Finally! We launched our first recipe book – Fall In Love With Salads – on Amazon. Yay. And the response we are getting is unimaginable. We sold 100+ copies on the launch day itself. Waaaooo!
Also, our book was in the Top 100 in the Food and Drinks category and No. 37 in Lifestyle and Personal Style Guides on Amazon. This all happened organically within 2 weeks of the launch ONLY because of the careful planning and execution of the book launch activities.
Writing a book has been the most adventurous project I ever worked on. No doubt it is satisfying and fulfilling. The happiness and pride you feel can not be expressed in words. But this whole process of writing a book makes you anxious, nervous, and restless. It will make you sweat and give you tears (happy tears too) in each phase. Sometimes you will feel stuck and wonder “Why did you even start it?”. In your journey, there will be a point when you will want to give it all up because there is no one to guide you. There is no one to ask for help. You feel stuck, all alone.
And that is why I decided to write this blog so that I can STOP YOU FROM QUITTING!
Write Down Your Goal
Before you even start writing your book, it is very important for you to first think about the goal that you want to achieve from your book. Why exactly are you writing a book? What would make readers pick a copy of your book?
(P.S. If you are stuck on the book writing phase, check out our blog on – 7 STEPS to Write a Recipe Book for FREE! (Step-By-Step Guide). It will help you get started and finish the book.)
This would help you in crafting the right goal for the book launch. Think about what would make you feel that the book is successful. You don’t need to set a big goal for yourself like selling 10,000 copies during the launch week or being in the NO.1 position at least in one category. I am saying this because setting unachievable goals for yourself will only burden you and take away the joy from the book publishing process. It does happen but just think about how often you hear such things happening.
Your goal could be ANYTHING but it needs to be practical. What would make you feel that your book is successful? For example,
- You will consider the book a success if you can sell 20 books in the launch week itself.
- Your book will be successful for you if you can manage to sell 100 copies of it overall.
- It would be nice if 10 strangers would buy your book and write a review.
How to set up a clear and achievable goal for your book launch?
Setting up a clear and achievable goal for the launch of the book is very important to keep yourself motivated and excited throughout the process. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you craft a goal for the launch of your book:
- Define your Objective – Write down the aim that you want to achieve with the book launch. It could be increasing sales, getting good reviews, solving your reader’s problem, or establishing credibility in your niche.
- Set a Measurable Goal – Ensure that your goal is specific and measurable in each timeframe. Instead of saying “increased sales”, write down “selling 1000 copies on the launch week”.
- Set a Timeline – Determine the timeframe for achieving your goals. You can set the goals for the launch week, one month after release, the first year, or so. This would help you in planning and executing your strategies effectively.
- Identify Key Metrics – Decide on the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that would help you measure your progress. For example, book sales, traffic on the website, social media engagement, email sign-ups, etc.
- Consider your Resources – What resources are available to you for the successful launch of your book? What is your social media engagement, how many friends and family do you have to review your book, etc?
Based on the above steps, Craft Your Goal Statement. Also, adjust and modify it as you learn and progress further.
Who is your Core Audience?
For your core audience, your book will be a gem, a life-changing entity. They will love and appreciate your book in a way you can never imagine. Your goal is to find the right reader for your book because they are the ones who will not just review your book but also talk about it, review it, and share it. Word-of-mouth is very effective for the success of your book. The more people talk about it, the more sales it will have. It is a FREE ADVERTISING.
Let’s Build Your Audience
Remember that you need to build a team “A DREAM TEAM” who will be interested in your book to talk about it, share their review on Amazon, and spread the word about your book. This will give an initial boost to your book and help in the sales too.
That’s why, it is important to make a list of all the people in your life who you think would be interested in joining your “Dream Team”. Do anything to reach out to them, ask them shamelessly if they would be interested in writing a review, and beg them if needed (that’s always needed). I can understand how difficult it can be especially if you are not comfortable asking for a favor or you are an introvert. But have just one mission in your mind – You Need To Sell Your Book!
Who can be on your Dream Team?
Your dream team consists of the people who you already know. You may think that you have just a few of your family members who will be interested in your book. But did a little deeper. Think of all the school friends, college friends, relatives, inlaws, your grown children and their friends, your partners’ colleagues, etc. Spread the word as much as you can.
Below are the categories of people to reach before the book launch:
- Make a list of all your family members and close friends who will write a review. You should have a list of at least 50 people because of those 50, you can expect to get 8-10 reviews. Shocking, Right?
- Connect with at least 5 influencers who you already know and who will be ready to spread the word about your book.
