After months or even years of hard work, one book gets ready. Book writing is a long and tiring process that includes the time and focus of an individual. So many drafts have been written and redrafted, many revisions are made before the book is finalized. After a prolonged process, the author’s excitement is highest because of the three magical words “launch Own book”.
Finally, it is the time for all the hard work to be paid off. At this phase, you believe that you are all set to go for the launch, but apart from publishing, several other steps are involved in a book launch. Your primary responsibility is to make your book available in book stores, digital and physical, and on the website. It does not matter if any ghostwriting agency is involved in the process or not.
It doesn’t even matter if you opt for traditional publishing or doing it individually. Whatever is the scenario, you should be the key person and active player when it comes to the launch of your book. Before making it available in the stores, book marketing is also your sole responsibility because with creating awareness about your book, you can never get the sales number. Of course, you can get help from ghostwriting agencies like Creative Writing experts for the book marketing and publishing plan; however, your interference is mandatory since you are the sole custodian of the book.
Everything requires planning, without which you can drown into the ocean of ideas and thoughts. Organizing your goals make your tasks easier to achieve. Similarly, in a book launch, planning plays a vital role. If you are unsure about your book launch, we are here for you. We have compiled a step by step guide for you to understand the entire process of a book launch.
Points to be considered if you are working with a publisher
If you opt for working with a publisher, you will have an edge in getting assistance from them since they give you a book marketing plan and use their audience. However. If you are new to the industry and do not have a massive audience.
Then do not put everything on your publisher because he will give you a plan with a limited budget and resources. He would align you with a book tour event and a mediocre ad campaign.
Instead, partner with your publisher and take charge of the activities. It will have two benefits; firstly, you will understand the entire book marketing process for future reference. Secondly, you will hold over the activities. And you can decide what is best for your book since you are the custodian to be the fairest with the book. It would be a project for a publisher.
But for you, it will be your passion. Ask your publisher to share the launch plan with you. Analyze the list and segregate the parts that you can do individually.
Points to be considered if you are Self-publishing
If you have decided to opt for self-publishing, then attention to the minor details are required since you are the sole responsible for the process. However, launching a book in the self-publishing umbrella involves certain steps, and all these steps are mandatory to be followed, or you might face failure. This is significant for newcomers and old goats.
The launch date for the book
Selection of date should be done with all the calculations, including all the book launch tasks. Once the launch date is decided, you will have a deadline to meet all the goals you need to achieve before the launch. Usually, you should select a launch date six or 12 months before you publish your book. For launching your book, give yourself a time of a few months to cover all detailing required before the launch. Moreover, if you opt for self-publishing, the soft copy launch is arranged once you have completed the writing, editing and proofreading process. Also, keep in mind that if you choose to post it on Amazon or any other Ebook platform, it should be done one day before the publish date. It takes one whole day to get a book published in different world locations.
Author’s Website
Once the launch date is decided, it is time to work on book marketing strategies required before the launch. The next step is to make the author’s website. As an author, you need a landing platform to brand yourself and your books to your readers. Of course, social media is also one of the tools used. Still, having your website adds sophistication and authenticity to your brand and you. All the linking and essential features should be added to your website. Dedicated pages for all your books should be available along with linking your social media accounts.
Moreover, start writing blogs related to the writing industry, this is a very effective tool to bring the audience to the website. The website will also help you in building your Email community. Try to collect as many emails from your potential customers as possible. Email marketing has proved to be very efficient in book marketing plans.
Landing Page for the Book
It is a page made available on the website for book launches. This page includes the details about the upcoming book. In addition, the cover design, trailer, pre-launch reviews from beta testing readers, etc., are added in this section. Furthermore, this page is a great source to collect the email addresses of your potential customers. These email accounts can be further used for sending upcoming details about the book, giveaways from chapter one, launch details etc.
Active on Social Media
Social media can be a game-changer for book marketing. It has a massive audience and a large reach to it. Getting active on social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube can bring unlimited potential customers. Never neglect this stage in a book marketing plan.
Blog and Podcast Tour
If you aim to achieve big, you need to go out in the open two months before the book’s launch. There should be hype in the market about your upcoming book. Reach out to the bloggers specifically book bloggers interested in your genre. You can ask them to give you a review or interview you in the live sessions on social media. Additionally, research a podcast and contact the host to conduct your interview. Your interview should be scheduled as per the time that suits your book launch date.
Host a Giveaway:
Giveaways are one of the steps that can add value to your book. It gives mindfulness which can be beneficial for creating awareness about your upcoming books. The ways of doing giveaways are social media ads and conducting giveaways on Goodreads or LibraryThing. It is okay if they did not win the giveaway still. However, they will be added to your potential customer’s list since they were engaged in the activity.
Venue and Invites for Book Launch
First things first, select a suitable venue where you can host a launch party. You can either opt for a virtual launch or book a physical place. If you opt for a virtual launch, you can go social media channels or utilize your website. If you plan to host a launch in person, you can approach nearby libraries or cafes for the party. Create schedule, itinerary, guest list, book experts, games, giveaways etc. Do not forget to dedicate time for you to sign book covers. Once the venue is finalized, design an invite and send it out worldwide to Youtuber, bloggers, press people, and authors. Try to involve influencing personalities because you build your network for your future books.
Conclusively, book launch is a long process, and minor details are significant because this is the first step of your book out in the world. However, you do not want it to go wrong because awareness about the book is created based on the launch, which has a huge effect on the book’s success.
