Your Book Is Written — Now What?

After months or maybe even years of work, your book is finally finished. You’re feeling great and can’t wait for the world to read your masterpiece. But how is anyone out there going to know about your book?

You need to inform people that your book is out there, it’s available and it’s worth reading. Writing your book is only phase one, getting a book printing quote and printing it is phase two, now you need to launch your book.

Launching a book is another job entirely and one that you need to take seriously. There are a number of different things you can do to help inform the public about your new creation. You will need to get online and create a real buzz around your new book, and it is crucial you get a press release out there and to the right people. You can also help launch your book by throwing your very own launch party where you and your book will take center stage, creating even more interest around your literary masterpiece.

Before you get around to any of this, you need to consider the framework for your book launch. What are the major steps involved and how should you go about them? There are three primary phases in any book launch:

1. Sell to those who know you

The best people to start selling your book to are to your fans. They are already familiar with your work, they like what you do and are more likely to support you than someone who has never heard of you. People who read your blog, those on your mailing list or even people who you are connected with on social media, these people are connected with you for a reason. And they should be your first port of call.

You are directly connected to these people and you should leverage that relationship. Reach out to them through an email campaign sharing excerpts of the book, give them an insight to what the book is all about and reel them in so to speak. You will need to send a series of email enticing your fans to buy your book. Be careful not to be too pushy or too ‘salesy’ in your emails but instead be friendly, honest and approachable.

Reach out on social media too. Consider running a giveaway to entice people to preorder your book. This can be a great way to create a buzz and spread the word about your new publication. Make sure you offer something of value, a signed copy or a limited edition version of your book is a good idea.

2. Encourage sharing

Get as many people involved in your book launch campaign as you possible can. The more people who are out there sharing the news of your new book, the faster the public will know about it. Be sure to make it easy for people to share the news about your book, simplicity here is key.

Start with social media. Sharing is a key component of social media platforms and people tend to share things that they actually like. So, if you create some cool images, promotional videos, quotes or infographics, people are going to want to share them. Create images specifically for Pinterest and write a bunch of interesting tweets to get started. On Facebook images do really well and are a great way to engage people and encourage them to share your stuff.

3. Recruit influencers

Influencers are people that have influence on people in a certain niche. For example, if your book is a travel book, then contacting a bunch of travel bloggers with big audiences and asking them to review your book on their website is a great way to spread the word. Promoting your book this way helps your book to reach a wider audience. Offer to be interviewed on a podcast, be part of a web series or just to write an interesting article about your book for a website or blog.

Following this simple three-step framework will help you reach more people and spread the word about your new book. But you shouldn’t stop here, there are other steps you can take to create a real buzz around the launch of your new book.

1. Create a buzz online

We’ve already spoken about encouraging sharing, reaching out to your current social media following and engaging influencers. But where do you start? If you don’t already have a social media following you will want to set up a Facebook and Twitter account and start getting active on both platforms. You should connect with people in your industry; join groups and conversations to build relationships. Be genuine and friendly as you would in real life and don’t start selling your book right away. Establish a personal connection with your followers on social media and let them get to know you. Ideally you want to be doing this as soon as possible. It takes time to build an online presence and this can’t be done overnight.

2. Craft a press release

Coming back offline, a press release is a critical element in any book launch. When done correctly, a press release can be incredibly powerful. It can help you gain more exposure, get your book noticed and target a particular audience or demographic. Promoting your book using a press release should be a no brainer but can often be overlooked. Nowadays authors often forget about this more traditional approach as they get swept up in the social media game. Take the time to sit down and draft an engaging, informative press release that sums up your book in an efficient and effective way

3. Throw a launch party

Now that you have created a buzz online about your new book and your press release is out there, it’s time to party! Invite local media, critics, bookstore owners and journalists and start making connections with the people in the right places. Invite friends, family, old school friends, your neighbors; just make sure the place is full. The last thing you want is a big, empty room on the night of your launch party. Make it a night to remember, showcase your book and yourself. Be social, get talking to people and at the end of the day have fun. This is your big night, enjoy it!