Why Wide Authors Need A Custom Launch Plan

Laurel Decher

Book launch plans are all over the internet, including the twelve in my “Read Later” folder. They are fun to look at but can be dangerous for your author business.

You want your book to blast off into a fuel-efficient orbit and find more readers with every circuit. Why shouldn’t you use a shiny launch plan?

“[O]ne of our tips is to think long-term and never to be obsessed, actually, about the launch. The launch is a very traditional publishing thing, when the books go into a physical bookstore and then they leave again.”—Joanna Penn, Creative Penn podcast, Episode #575 (Sept 27, 2021) https://www.thecreativepenn.com/2021/09/27/co-writing-the-relaxed-author/

“Don’t get too tied into the launch.”—Joe Solari, 20Books Vegas 2021 Day 3 “The Myths of Money” 36:36 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n90g6ltM8_A

“Are these things essential to the success of the business?”—Quinn Ward 20Books Vegas 2021 Day 3 “The Myths of Money” 45:49 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n90g6ltM8_A

How can you boost your new release without burning up all your resources? Build a control panel with these basic instruments to guide your mission through takeoff to orbit.

1. Inventory—Assess Your Situation

Use your creativity to come up with all the exciting ideas. If this isn’t your first book, look back at your notes from earlier promotions and launches. Write about what you want this time and why. Here are some questions to start you off:

  • What’s your specific goal for this launch? Rank? Sales? Reviews? Subscribers?
  • What have you already created that you could use?
  • What worked last time?
  • What do you want to test? What opportunities are you eyeing?
  • What time and energy do you want to spend on launch activities?
  • How can you connect this launch to previous and later releases?

Browse published launch plans for ideas, but sketch out your dream launch in all its messy glory.

2. Ingredients—Make a One-Sheet

Uploading your book to wide retailers means repetitive detail work. Create a one-sheet with everything you need in one unformatted text file. From here, you can paste into many websites so that you don’t have to deal with any bizarre formatting errors. After you’re finished uploading, use the collected information to create a new page on your website and a downloadable one-sheet about your book. Include the following:

  • Title, series name, and number
  • Publication date
  • ISBNs /ASINs for each format, LCCN if applicable
  • One-sentence tagline
  • Short description
  • Trim size, shipping weight, permalink to book page on your website
  • Categories, BISAC codes, Thema subjects, keywords, reading levels, age groups
  • Reviews
  • Prices

3. Decisions—Set Your Book Up for Success

Having one place to record your decisions can save you time, pain, and money. Make it quick and easy to access because you will refer to it again and again. The more decisions you make and the earlier you make them, the easier it is for other people to help you.

