Beginner authors

For beginner authors who have yet to build up loyal readers, book sales are unlikely to begin at all until they start marketing. This may sound depressing, but actually what it does is give you breathing space, so make the most of it. Take a tip from the world of new product development and "soft launch" first, to make sure everything is in place. Publish the book, but don't tell anyone until you're happy everything has gone successfully: the right version of the book is published, retail platforms are displaying it nicely, and you've found and corrected the inevitable annoying typos.

I’ve spoken to many new authors who are panicking because they’ve arranged paid promotions or in-person book launches but have then had some relatively minor and common hiccup occur that threatens to derail their plans. In March 2023, team members with the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) spoke on the organization’s podcast about the benefits of a soft launch. Listen to the episode at https://selfpublishingadvice.org/soft-launching-a-book.

Emerging authors

As you settle into a writing and publishing pattern, consider what best suits your creative process.

We can’t talk about launch strategies without mentioning the "rapid release" approach, in which authors write and release books very fast, sometimes even monthly, thus keeping their readers constantly satisfied and being buoyed by the retail algorithms, which favor newly released books.

Authors taking this approach either write consistently and quickly between releases or write for an intense period up front and, only once they’ve finished several books or even a complete series, release each one across a carefully managed rapid-release schedule. There are pros and cons to this style of publishing, and it does rely on an author being able to write quickly while maintaining the quality their readers expect of them. You can read ALLI’s guide to this approach here: https://selfpublishingadvice.org/successful-rapid-release-strategies-for-indie-authors.

But not all of us are such fast writers, and there are many ways to be successful. In ALLi’s September 2023 blog post, “Successful Slow-Release Strategies for Indie Authors,” we look at how releasing books more slowly can also be a valid approach.

The most obvious benefit of slow-releasing is that it offers authors more time to develop and write each book, either in a series or as stand-alones. This can suit those writers looking to work at a slower pace on each book, either for practical or creative reasons, as well as those who find the launch process of a new book to be time-consuming or stressful.

Building a launch team can be where the more established author really steps up their impact. Sending out ARC copies to a committed reader team and having established relationships with editorial review outlets, not to mention growing a group of loyal readers ready to buy, can make the launch process smoother and more reliable with each new title released. Look through each stage of your usual launch and see what tweaks you can make to raise your game for next time.

New formats of a book can act as mini-launches for that title as a whole. For example, when you bring out an audiobook, you can use elements of it to market the paperback and e-book. Try asking your narrator to record a little extra piece of text that you can use in a book trailer, so your marketing efforts have an additional piece of material to use.

Experienced authors

Experienced authors tend to have settled on a process that suits them and have a tried-and-tested approach to launching a book, having done it many times over.

At this stage, having a first round of direct sales to your loyal readers is a good way to launch a book, as it maximizes your profit margins before you focus on other retail platforms. Kickstarter can also be a good way to launch a book or any special projects, as you’ll have a committed audience to sell into, and their enthusiasm will add momentum to your campaign. Brandon Sanderson’s $41 million Kickstarter for four books may have been a record-breaker, but when you look more closely, it actually reflects a well-established author who could draw on both his previous Kickstarter campaign experience and the enthusiasm of devoted readers.

Finally, remember that one of the perks of self-publishing is that you can relaunch a book at any time. You can re-edit, commission a new cover, write a new blurb, publish a reader magnet linked to it, or start a new advertising campaign. Any or all of these can reinvigorate a book and bring it to the attention of readers again for the first time.

Your book is always new to a new reader; next month, we’ll be covering this concept in more detail when we talk about making the most of your backlist.

Melissa Addey, ALLi Campaigns Manager