So last time, we covered the long lead time before your book comes out with our marketing timeline. Things are going to speed up here a bit, but the upside is- once they get fast, they get over with quick, and then you can rest.

And as an aside- the most important thing to know about doing your own marketing is that you don’t have to do all of this. You don’t even have to do most of it. This is just a guide of things you can do, if you want to.

If it’s stressing you out and making you unhappy- stop!

I just like to be busy when I’m not writing and marketing can keep you busy like whoa.

So, let’s skip on up to about a month before your release!

Timeline: Author Copies

* Take half of those copies and sign them. Put them in the mailers you built earlier, and get them in the mail.

* Depending on how many you have, this is how I would spend the other half of your author copies:

• 1 or 2 for a GoodReads giveaway.
• 1 for your own giveaway, if you’re hosting one.
• 5 to a local book club.

That last one is technically marketing, but really, it’s just a nice thing to do. It’s fun to share your book!

* Write up any guest blogs and finish any interview questions from reviewers and bloggers in this month. There seriously will not be time once your book comes out, and you’ll feel like you’re drowning if you try.

* Send out invitations to your launch party if you’re having one.

* Write a press release for your launch party. Send it to your local media (print, television, radio,) to relevant groups (if you write romance, your local Romance Readers Club should get one, for example,) and to any available community calendars.

Your house may write a press release for you- if so, just modify theirs to include the date, time and location of your launch party.

Timeline: Debut

* Celebrate. Seriously, if you’ve done all your marketing ahead of time, and prepped all your mailers, all you have to do now is show up at your launch party and signings, and watch everything you put into action unfold.

You’re still going to be wicked busy- interview requests will come in, guest blog requests will come in- but by doing most of your marketing ahead, you will have time in your schedule to say yes to unexpected opportunities.

* Launch your personal giveaway if you planned one.

* Take pictures of your launch parties and signings; make sure to share them.

* If you get an especially good photo from your launch or signing- particularly if you get a photo with more than one author in it- send it to Publisher’s Weekly for their newsletters. There’s no guarantee they will run it, but they definitely won’t if they don’t have it.

Timeline: 3 Months Later

Don’t get upset, but this is about the time when your books will start disappearing from the chain stores unless you’re a bestseller. It’s the natural life cycle of books and it’s nothing personal. However, that doesn’t mean you should stop promoting.

* Shore up your relationships with the indie booksellers, and make some new ones. You can do another round of bookseller mailings, targeting stores you didn’t contact previously. You’ll have to buy the books this time, so think hard about the best way to use those books.

* Host other authors who are debuting. This has nothing to do with marketing, but like giving the books to book clubs, it’s nice to help out. Being part of the community is its own reward.

* Have you been nominated for anything? Has something happened in the news that makes your book topical? Write a press release, and send that sucker out.

Timeline: Holidays, Etc..

* If the content of your book ties in nicely to a holiday, host another giveaway. Halloween is a great revival time for paranormal and horror novels, Valentine’s Day for romance, Arbor Day for trees… I mean… well you know what I mean.

* Your book is always an appropriate gift for whichever December holiday people celebrate. Collaborate with another author or two and create a holiday gift pack.

* Your local library (and no doubt many other libraries) probably has a summer reading program. Offer your bookmarks or schwag as prizes.

* I like to send thank you notes and holiday cards to independent booksellers, bloggers, and authors who have supported my novel, and I think it’s a good practice to have. It’s not necessarily marketing, but being grateful and aware is never going to hurt you.

And that’s my bossy self-marketing timeline. Like I said- you don’t have to do all of this. You don’t have to do ANY of it. But if you want to, I hope these guidelines help demystify the process some, and give you somewhere to start. It’s your book- you love it best, and you’ll sell it better than anyone else.

Good luck and happy marketing!

 

(Last updated July 11, 2018)