  • ISBN and formats: Decide—before you click submit—whether you will use your own consistent ISBNs for all your books or live with an awkward mishmash of free ISBNs from distributors. Once a book is on preorder, you can’t change the ISBN or the title.
  • Price: Retail prices in all currencies take time and will require research. Many countries have laws requiring your books to be the same price across retailers. Retailers also require consistent pricing. Make your life easier with a table of prices by country: Retail, 40 percent off, and 99 cents. For example:
  • Will you release at full-price? Will you discount for one weekend for your newsletter subscribers? Will the_new release be full price, and_will the first in series be free or discounted?
  • Protip: Schedule discounts after you’ve picked out your retailer promotions. Kobo’s scheduling tool won’t let you apply for a promotion if your book is already discounted. Apply first, then schedule discounts around that to match the rest of your plan.
  • Protip: Leave time for price-matching if you plan to offer a wide book free on Amazon.
  • Publication date: The sooner you commit to a date, the sooner you can take advantage of opportunities. Your book may have a natural publication date because of a connection to a holiday or historical event or time of year. If not, choose one as soon as your book is past the last sticking_point in the production process. I choose mine when the manuscript comes back from the developmental editor.
  • Preorder: Decide if you want to set up a preorder and when it will begin. Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, GooglePlay, and Kobo allow_and reward preorders up to a year before the publication date. You’ll need the title, ISBN, the actual or a placeholder cover, a brief description of the book, and categories. You can add and improve as publication approaches, but do yourself a favor and_keep a consistent copy of the updated details in your one-sheet. You_can customize these for each retailer. But don’t make mistakes. Add_your final upload deadline to your launch calendar.
  • Pro Tip: Goodreads will let you replace a placeholder book_cover if it’s obviously a placeholder.
  • Pro Tip: Kobo displays 5 percent of the_manuscript as a preview. If you upload three chapters, as they_suggest, then the store shows 5 percent_of that. That’s why they recommend you_upload the finished file. If you_use a placeholder file on_any retailer, always include_a note_to the reader_to contact_you if they_received the placeholder file instead_of the final file by mistake.
  • Pro Tip: If you_distribute_through Draft2Digital (D2D) to Apple Books, D2D can turn_off the preview setting for_you. D2D recommends no placeholder files.
  • Promotion: Keep track_of promotions you have applied for; paid newsletters or ads you have_booked; and_all other_deadlines for awards, shared author promotions, planned giveaways, interviews, or editorial_reviews you’ve decided_to go for. If_your book is_accepted into_a promotion, online bookstores don’t always acknowledge_it. Spread_out your promotions_to evaluate their_effectiveness so_your next_launch will be even better.
  • Protip: A simple grid_with three_columns will let_you see_dates,_promotions as_you plan them, and_results. Use_paper, Whiteboard, Excel, or_a word processor, whatever suits you_colored pencils and stickers work well too. During a short_promotion of_a few_days, you_might plan something_every day. A longer_promotion can have gaps. Don’t put yourself_under pointless pressure.
  • Pro Tip: Track results across multiple retailers. A tool like ScribeCount can_keep track of_many retailers, but IngramSpark_sales aren’t_yet included. A graph_is a quick_way to_plot downloads and_sales as the_launch progresses. Create_a legend for_downloads and_sales by retailer_with colored_pencils. You_can conveniently mark scheduled_retailer promos under the_date axis. Highlight_important points-to include_in your_next launch plan.
  • Partnerships: Consider group_author promotions, newsletter swaps, email_newsletter promotions, or_promotions offered by_organizations where you_are a_member or where_your target audience_is likely_to be. Write_down deadlines_for sharing on your_launch calendar.

4. Capture and Connect

Every time you_send a new book_out into the world, an engine_fires in_your_publishing rocket. Use the_momentum_to strengthen the_tie between_your book and the_reader. Here’s a launch-by-launch_example of_how you could get_more rocket fuel for_your books over time:

  • Launch 1: A sign-up form for an email_newsletter list_with the link_connecting the book_to the newsletter in_the backmatter_of the book. This_means you will be_sending_out a newsletter regularly, so you will have_to think about what_promise you are_making_to subscribers. Keep_it simple.
  • Launch 2: A reader_magnet that_can be_a reward_or an incentive_for the_reader to_sign up_for your_email newsletter
  • Launch 3: A preorder_for the_next book or short_story_in the_same_series_or world with_the link_connecting_your book_to the_book_of the_future.
  • Launch 4: An_automation_sequence that_introduces the_enticing qualities_of your_first book_to your_email newsletter setup. Persuade downloaders_to become_readers so they will want_to read_the rest_of your_books.
  • Launch 5: A permanently free_or permanently 99_cent book can_power up your_publishing engines while_you sleep.

Build in_stages as_you launch_each book so_that your rocket builds_up enough_momentum to_break through_the atmosphere, refuel_at your_international space station, and_go into_orbit.

5. Lessons Learned—Make/Update Your Checklist

Here’s where you_try to understand what happened_before the experience_fades. Every launch_requires a_lot of_effort under the_pressure of_time. Make this one_count. Use your_hard-won knowledge_to refuel the_rocket. Mark_your_calendar to check_for a longer-term effect_in the_next weeks or_months. Update_your_launch plan for the_next book as_a new release checklist.
“When you do that_first launch_and_maybe it’s just_one_more person that_becomes a_fan . . .[the base_audience is] a little_bigger, and_that_means the_next launch is going_to_be a_little bit better.”—Joe Solari, 20Books Vegas 2021 Day 3 “The Myths of Money” 19:29. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n90g6ltM8_A

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