How Authors Can Plan a Book Launch With Limited Time

Last week I received a message from a panicked author who was releasing her new book in less than a month and she didn’t know how to launch it. I receive messages like this at least once a week, so I know this is a problem that many authors face - whether self-published or traditionally-published. 

There’s so much advice out there telling authors how to set up the “perfect” book launch. But what if you face a situation that isn’t perfect? Does that mean your launch is doomed? 

Absolutely not. You just have to adjust your timeline and perspective a little.  

So how can you get started? And how can you do it without pulling all of your hair out at the same time? Read on! 

Start With Who You Know 

It’s a lot easier to sell your book to people who are already paying attention to you. Don’t use this time to try to convince people who don’t know you to buy your book. Focus on who you already know. 

Make a list of friends, family, coworkers, newsletter subscribers, organizations, and other connections that you already have. Reach out and offer to send them a free advanced PDF of your book. Ask if they would be willing to help spread the word, leave a review on your release day, buy a copy, and share with their social media connections to help you spread the word. 

Your trusted connections want to see you succeed, so you don’t need to be worried about them forwarding your book or using the PDF in reckless ways. Many of our friends and connections would love to help, so letting them know exactly how they can support you is very powerful.
 

Create a Free Incentive 

You might think that pouring some money into Facebook or Instagram ads might be the answer to your problems, but there are tradeoffs you should be aware of. Yes, ads can be great at helping you spread the word, but your money might be better spent if you can pursue a more strategic approach. 

More often then not I see an ad that has the picture of a book, the name of the author (who I haven’t even heard of) and “ON SALE NOW” in big bold letters, with the caption saying something like “Get your copy by clicking the link below!”

While you might get a lot of impressions and even some clicks with this type of ad, I can guarantee you that it will do hardly anything for actual sales. Instead, use your ad dollars to promote a free incentive that gets people on your newsletter list. Examples of compelling free incentives we’ve seen work are an extended excerpt of your book, an exclusive “behind the scenes” video, a helpful PDF, and checklists. Once they offer you their email in exchange for something of value, you can deepen that relationship and gradually lead them to purchasing the book. 

Shouting that your book is now available through ads to people that aren’t paying attention is not effective. Promoting exclusive content for free and fostering those new connections that will lead to a sale is much more effective and worth the investment.

Focus on the Long-Tail 

Your book has a lifespan that goes way beyond its release day. In fact, the bulk of your sales will be made after the book releases. Too many authors put most of their attention leading up to the release date, but don’t put much thought or effort into keeping that momentum going. 

Instead of putting all of your eggs in the launch day basket, spread your promotions throughout the year. Maybe you do some ads around your free incentive during release week and the following month you do a Goodreads giveaway. Maybe you do an ebook price reduction for a week the month after that. If you weren’t able to pitch your book to media outlets or to podcasts before the release date, make those connections over the following few months.  

When you spread things out - even just a little bit - you will be continually pointing people back to your book, boosting your momentum, and providing additional opportunities to keep the conversation rolling. 

Your book release doesn’t need to take over your life or be completely stressful. Whether you have plenty of time or if you’re down to the wire, focus on these key tips and you will be in good shape. 

And if you’re struggling to figure out how to find your readers online and simplify the book marketing process, you’re in luck! I have a free resource called the The Book Marketing Blueprint that you can download and put to work. Grab your copy!