Planning a Book Launch

In this post, some lessons learned from the release of my third novel, What She Inherits.

After a lengthy break from updating this blog, I'm back with some tips and suggestions based on my recent experience in the self-pub world.

Between November of 2013, when I published The Latecomers Fan Club, and January 2017, when I published What She Inherits, my attitude about self-publishing and thoughts on how best to approach it have definitely evolved.

A few months ago, I was inspired by some wise words Glennon Doyle Melton offered in Liz Gilbert's Magic Lessons podcast. In the interview, Melton commented that her writing isn't her baby, and thank goodness for that, because it was, she'd have to babysit it. When I heard that, I had one of those lightbulb moments. I don't have to babysit my writing! Because it's not a baby! Hooray! That might sound like common sense, but anyone who has checked sales pages and reader reviews daily (and suffered the depression no sales brings) might want to follow Melton's lead, too. This tiny lightbulb moment partly explains why I left this blog alone for a while. When I wasn't babysitting my writing, I wasn't worrying about self-publishing strategies or trying new marketing strategies. I was writing instead.

That said, when What She Inherits was finished and ready to go, I had to put my publisher hat back on. This time I brought a lot of past experience, but I quickly learned that I needed some new tricks, too.

In this post, I'd like to outline for you a book launch plan that makes the most of the current self-publishing landscape. Some of this is what I did for What She Inherits, and some is what I wish I did. There's always next time!

I. Preorders

When you are ready to hit publish, make your book a preorder instead, and schedule a launch date at least 3 months (or as much as 6) in the future. You can learn more about Kindle preorders here. To read about Smashwords preorders, click here.

II. Line up reviewers

NetGalley

If your budget allows, consider enrolling your book in NetGalley for a month. Ideally your listing will run the month or two before your launch date. Netgalley is expensive, but there are ways to get a discounted listing, and this is a good way to get committed reviewers before the book goes on sale. Smith Publicity offers discounted NetGalley packages, as do other writers groups. I was able to get a listing for one month for only $45 through a writers group I know (email me if you want more info).

BookRazor

If your budget allows, hire BookRazor to help you identify reviewers on Amazon. Ideally, you should contact BookRazor at least three months before your launch as many reviewers have long backlogs of books and will take several months to get to your book. Here's what's great about BookRazor: They are helping you work within the Amazon ecosystem. I have argued over and over (and will keep arguing) that any marketing you do that is outside Amazon is not likely to increase sales or exposure in any meaningful way. You want to work inside the system, not outside of it, so getting reviewers who love to share their thoughts on Amazon is key. I have not used BookRazor for my previous books, but I did for What She Inherits, and I definitely will again in the future.

Advance Sales to Friends and Family

Considering selling the paperback to family and friends during your preorder period. This is the cheapest way to line up some early reviewers. An easy way to do this is to share the link to your book's Createspace store (I use Createspace for my paperbacks and I highly recommend it). You can even give them a discount code. Your book is only accessible on createspace when you give people the link. There is no way to search the Createspace store for a book. Thus, if you send the link to your email contacts, you can create a private sale. Here's a sample of how I set up my advance sales.

III. Build buzz with a GoodReads Giveaway

A few months before launch, make a GoodReads listing for your book, and start your first giveaway. I recommend giving away several copies. The more you can offer, the more people will sign up.

IV. Take advantage of Kindle Select

My view on Kindle Select has softened over the years. In 2015, I argued against Kindle Select. Now I have accepted the reality that without playing Amazon's games, it's hard to reach a broad audience. In the end, Kindle created the self-pub revolution, so I guess it's not surprise that we authors are trapped in the rules of Kindle world.

There are things that bug me about Kindle Select (like the two-tier pay-rate and exclusivity I've discussed in the past), but I can't deny that it's a useful tool and a worthwhile part of a book marketing strategy.  I suppose my five years in self-publishing have taught me that I have to compromise in business sometimes, and accepting the terms of Kindle Select are part of that compromise for me.

For more on that compromise, you can read this post on my experience with Kindle Scout, in which I discuss the reality of the market for ebooks.

Anyway, I initially launch What She Inherits in all major retailers, but as I prepare for the release of audiobook, I have pulled my book from other sites and enrolled in Kindle Select to get a boost from the marketing power of Kindle Selects promotional options.

Especially when a book is new, Kindle Select can be a great way to expand your audience.

A few pieces of advice:

• Don't schedule any Kindle Select promotions until you have at least 10 good reviews.
• Advertise your Kindle Select promotions so that readers find them. Here's a list of places you might want to advertise.

Well, that's it. A simple, straightforward launch outline. Do you have tips to share about making a book launch successful?