Seeding Content, Priming Your Audience, and Strategically Marketing Your Book Ahead of Publication

Congratulations! You’re just starting to get out of the weeds of the editing and design process, and you’re beginning to think about book promotion. At this point, the realization that your ideas and thoughts are actually going to be bound in a book and in the hands of readers in just a few months may terrify you, excite you, or maybe a bit of both. It’s important to start using that energy to catapult you into the book promotion mindset. But how early is too early when it comes to book promotion? And how do you actually promote an unpublished book? The Greenleaf marketing team has put together a comprehensive timeline to help guide you through the months leading up to your book launch.

A Year in Advance of Publication

Strategy and Planning

Write out your goals for the book. Who is your target audience? What media attention will you want? Who will be on your team? This can be a bare-boned framework at this point.

Author Brand Vision

A crucial aspect of your strategic planning is your author brand. How does your book fit into your overall platform? How will your book expand and enhance your personal brand? Begin researching authors in a similar industry or genre. What can you learn from them, adopt from them, or adapt from them?

Four to Six Months Out

Preorder Pages Ready

For traditionally printed books, the preorder pages on major retailers like Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Bookshop.org, etc., will go live about four to five months ahead of the publication day. You can add these links to your book website, your email sign-off, and in your social media promotions.

Check out this article for more information on BookTok and Bookstagram and this article on free social media promotion.

Build Book Website

One of the most important ways to establish yourself as an author and further your brand is through a professionally developed website. Readers will want one central location to find all book updates and information, media coverage, and upcoming events. Begin working with a web developer about four to five months out from your publication date.

Read this article for more information on promoting your book on your website.

Title and Cover Reveal

Create excitement online through a cover reveal. This reveal invites your supporters into the production process of writing and makes them feel more connected to you and your book. Ultimately, the goal is to build anticipation.

Email List Building and Social Media Strategy

Now is a good time to invest in building out your email list and social media following. If you have a current medium that you prefer, build off of that. It’s not necessary to start from scratch on multiple platforms. For example, if you post frequently on LinkedIn, start being more consistent and intentional with posting and engaging with your network.

Two to Three Months Out

Launch Book Website

If the book website hasn’t launched by this point, it’s important to have it go live at least two months ahead of the publication date. Especially for a print-on-demand book—you want to make sure there is a landing page for readers to reference before your book is available on retail sites.

Advance Reader Copies (ARCs) to Early Reviewers

Seeding readers from your target audience ahead of the book launch is an important marketing strategy. Whether it is an avid reader of your newsletters or a colleague or family member, distributing early review copies gives your supporters time to read the book and prepare their honest review to post online the week of publication. These reviews will not only trigger the retail site’s algorithms with demand, but they will also act as social proof for prospective readers.

Exclusive Preview

An exclusive preview is a great incentive to offer anyone who joins your email list. The preview can be one or two chapters long and sent directly to your readers’ inbox. This will build excitement while simultaneously supporting your network growth.

Build Media Outreach Lists

We recommend building out your targeted media outreach list ahead of the book launch. Media professionals work off of different deadlines, so it will be important for you to research the submission process and familiarize yourself with the content of your target podcasts, bloggers, reviewers, etc.

Create Your Press Kit

When pitching media, an author press kit is a great way set you apart. Highlighting the key information in an accessible package will give you the best chance to land coverage and exposure for your book.

Visit this article on what to include in your author press kit.

Launch Book Trailer

A book trailer is a great way to promote the message of your book, the on-sale date, and everything else the reader needs to know about your book. Book trailers are helpful in a digital age where visuals are essential to stand out on social media feeds.

One Month Out

Connect with Local Book Sellers

Bookstores love supporting local authors. Introduce yourself, bring an ARC, and leave a business card or a bookmark with your book’s website on it. If you’re interested in participating in signing events or readings, this is a good time to begin coordinating these with the event manager at each store.

Read this piece on engaging with your local bookstore.

Book Giveaway

Tease your eager readers with a book giveaway. The exclusivity of receiving a signed copy of the final book before it’s available in stores or online will allow readers to feel more connected to the book and boost excitement on your social media channels.

Get more information in this article on the importance of book giveaways.

Begin Pitching Media

Based on the research you’ve already done and the media list you’ve already built, begin pitching yourself and your book about a month out from launch. This timing will position yourself for scheduling some media right around launch and those first few weeks after the book’s publication.

Make an Unboxing Video

A fun thing to post on social media ahead of your launch is an unboxing video. Invite your readers into the excitement of you getting your hands on a finished copy of the book you’ve dedicated months and years of your life to.

Explore this article on how to capture an unboxing video.

Publication Day and Week

Promote!

Send texts and emails to your friends, family, and colleagues alerting them that your book is officially out in the world. Post on social media with the “buy now” link and a picture of you holding the book.

Distribute a Press Release

Press releases can serve as a valuable tool to disseminate news to be discovered by people looking for information about a specific topic, individual, or company. They can also give you an opportunity to bring your book, brand, and expertise to the forefront with media contacts for additional exposure and help keep your website, newsletter, and social media fresh.

Revisit Local Bookstores

Pop into the bookstores in your neighborhood and let them know your book is officially out. If they bring in copies to their store, offer to sign their inventory.

Host a Launch Party

Time to celebrate! Gather your close friends, family, and supporters to commemorate the book you’ve put so much work into. Sign copies, read a snippet of the text, and take lots of photos and videos. This is a time to thank all of the people in your network who have supported you and your book from the beginning. Don’t forget to share highlights and photos from the party on social media.

If you are looking for help with getting the word out about your upcoming launch, the Greenleaf Marketing Team can help. Email us.