The Ultimate Book Marketing Plan: What To Do Before, During, and After Your Launch

For many writers, an ideal world would have them focusing on what they do best (writing) while other experts take care of the scary stuff (like marketing).

But today, whether you’re a self-published author or signed with a major publisher, you’ll need at least some marketing savvy to see successful sales. Don’t worry—we’re here to help!

In this post, we’re sharing with you the same checklist that we give our own authors so you know exactly what you need to do in order to market your book successfully.

Your Ultimate Book Marketing Plan

Use this book marketing plan as a guide for what you need to do before, during, and after your book’s release to attract the most readers and sales.

You can also download and print the complete checklist.

To Do ASAP:

Ideally, you’ll start setting up your marketing systems as early as possible, perhaps before your book is even finished. (You can even start some of these as soon as you decide to write a book.)

The more you can do to establish your platform early on, the better prepared you’ll be at more critical points, like immediately before and after your book’s launch.

Here’s what you’ll want to work on ASAP:

Build your author website.

First on the list is creating your author website. This is a one-stop resource where readers can learn more about you and your books, find your social media accounts, and stay up to date on your latest news.

Perhaps most importantly, if you set up your website well in advance, you can start posting helpful or entertaining content that will bring traffic to your site, and hopefully, those visitors will become your readers.

If you already have a personal website—for example, www.yourname.com that you use as a blog or resource for your business—you can use that, but you’ll still want to create distinct squeeze pages and sections that are specifically related to your work as an author. But more on that later!

We understand that a lot of writers prefer to stick to the creative stuff, and steer clear of the headaches that technology can bring.

But have no fear—creating your own website is actually much easier than it sounds, and it doesn’t have to take more than 60 minutes!

We made a detailed guide that covers every step required to create your own WordPress site in under an hour, and you can also read more about the importance of maintaining an author website.

Set up your squeeze page.

A squeeze page is a type of landing page that asks visitors to sign up for your email list or newsletter. (Check out our tips on how to build an email list if you don’t already have one.)

To entice your visitors to enter their email addresses instead of navigating away from your site, make sure it’s clear what they’ll get by signing up.

Tell them (briefly) what’s helpful about your newsletter, or maybe offer them freebies like bonus chapters, pre-release teasers, PDF infographics, or access to a course you offer.

You can create a basic squeeze page through your email list auto-responder (such as Mailchimp, Mailerlite, or Aweber).

We created a guide that covers all the basics of creating an author squeeze page. You can also check out the best squeeze page software.

Set up an auto-responder.

To manage your email list and stay in touch with your subscribers, you’ll want to set up an email auto-responder. If you don’t already have an email auto-responder, we recommend starting with Mailchimp (it’s free for the first few thousand subscribers).

If you have more than a few thousand subscribers, we recommend using Aweber, because it’s more customizable and has more automation options.

Once you have built up your email list, you should use it to stay in touch with your readers and keep them up to date on important information regarding your book.

For example, here’s a plan you could follow if you want your subscribers to know about your upcoming 7-day Kindle Countdown Deal (KCD) book launch period:

Send email #1 to all subscribers on day 1 of the promotion
Send email #2 to any subscribers on day 2 who did not open the first email
Send email #3 to all subscribers on day 3 of the promotion (update them with the results from your promotion so far, including any #1 bestseller categories)
Send email #4 on day 4 to any subscribers who did not open email #3
Send email #5 to all subscribers 24-48 hours before the discount ends, letting them know the deal is ending and that this is their last chance to buy before the price goes up

Each of these emails should be uniquely written. Don’t just copy and paste email #1 and send it out as email #2, because some of your subscribers might end up opening both emails, and they won’t appreciate getting the exact same copy/pasted message twice.

Be sure to also provide links in your email that lead directly to your Amazon sales page.

Sample Email

Here’s an example of an email you might send to promote your KCD:

Hi,

The health and fitness industry want us to think we are weak and that the best way to achieve our ideal body is to suck it up and just push harder.

The truth is you’re stronger than you think. It isn’t that you somehow lack willpower or discipline; it’s that you just don’t have the right decision-making system to optimize your diet for your specific body.

In fact, that’s the core message of my new book, Eat Fat Get Fit.

This book isn’t about a diet—it’s a simple system for making healthy decisions effortlessly, specific to the unique needs of your body.

With the right perspective, you’ll be able to look at nutrition and fat loss differently, so you can get great results for life.

