A launch is not a single day. It is a run-up, a release and a follow-through. Planning it in stages makes it manageable, and gives your book the best chance of reaching the right readers. This outline assumes about twelve weeks. Adjust it to suit your book.
Weeks 12 to 9: foundations
- Finish the book properly. The editing, the proofreading and the formatting should be complete or well on the way.
- Settle your metadata. Title, subtitle, description, categories and keywords.
- Get your cover final, and think about a cover reveal.
- Set up your platforms. Your retailer accounts and listings should be ready.
- Start or grow your mailing list, and tell it what is coming.
- Find advance readers. People who will read an advance copy and, if they enjoy it, leave an honest review.
Weeks 8 to 5: building interest
- Share the cover and a short description with your list and your followers.
- Send advance copies to your reader team, with clear instructions on when and where reviews may go up.
- Prepare your launch materials: images, short excerpts, quotations and a few sentences about the book to reuse.
- Contact reviewers, bloggers and podcast hosts who cover your genre, and ask politely.
- Consider pre-orders where the platform allows them for your format.
Weeks 4 to 2: gathering momentum
- Remind your list with a short excerpt or a behind-the-scenes note.
- Line up your launch-week plan: emails, posts, any events or interviews.
- Test your links, especially the buy links and the review page.
- If you are advertising, set up and test your campaigns with a small budget before launch.
Week 1: launch week
- Release day: email your list, post, and tell the people who have supported you.
- Ask for reviews from your advance readers, now that the book is live.
- Respond to messages and comments, and thank people.
- Watch your listing: check that the formats are linked, the description is correct and the book appears where it should.
After launch
- Keep asking for honest reviews, politely and without pressure.
- Look at what is working and do more of it.
- Keep in touch with your list, and let them know about new content or books.
- Review your metadata and your description after a few weeks.
If you are short of time
Not every author can follow a twelve-week plan. If you are short of time, focus on four things: a finished, well-presented book; a clear description and categories; a handful of advance readers who will review it honestly; and a message to your mailing list on release day. Everything else is a bonus.
Budgeting for launch
Decide in advance what you can spend on advertising, review outreach and events, and keep a record of what each activity costs and returns. Start with a small budget and test, rather than committing everything on day one. Read getting your first book reviews the right way for the review side, building a mailing list for your audience, and book metadata explained so that readers can find you.
Release week, day by day
- Release day: email your list, post, and thank the readers who helped. Check that the listing, formats and description are correct.
- Day two: send a short note to your advance readers with the review link.
- Days three and four: share a reader's comment or a behind-the-scenes post, with permission.
- Day five: review any early advertising results, and change nothing drastic on a single day's data.
- Day seven: write down what worked. You will use it for your next book.
Keep a simple notebook of dates, actions and results. By the end of the month you will know which activities were worth repeating.
What a good plan does
A good plan makes sure your book is ready, findable and in front of the right readers.
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