Setting Up Your Book Launch for Success
It is truly a rush as you finally click that publish button for your book. Whether you are self-publishing or traditionally publishing, taking the final step of getting your story in front of readers is the goal. However, to ensure that readers actually see your work, have you done the work to spread the word?
What should you do to prepare for your book launch? Here's a checklist:
ARC Readers: I myself didn't know what these were at first. An ARC Copy is when you give a free advanced reader copy to a list of readers who read it before the book releases and leave an honest review for your book. You want to make sure as you search for these readers that you list the expectations upfront and come across to them professionally. Tell them when the release date is, what the title and genre are, the word count, and a description. Then be sure to ask what format they want it sent in, either epub or pdf.
Book Blog Reviews: Start submitting to book blogs months prior to your release date. Simply explain when the release date is, what the title and genre are, word count, and a description. Then be sure to ask what format they want it sent in, either epub or pdf. Many of these book reviewers will tell you exactly how they want review submissions. They will also have a section to explain their review policy, genre preferences, and more. These bloggers are often facing a long list of hopeful authors so please be patient.
Promotion and advertisements: Long before your manuscript is finished you should be promoting your book and building your audience. Creating simple book trailers, advertisements, and more can help build the hype for your book. Do not overdo it though! Too much promotion becomes background noise. A service such as Canva.com can help you create promotional content to help you.
Sneak Peeks: This can be placed in several places. Often writers will provide a one-chapter sneak peek for readers to get a taste of what your book is going to be like. Depending on where you are in the stages of your book development and how early you release this sneak peek, be sure it is edited. The last thing you want to do is give your audience the wrong impression. This sneak peek can be placed on your site under the tab for the book, on Amazon on the books page, or on a social media account such as Facebook.
I hope that this checklist helps to create a successful book launch for you. You can do it as long as you get the word out there!