But this is just the tip of your book publicity plan there is so much more a books launch team needs to do, according to this new post from. Champagne, toasts to the literary genius and crowds of eager readers buying hundreds of books. Offer your devoted fans advance copies of your new book. Advertise your new book on new in books newinbooks. The buzz and excitement of a launch can be exhilarating, but the marketing and promotional effort for a book must continue far beyond the initial days and weeks of getting it out there. But this is just the tip of your book publicity plan there is so much more a books launch team needs to do, according to this new post from publicist. One of the more institutionalized ways to have a good time in book publishing is with a book launch party. Their list includes bestsellers and books from small, medium and large publishing companies, as well as some select indie releases. A stepbystep book launch checklist premarketing to make. We have a soft spot for authors at nardi media, and we have developed a wide variety of customized media outreach and publicity options for book launch. It didnt follow the usual formula for writing, publishing and marketing.
Of course you could wait for launch day, but you may be left wondering why the hundreds of sales you were expecting dont happen. Either way, its good to start with at least some idea of the publicity avenues available to you as an author. In this age in publishing, when there are more books than fish in the sea, book publicity must be creative but precise and multifaceted but focused and strategic. Find out who your book appeals to, get to know those people well, and be where they are, both online and off. Contact a local bookstore or other venues about hosting a book release party. Sometimes authors plan parties because they want to celebrate, and theres nothing wrong with that. A book press release is an important part of your book marketing effort, you know it, i know it, the guy next door knows it. Therefore, obando said, thebest authorsare thosealready familiar with their audience and who have aspects of their platform already in place. Do you want people actively sharing your book with their friends. Whether its non fiction book marketing, self published book marketing, ebook marketing or one of a wide array of author marketing services, smith publicity is indeed an elite publicity firm, but also one that will help an author of a quality book, regardless of how it was published, reach their goals. How to create a book marketing and publicity campaign.
Have a page on your website for short stories, and add a new one every week or. The book pr agency the established uk market leader in quality book publicity, bigimpact literary events and effective author promotion. Six months prior to a book launch, your publisher will likely have your. You dedicate a few weekseven monthsto writing the book. How to host a book launch marketing for authors mandi lynn. Wondering how to get people excited about your book. Promoting your book takes careful planning so you get the most out of. We consult and run book launch campaigns for nonfiction authors looking to grow their audience and sell books. Get the publicity and media attention that will draw eyes to your book. The ultimate book press release template free download. Book pr services smith publicity book publicity book. Here are 9 uncommon tips that ive used to turn my books into. Book publicity not related to your book launch bookbaby blog.
Plus, youve worked super hard to get this book out into the world you deserve to celebrate. Dunlop explained why traditional publishers focus so much on doing publicity around a book s launch date, within a threemonth or sixmonth window. Its useful to boost initial sales and garner publicity. Most authors automatically assume that the holidays are a terrible time for a book launch and thats only true up to a point. I typically create a page for a launch and then use that same page for promotion after the launch.
Then youll have a link you can share via email or elsewhere whenever people. By claire mckinney how much does a book publicist cost. The first step of preparing for your book launch, and the marketing behind it, is to build your launch team or street team, as its also commonly referred to what is a launch team. How to quickly propel your business beyond the competition that they shared it with friends and peers. He tells all his fortyplus authors sell one book at a time. Its news you can plan for, rather than scrambling to launch your book right on top of a celebrity death, or whatever. Well, were here to tell you that it is possible and that putting on a great book launch is an excellent way to drum up interest and sales for your book.
The short answer is fees vary mainly according to the services offered and the size of the firm you hire, but for the most part it is a commitment that will likely run you thousands, not hundreds, of dollars. Another thing to take care of postlaunch is maintaining the web page for your book. This can also extend to running competitions on each others facebook pages, or. This book is so fun and catchy that some of my favorite authors like marion roach smith, joe bunting, jeff goins, and steven pressfield gave incredible endorsements. But when exactly should you pursue each promotional tactic youre considering. With the right mindset and an understanding of industry conventions, you can write a magnetic press release that is too good to pass up. At minimum, produce a website and create an author facebook page for your book. Author and publisher michael wiese has been writing and marketing books successfully for over three decades. For a newlyminted author with almost no clout, media coverage from tv, radio, magazine, and. Book marketing plan the definitive checklist book launch.
