The Book Launch in 3 Acts

Writer: Landis Wade

The most important part of a book launch plan is planning ahead

Prologue to the 3 Act Structure for Selling a Book:

• Write the best book you can. Write well beyond the first draft, be relentless in revising your work, hire and listen to editors, let the manuscript rest, and work it over until it hurts. 
• Hire an experienced book cover artist. Take their advice. Tip: Book covers do sell books. 
• Solicit quality blurbs and hone your synopsis for the back cover.
• Format the interior and exterior like the best books in the stores.

Act 1 – The 9 month Period Prior to Launch – the most important act

• Pick a launch date, and work backwards in planning the launch calendarHi
• If you plan to work with a publicist, engage with them early so you can plan together.
• Plan your in-person and online events: Book stores; Book clubs; Civic clubs; Podcasts (audio and video); and wherever and however the themes of your book fit well. Tip: Offer something besides your novel, i.e. a talk on the themes or non-fiction in the story
• Plan creative approaches to your events: in-author conversations; costumes and skits; using your platform creatively to highlight your work (blog, podcast, YouTube)
• If you are looking for a particular venue for your launch or other events, plan way ahead
• Complete the book (interior content, interior design, exterior content with synopsis and blurbs, book covers), for print and ebook, 4 or 5 months prior to the launch date so you can create ARCs in print or ebook for your advance readers (they need several months to read your book prior to launch date). Note: They can leave advance reviews before the book releases on Goodreads, BookBub, and Barnes & Noble. However, Amazon does not allow reviews to be left online until the release date. Tip: Do not have family members leave reviews. Do not ask for five star reviews. Do not pay for reviews. Do not offer other consideration for reviews. Ask instead, for honest reviews. 
• Send ARCs to trade reviewers 3 or 4 months prior to release. Indie authors can solicit and pay for honest book reviews from Kirkus, BookLife, Mid-West Book Reviews, etc.
• Plan your cover reveal a few months before release
• Set your book up for pre-order online 3 to 4 months in advance and put the links on your website. For Amazon and certain online sites, you can only put your ebook up for pre-order, not your print book. If you put your print book on IngramSpark, you can set up an on-sale date and create preorders there for your print book, and also, with independent book stores and Indie Bound. 
• Work on your metadata. Pick categories for your online metadata that are narrow and fit your book. It’s how readers who search online find your book. Try Publisher Rocket. 
• If you produce an audiobook, plan 4 months ahead for the production of the audiobook. 
• Decide how you will distribute the book online: 1. Kindle Unlimited; or 2. wide online distribution. They both have pros and cons
• Pitch your book for awards
• Pitch print media to feature the book
• Plan and execute prelaunch appearances on podcasts or news shows
• Plan your launch week social media promotions. 
• Consider planning some online advertising around the launch date
• Tip: Using an online graphic design tool like Canva will improve your visual messaging

Act 2 – The first 9 months from launch date

• • This is the time for boots on the ground: book launch, book stores, book clubs, civic clubs, retirement communities, library events, festivals, history organizations; etc. 
    • Tip: Take photos at events and post on website and social media
    • Tip: Perhaps sell everywhere through your local independent book store. 

• This is also the time for other online events: more podcasts, radio, and online panels

• This is also the time to be creative and have fun with your promotions

• This is also the time to take chances: Bookbub and Chirp promotions; online ads

• Look and listen for leads to take your show on the road to other places

• Anything you didn’t do in the pre-launch, do now. 

• • Tip: Don’t say no to opportunities, no matter how small the crowd. One book club or civic club might lead to another and another. 

Act 3 – the Future

• The book marketing continues. Some will look the same (book clubs, civic organizations), while others may be different (writing panels; submitting articles)
• Plan more events: market where the book’s themes and non-fiction resonate
• Learn and try online advertising [BookBub, Facebook and Amazon]
• Publish more: contests, short pieces; finish writing your next book

Conclusion:

• You are the hero of your marketing journey

• Like any good hero’s journey in fiction, you will face obstacles and set-backs

• There will be that moment where all feels lost and you want to toss it in

• But there will be moments, if you stick with it, that good things happen. 

• When it comes to marketing and selling:

• Number One – Just do – get engaged; plan; experiment

• Number Two – Just ask – ask for help, ask for favors; they can’t eat you. 

• And if you have a book coming out next year, start thinking yesterday about a marketing plan that uniquely suits you and your book – both online and in person.

About the Writer

Landis Wade writes light-hearted legal thrillers and mysteries with a historical or holiday touch (cozies with a bit of a thrill). He is a recovering trial lawyer (after 35 years of law practice) and founder of Charlotte Readers Podcast (where he has conducted 500+ author interviews), whose third book—The Christmas Redemption—won the Holiday category of the 12th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards and whose recent novel – Deadly Declarations– won more than six awards including Winner in the 2022 American Fiction Awards in the Cozy Mystery category. He compiled The Write Quotes series–8 books that release monthly beginning March 1, 2023. Book 1: The Write Quotes: The Writing Life, features inspirational and practical quotes from 500+ interviews with hard-working, award-winning, and New York Times bestselling authors in more than 33 U.S. states and five countries.

Podcast website: charlottereaderspodcast.com

Author website: landiswade.com