I highly recommend you grab your copy of the book now while it’s on sale for just $2.99.

Whether you want to lose weight, build muscle, or just have more energy, the fastest path to success is fueling your body and your mind properly.

To your health,

Kusha Karvandi

Follow up with all newsletter swap introductions.

We provide a free service for all authors (not just TCK Publishing clients) where we introduce you to other authors in your same subgenre or niche with similar-sized audiences so you can cross-promote your books to each other’s fans.

You can fill out the form here to get started.

After you fill out the form, our team will introduce you to authors who would be a good fit for you to cross-promote with.

This will work for you if you have at least 100 email subscribers. If you don’t, we’ll still try to make it work for you by using our email list to reciprocate with other authors.

This is by far the most effective way to sell a lot of books in a short period of time. The more newsletter swaps you do, the more books you will sell.

Set up your Amazon Author Central profile.

Next, you will need to set up your Amazon Author Central page. Be sure to claim any previous book listings and current ones as soon as they’re listed for pre-order on Amazon.

Here are some quick tips:

Claim all your books as soon as they’re published.
Make sure that you have standardized your author name across all books you have written.
Keep your profile up to date.
Review the line spacing in your profile to make sure it looks good.
Include a Call-To-Action (link) to your website at the end of your bio so that you can grow your email list.

To optimize your page and help it get discovered by shoppers, check out these tips on how to do Amazon keyword research.

If you have existing books on Amazon, you should complete this step immediately. If not, you should still proceed with writing a solid author biography and getting a professional headshot to include on your page.

Assemble your dream team for reviews and blurbs.

Next, you’ll want to brainstorm a list of the top 100 authors, writers, or influencers in your market, niche, or genre whom you would love to have promote your book.

To help you get started, we’ve created a free downloadable Dream Team Google Sheet / Excel Template.

When making your list, ask yourself: Who already has a large audience of readers who would love to read your book too?

Aren’t sure where to look? You can search for influencers with high traffic who are willing to mention the book, write a review or book blurb, or do a book giveaway.

You can also start by searching for books that are similar to yours. Create a list of similar best sellers and search where their book has appeared. You can find top sellers through Amazon’s best sellers lists in categories relevant to your book. Then you could search, for example, “[BOOK TITLE] + review” or “[BOOK TITLE] + blog”.

Once you have a list, create a plan to ADD VALUE to these people’s lives.

Here are some ideas:

Interview them for your podcast, blog, YouTube channel, or Facebook Live audience
Promote their book to your audience

If you can’t find a way to add value to them, then email them and make one brief request, such as:

Ask them to share your book with their audience
Ask them to write a review for the book
Ask them to write a blurb for the book

Before and During the Launch:

Immediately before and during your book’s launch period, this is where you should focus most of your efforts:

Reach out to your friends, family, and networks.

It’s time to really focus on getting reviews and generating buzzing for your book. That means tapping into every resource available in your network.

Here are just some of the things you can try:

Email all your family and friends to let them know about your book. Ask them to leave a review, too. (But do note: If they live in the same house as you or come visit and use your wifi router, they won’t be able to review your book on Amazon.)
Message all your Facebook friends and ask them to review your book on Amazon.
Post on your Facebook fan pages, Facebook groups, etc. and ask them to review your book on Amazon.
Reach out to your LinkedIn network and ask them to review your book on Amazon.
Update your LinkedIn profile with links to your new book.
Post on Twitter and ask your followers to review your book on Amazon.
Email your professional network, including colleagues, clients, or business associates.
Contact other authors you know.
Reach out to your local writers’ groups.
Contact local magazines and newspapers.
When people reach out to you saying they liked your book, thank them and ask if they will consider writing a review for your book.

Here’s an even more complete guide to getting book reviews.

Reach out to bloggers and podcast hosts.

Guest blogging is a very effective strategy that involves writing articles for the top blogs and news sites in your market.

When those sites publish your article, they will link back to your book’s page on Amazon and your website, sending you new readers and increasing your website’s search engine rankings.

We’ve put together a guide to guest blogging, including tips for pitching and writing your posts, plus a list of the best blogging tools you can use to create better blogs.

Podcast interviews are another highly efficient way to reach your target audience, so if speaking is more your thing, check out these tips for getting booked on podcasts.

Prepare a press kit.

To make a host or reporter’s job easier and increase your chances of being interviewed, create a press kit. This is especially helpful for TV and radio interviews, but it can also be a nice addition to your review or guest blogging pitches.

