From the very first idea to the endnote, from torn paper drafts to a freshly prepared new draft, from the endless nights and days, the long yet fulfilling process of completing a book has its own ups and downs. And to put the cherry on the top, marketing, advertising, and promotional events play a crucial role.
Planning how to promote a book launch is of equal importance if you are an author, a marketer, or someone working on releasing the book. And, we at YOP, have come up with several tips that can help promote your book launch. The article gives an insight into the different stages of a book launch, along with examples of how successful authors have promoted their release. A few of these marketing ideas will help register preorders and get sales immediately. There are several book marketing services that you should be aware of.
1. Create a Launch Plan
Each book will have its kind of launch plan based on the following:
- How much time do you get before the launch?
- Your audience
- The genre and type of the book
- What promotional ideas are you comfortable with?
Based on all of these factors, you can compile a set of checklists.
2. Research your target audience
If you want to sell a lot more copies, you must target the right readers who can get the right message at the right time. You can conduct a survey asking your audience questions about their buying habits, online behavior, and demographics. You can conduct surveys, interviews, focus groups, and social media. The answers they provide will help you understand how it is possible to reach them and other readers through the right channel.
3. Learn how your audience will search for books
You need to compile a list of keywords your audience uses to search for the books like the ones you are trying to promote. You can later use these keywords in metadata and promotional content! Here is how you can find out these keywords:
- Check Google Trends
- Check for terms using Moz or Google Adwords tool
- Check Book reviews to see how readers describe the books you are launching.
4. Set up a list of authors
When running ad campaigns, you should know what other authors and your readers enjoy reading. So, you can target the customers and customize your marketing copy according to that. Based on this research, you can be more creative with your audience.
You can compile a list by looking at the “Also Bought” section of a book or author’s retailer page. You can go through the popular authors by genre to get hold of the list of authors who write similar books.
5. Initial promotions
This section shall discuss the promotional steps that authors usually take before the preorders or during the early days of campaigns.
6. Announce a deal or reveal the title
You can create some buzz by announcing the title of the book. You can do this by letting people know about your book deal if you are publishing traditionally.
7. Reveal the book cover
You can partner with a publication that your readers will look up to to get a glance at the book cover. Based on your earlier research, you would know which book marketing companies your readers prefer. You need to arrange a book for preorder just for the cover reveal; you can link to a page where readers can preorder their copy. This will help jumpstart the sales. You can also design your book cover with YOP’s book design services.
8. Build a mailing list
Add a subscription form to your website. Every visitor will fill up the form and subscribe. Once people start subscribing, you can send them an email including a free ebook, a bit of a sneak peek, or a freebie.
9. Author Street Team
A street team is a team of fans. These people volunteer to promote an author. The goal here is to trigger the word-of-mouth buzz. They will let people know about your book as they feel motivated after reading your book. If you do not have a street team, you should start building one so that members can help spread the news as the book launch approaches.
10. Create an inventory of promo images
You can keep a stock of high-quality photos of your book and create promotional graphics using free apps. Try making a few gifs for social media posts as well. Once done, you can use these images in your campaigns, website, and even social media to promote the preorder and launch a book.
11. Update your website
If you wonder how to promote your book with your website, let me tell you. A website can help boost your sales. Once your book is available for preorder, you can update the website with information about new books. You can place them so that it is easy for readers coming to your website or blog to see what you have next.
12. Send some hidden scenes from the previous book.
For authors who do not send any excerpts from upcoming books, you can send a deleted or bonus scene from another book. This could be enticing for your fans..!!
13. Add a free ebook sampler.
Upload a sample as a separate ebook and clarify that it is just a sample in the title and description. Maybe you can add a few chapters or pages to encourage your readers to buy the book.
14. Add retailer links to your website
Your visitors should find it easy to check your website and make a relevant purchase. You can add the book’s title and update the retailer links.
Suggested Read – Book Promotion Services: The Art And The Science
15. Let your subscribers know about the book launch.
You should send a mail to all subscribers reminding them about the book launched and is available for sale now.
16. Promotions after Book Launch
Promotion should not end with the launch of your book. You need to maintain momentum in the weeks and months that follow since the book launch. All you need is a little creativity. This will help you boost marketing to reach new readers after the release date. Write about your book on Buzzfeed or Medium. Let people know about the book. It can be about the book or an indirect listicle sort of a thing.
17. Social Media Ads
Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter are good social media platforms that will let you target ads to a fine set of audiences based on their choices. This will help you advertise the book to those interested in a similar genre.
Let people know of your work by planning a book launch. Hope this article gave you good insights into how to promote a book launch and other detailed information and you can follow up for more such articles.