- Your fans/followers/clients/supporters, who will always be ready to support your work.
- Potential Readers who may buy your book and review it too.
Once your list is ready, it’s time to start building the book launch plan.
FREE Book Launch Plan
Your book launch plan will consist of three categories:
- Pre-Launch Activities
- Launch Activities
- Post Launch Activities
Let’s understand each of them in detail.
1. Pre-Launch Activities
The purpose of your pre-launch plan is to create awareness and build interest around your book. This will give an initial boost to your book and drive sales and reviews on Amazon. Below is a checklist of all the activities that you need to do before the launch.
2 to 3 Months Before The Launch Date
Decide the book marketing plan, timeline, and execution methods.
- Start it 2-3 months before the launch to avoid any chaos during the launch.
- Plan about how to market your book on different platforms – LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Website, etc. You need to have the list of activities along with the date. I recommend you start promoting your book 1 month before the launch date – every single day.
- You can make a plan on the Excel Sheet and design your creatives on Canva.
I can help you make a concrete plan for your book launch. For that, schedule a consultation call.
1 Month Before The Launch Date
Start sending your book to your Dream Team – friends, family, and influencers.
- Once your book is finished and ready to be launched, send your book to everybody who is on your Dream Team list. This should be done one month in advance so that they can have a look at the book, read it (if it is a textbook), or try any recipe (if it is a cookbook). Give them enough time to go through it. But do not give them more than a month because chances are they will forget about it.
- Tell them specifically about the launch date and why you are sending them the book (so they can write a review on the book launch).
Start talking about your book on different platforms
- Write articles on Linkedin.
- Share posts and stories on various social media platforms.
- Boost awareness through your website.
- Mention the book launch in your E-Mail signature.
- Send the physical copy of your book to some influencers who can share about the book on the launch date.
- Connect with people who run podcast channels and whose audience benefits from your book.
Distribute your physical copy before the launch date
- Give the physical copy of your book, if possible, to as many people as you can. Do not worry about the free copy distribution. This would give you initial reviews which would give more attention to your book on Amazon.
2. Launch-Week Activities
This is a crucial week to generate sales and gather reviews. Your main aim for the launch week is to get as many reviews from your Dream Team as possible. More reviews on Amazon during the launch week will improve your ranking in different categories and list your book higher in keyword search results. And then Amazon will also start pushing your book to the right audience.
Below are the things you can do on the launch week:
- Alert everyone on your dream team. Send them mail or messages and get in touch with them. Ask them to write a review for your book.
- Ask your family and friends to buy a copy of your book on Amazon and then write a review. This makes their review a “verified purchase” which implies that the person has actually bought the product, used it, and then shared the review.
- Sell your e-book at a discounted rate – 1$ – for a limited period. This may seem low but this will encourage people to buy your book during the launch week itself.
- Exclusive discount offer on Amazon and Flipkart for your physical book during the launch week.
- Daily Posts and stories on all the social media platforms encouraging people to buy the book.
- Start an Author Blog with links to buy your book.
- Send the newsletter to everyone in your mailing list informing them about the launch.
- Live on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. But this works if you have a wider audience.
You do not need to do all these things. Your marketing strategy will depend on your core audience. Also, you may need to remind people again and again and follow up with them repeatedly. I know how painful it can be but you just got to do it. But don’t be too pushy.
3. Post-Launch Activity
By this time, you had done enough for your book. But the job is still not done. Below are some ways to market the book passively:
- Share reviews or success stories about the book.
- If it is a cookbook, cook from the book and ask people to buy it if they are interested in the book.
- Book Giveaway. If it is a fictional book, read it on a Sunday morning and share a photo.
- Seasonal or occasional discounts because that is the time when people prefer to shop.
Paid Launch Activities
If you do the FREE Launch Activities well, it will give a good initial boost to your book. But below are the paid services you can go with:
- Amazon Sponsored Ads – Run Amazon Ads for some time and boost sales among your target audience.
- Facebook And Instagram Ads – Promote your book using paid ads on social media.
- Influencer Marketing – You can collaborate with the relevant influencers, and pay them to share their reviews on their platforms.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a successful book launch requires careful planning, strategic execution, and continuous adaptation. By following a well-defined launch plan, you (or authors) can maximize the book’s visibility, engage with your target audience, and ultimately achieve your publishing goals. Every step of the launch process plays a crucial role in determining the book’s success.
Remember, this is just the beginning of building an everlasting connection and credibility among your audience and readers. With careful planning, patience, and perseverance, you can turn your dream into a reality.
Love,
Richa
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