In the kit, you’ll want to think like a reporter and include everything they might need to know to cover you and your book.

If you’re being interviewed, you can also include a list of questions that they might ask you. Again, this takes out some of the research work they have to do, which can increase the likelihood of them wanting to feature you.

Launch ad campaigns.

A few of our clients have had incredible success using Facebook ads and Google Adwords ads. If you’re not already familiar with how to use these ad platforms, we do not recommend you attempt to learn them now. Instead, focus on your strengths.

If you’re already familiar with PPC (pay-per-click) ads, we recommend setting a budget of at least $1,000 – $3,000 to promote your book during the book launch. You should plan to have your ads run for at least 30 days.

Other ad options include BookBub PPC ads or AMS (Amazon Marketing Services) ads.

Create video content.

Recording videos and publishing them on YouTube and Facebook can be a great way to build your fan base and add even more value to your audience.

Here’s a tutorial on how to use YouTube to grow your fan base.

But perhaps even more powerful than YouTube these days is TikTok. Consider using this fast-growing platform to create short, engaging videos so you can interact with your fans while also promoting your books.

Your readers will naturally be curious about who you are, how you speak, and what your personality is like. That’s why creating videos or hosting a Facebook Live, where your fans can interact with you and ask you questions, can be so effective.

Build and instruct your street team.

Earlier in this post, we talked about assembling your dream team. But in addition to a few key influencers, you’ll also want a dedicated street team, or a team of loyal fans, who will help you build a successful grassroots marketing campaign.

This cost-effective strategy may seem a bit old-school, but it’s not all about groupies handing out fliers. Today, your “street team” might assist with emailing book reviewers, posting about your book on social media, or requesting your book at their local libraries and bookstores.

Learn more about what a street team can do for you and how to assemble one.

After the Launch

Your work’s not over after you pop the bubbly at your launch party! Here’s what you need to work on consistently in the months and even years following your book’s release:

Host book signings.

Yes, good old-fashioned book signings can still be a great way to get your book—and you—out there in front of people.

Word of mouth is still one of the best ways to sell a book, and connecting with readers in person will leave a lasting impression.

Getting a signed copy addressed to them makes people feel special, and can create fans for life. Even if they hadn’t heard of you before stumbling across your event at the the bookstore, your name will stick in their minds for a while, and if they like your book, chances are they’ll tell their friends about it.

Learn more about how to host a book signing in bookstores.

Attend writers’ conferences and events.

One thing you should consistently work on long after your book is published is building your network. It’s always good to acquire as many new contacts as you can so you can increase your connections to publishers, agents, and editors.

By expanding your network you’ll also meet more ambitious writers like yourself who you can talk to, get advice from, and exchange ideas with.

Check out some of our guides on writers’ conferences

Continue outreach to reviewers.

Maintaining a steady stream of reviews is something you should be prepared to work on for months and even years after your book is released.

Many authors will put a lot of work into getting reviews for their books in the weeks leading up to and immediately following their launch, but won’t keep the same momentum months later.

If you have 100 five-star ratings but the most recent review is from two or three years ago, your book might seem dated or irrelevant to your prospective readers.

Keep up your outreach to reviewers even months after your book’s release to maintain a steady stream of sales and to ensure you stay relevant in the public’s mind.

Keep creating content.

One way to keep up your sales and reviews is to keep creating valuable content long after your book’s release.

This means staying on top of your blog, booking interviews, and providing helpful resources and information to your followers.

By doing so, you increase the chances of your blog and other social accounts being discovered by more people, which means you’ll be in front of more potential readers.

Try to post something new on your blog, YouTube channel, or social accounts at least once a week, and keep up your engagement by answering questions and responding to comments so you can build rapport with your followers.

Here are some digital content ideas that can help you add even more value for your readers.

A Book Marketing Checklist for the Long Haul

This checklist can of course be modified to meet your book’s unique needs or to focus on some of your individual strengths. You can download the complete checklist to help you through each step.

The important thing is that you develop a strategy that you can use for the long haul, because marketing your book is something you’ll need to work on even after it becomes a #1 bestseller.

Did you find this post helpful? Let us know in the comments below!

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Kaelyn Barron

As a blog writer for TCK Publishing, Kaelyn loves crafting fun and helpful content for writers, readers, and creative minds alike. She has a degree in International Affairs with a minor in Italian Studies, but her true passion has always been writing. Working remotely allows her to do even more of the things she loves, like traveling, cooking, and spending time with her family.