for a New Release Feature, or use NewInBooks, BargainBooksy, EreaderNews, FussyLibrarian, Hello Books, or any other email promotion services to get the word out about your new title.
Amazon Advertising is now considered a ‘must’ for all authors and new books. If you are writing a series, you can get away with just promoting Book 1. But I’d still advise adding the new title to your AMS ads, at least for a short period around the launch date.
Advertise as much or as little as your budget allows, but remember in today’s publishing landscape, books that have not been promoted, rarely become successful titles.
10. Launch Day
It’s D-Day! Be busy on social media. Think of hosting a Facebook or Instagram Live Launch (as long as you’ve told your audience about it in advance). Take pictures of yourself with the book, and perhaps a glass of something bubbly. Don’t forget to monitor your rankings, ads, and take screenshots.
Enjoy your launch. You’ve produced a book and now it’s out there earning you money. This is a time to celebrate!
This is me on the Launch Day for The Christmas Heart in 2018
Over to You
Are you about to launch a book? Or have you just published a new title? Let me know what you’re struggling with or how the launch went by commenting below.
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