Our trusted book marketing experts understand authors and publishers. Finally, knowledge of your book grows as long as you nurture it. Where in the midst of a pandemic and it can be hard to know if should do book marketing during covid19. A grand but overused tactic to improve kindle book sales is to spread your book s amazon sale page link to as many free and paid book promotion sites as possible. Include in your marketing plan a schedule that allows for ongoing promotional activities of your previous work. Publicity seeks to find, identify, or target the audience to make them aware of your book. Tips for traditional and selfpublished authors is a book launch party the right thing for you. Top 10 faqs about book publicity and promotion the book. Ideally, one year before you launch, especially if you dont have a social media presence. Whether youre working with a publisher or publishing your own book, the responsibility for marketing your book will fall on you, the author. In my free book marketing plan outline, i suggested creating a book marketing calendar or schedule to keep track of your marketing activities in the months leading up to, and extending beyond, your book launch. In this article ill reveal some of the social media techniques i used to get thousands of people excited enough about my new book launch. But a book launch party can be a great way to give your marketing a push, too.
Using a standard package from pr web, we created a generic press release by pr web for an incredible book by pamela hodges called how to be a cat. How to create an effective book publicity plan the reedsy blog. As an upandcoming author, it can be difficult to know when exactly you should start marketing your soonto launch book. Your launch is just the beginning, and you absolutely must continue marketing your book to build your brand. But this is just the tip of your book publicity plan there is so much more a books launch team needs to do, according to this new post from publicist coleen hatrick. From what i hear from fellow authors, the publicist is generally assigned 34 months before the launch date. A launch is a great way of loudly announcing the arrival of your book. If youre looking to successfully launch a new book in the british media, youve come to the right place. As an author, or publisher, you should see publicity as one of the different channels through which you can market your books. I thought it would make a great sample of a mini marketing plan for businesses looking to develop one for themselves, especially book businesses. They understand that you must create awareness in print and online.
Here are nine handy tips for planning a successful book launch. A lot of books out there make suggestions to do this and that, but still leave you with a lot of guess work. Writing a book is a good start, but its not enough. Since our contacts in the media are exceptionally good. A stepbystep book launch checklist premarketing to make your book a bestseller ive been meaning to share a book launch checklist for months years. To set up a proper launch, a year or more before the book s publication, lay the groundwork for the book s publication.
Palamedes pr the market leader in book pr since 2009. At this point, lets just ask why an author would want to launch a book at a shop rather than at a more unusual location. The big difference between a publishers publicity efforts and a selfpublishers publicity efforts. Publicity for authors with new book launches strategic vision pr. Check out our popular all things book marketing podcast here.
Finally, when the dust settles, youre rewarded with a handful of. Book marketing expert and book publicist scott lorenz. Awardwinning book pr, arts pr and general communication services from emma finnigan, a londonbased publicist with 20 years experience of delivering strategic campaigns that launch careers, build brands, drive sales and engage readers. Spend time going through every item on this checklist, so that you get a feel for all of the options that are available to you.
Instead of trying to sell your book to faceless thousands, find one person who needs and wants your book. That was when i came across book launch by chandler bolt. Fans can be your evangelists spreading the word about your book far and wide. The internet is everywhere and affects everything, but there is life outside of the web.
How to host a book launch marketing for authors youtube. You dont want to leave it too late because youll start twiddling your thumbs as the campaign sets off. Publishers are focused on selling as many as possible right after the book goes on sale to avoid returns from. As such, you should think about it and get in touch with publicists as soon as you start planning your marketing strategy, i. Through the book launch package, your book will get in front of a targeted audience of readers who have specifically asked to be notified about books just like yours. Book marketing services for authors launch my book. To set up a proper launch, a year or more before the books publication, lay the groundwork for the. Books forward will tailor a campaign for you planning around your upcoming releases, longterm goals, overall brand and budget.
The bottom line is to practice selling your books one by one. Book publicity can be tricky for some authors, but it helps promote your book. The ideal launch team, also known as a street team, is a dedicated, handselected group eager to make your launch successful. Book marketers know the simplest version of a crosspromotion is an agreement to send a newsletter about another authors book when they launch. But in reality, the book launch party is more about rewarding yourself for a job well done, a celebration of a goal achieved, rather than a way of marketing and selling your book. With the advent of ebooks, there is no longer something called a backlist.
This is a vital step in the promotion and marketing of your book, andif done rightwill make the rest of the process infinitely easier. The following is a fictitious mini marketing plan i created for a publishing class while in university studying communication. This post offers a book marketing timeline that you can use as a guide. Guest column march 2, 2016 although todays virtual world allows authors to connect with their audience without ever leaving their house, virtual communication cannot replace the physical experience of sharing your book and knowledge with a room full of real people at a book signing. Your publishing date is coming up, and you want to partner with an experienced team for fullscale book marketing and author publicity. The books launch is really important to give it sales momentum. Joint venture launch partner with another author or expert to promote your book and their products together. Jessica glenn launched mindbuck media book publicity in 2005 and the mindbuck media team has worked on an eclectic variety of books.