Are you ready to build your readership?

In my book promotion training, I teach about the five stages of book promotion.

1. Pre-launch: Building anticipation through teasers, cover reveals, and author announcements.

2. Launch: Generating buzz around the book’s release through events, social media campaigns, and press releases.

3. Post-launch: Capitalizing on initial momentum with book signings, interviews, and guest blog posts.

4. Ongoing promotion: Sustaining interest through continued social media engagement, reviews, and targeted advertising.

5. Long-term promotion: Keeping the book visible through author events, book clubs, and strategic partnerships.

For the next few weeks, I will share these five stages with you.

Let’s start with Pre-Launch.  I call this the getting ready stage.  It’s all about you and your book getting ready for promotion.  If you worked on your book promotion infrastructure, you are on target for your pre-launch.

If you’ve never promoted a book, this is your learning stage.  I recommend reading books on book promotion and watching the latest videos on book marketing and listening to the latest podcasts.  Why?  Because promotion changes daily, and you want to stay on top of things. 

When I published my book about book promotion, live streaming was the hottest trend, and everyone was on Periscope.  In 2024 live stream is still popular but Periscope no longer exists.  If I was getting ready to promote my book thinking I could use Periscope in my promotion plan, I would be so out of touch.

Always do your research to make sure you know what’s working and what’s not working when it comes to book promotion.  This takes time so schedule your learning time so you can be ready for your book launch.

Seek advice from fellow authors.  What are they doing to get their books in reader’s hands?

Take courses or workshops on book marketing and promotion this will keep you informed.

Use this time to create your promotion plan and work on your marketing content.  You don’t want to wait to your release date and start working on these items. If you’re not good at these sorts of things, this is the time to get your marketing budget ready so you can outsource these items.

Now is the time to be contacting the promotions sites and events to schedule your promotions.

Get your author platform ready. Start that email list.

Create a checklist of things you need to do before your release date and start check them off.

Here are few things you can do during your pre-launch:

1.    Create a pre-launch landing page: Design a dedicated webpage on your website where visitors can sign up to receive updates about your book, including exclusive content and pre-order information.

2.    Create a teaser campaign: Release snippets or excerpts from your book on social media platforms, accompanied by intriguing captions to pique interest.

3.    Plan a cover reveal event: Schedule a date for unveiling your book cover and promote it across your social media channels and mailing list. Consider hosting a live event or countdown on your social media.

4.    Share behind-the-scenes content: Offer sneak peeks into your writing process, character sketches, or research materials to engage your audience and make them feel involved in the creation of your book.

5.    Build suspense with countdowns: Use countdown timers on your website or social media profiles to create anticipation for key milestones like cover reveals or pre-order availability.

6.    Engage with influencers: Reach out to book bloggers, influencers, and fellow authors in your genre to share teasers of your book or participate in joint promotional activities leading up to the launch.

7.    Offer exclusive content: Reward your followers with exclusive access to bonus chapters, character interviews, or deleted scenes as a way to incentivize engagement and build excitement.

8.    Create an ARC team: Offer an advance reader copy (ARCs) of your book to a team of readers. Encourage them to spread the word to their own networks.

9.    Utilize email marketing: Send regular updates and sneak peeks to your email subscribers, building anticipation and encouraging them to mark their calendars for the official launch date.

10. Reach out to book clubs: Or start your own online book club dedicated to discussing your upcoming release.

Action Steps:

1.    Set your release date.

2.    Create your promotion plan.

3.    Create your pre-launch list and start working it.

4.    Do your promotion research.

5.    Schedule your promotion. 

If you know someone who needs book promotion tips, share this newsletter with them.

Remember book promotion starts with YOU. Make sure to subscribe to get the next issue.

See Ya On The Net,

LaShaunda

P.S. Do you need more help with your book promotion? Download my book Building Online Relationships – https://amzn.to/3UAJWHV