What's on Your Book Launch Checklist? Tips for Authors

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I’m a firm believer in checklists and reminders, and with all the details and planning that go into a book launch, here are some ideas for your checklist.

Planning is the key. Many bookstagrammers, podcasters, book reviewers, and book promo services schedule their calendars MONTHS in advance. As soon as you have your date, start your planning.

First Things First

  • Get some kind of calendar to record deadlines and event dates. Figure out what works for you. For me, I print out a monthly calendar three months ahead and three months after the big day. This also helps me not to overload certain days with similar items.

  • I also create a launch spreadsheet and list every type of promo that I want to include with all the links and contacts.

  • I keep my lists from previous books, so I always go back and look at what I did last time. If it worked, I try it again, and I jettison the items that weren’t worth the time, effort, or money.

  • Reach out to the podcasters, reviewers, blog tours that you really want to target as soon as you know the date, especially if you’re planning a cover reveal or a big bang event for your launch week. Many book their calendars three to six months in advance.

Do What You Can Early

  • When you start to schedule interviews and guest blogs, start crafting the posts when you have some free time. I record what’s needed for each submission in my spreadsheet (e.g. headshot, book cover, book links, etc.). If you’re doing a blog tour, it takes a lot of time to complete all the interviews and to come up with interesting posts.

  • Always be professional. I make sure all my deadlines are on my calendar. If you commit to something, do your best to deliver.

  • I also list all of the “go-live” dates on my calendar for when the posts/podcasts are available, so that I can promote them on my social media sites. Most reviewers, podcasters, and bookstagrammers don’t get paid for the book promotions, and authors need to do their part to share and comment.

Be Creative

  • Think about all angles when you’re planning events and book promotions. Interesting or unusual stores/museums/places might be willing to host you for a talk or a book signing. (We’ve done some really successful book signings at wineries, coffee shops, gift shops, and museums.)

  • I keep a massive spreadsheet of contacts. I cruise through it when I start to plan a launch and book promotions.

  • Look at all the groups/organizations that you’re a member of. Many are looking for guest speakers. They also have newsletters that have spots for member announcements. Don’t forget your clubs, neighborhood groups, and alumni groups.

  • Make a list of the key things in your book. Look for groups that are interested in these. They might be willing to interview you or partner in some way to promote your book. Examples from my Delanie series are female private eye, English bulldog, Central Virginia setting, 80s rock music, roller derby, drag queens, larping, Comicons, Sears Catalogue houses, and Poe. We had a lot of success promoting our Virginia is for Mysteries series at tourist spots and our Mutt Mysteries at dog-themed events.

Be Organized

  • I have a Word file for each book with my current bio, social media links, book links, ISBNs, and book blurb. This keeps all the information in one place when I need it for interviews or posts.

  • I also create a folder on my laptop that has difference sizes of the book cover and my headshots. It helps to keep things together, so you can put your hands on them

Planning is really important, and with all the pieces and parts, it’s easy to miss something. These are some things that have worked for me.

Best wishes with your book launch and promotion!