How to Launch your Book Online
So, you have finally finished writing your book, congratulations!
This moment is a positive one and should not be clouded by the often-daunting book launch process. To make things easier we have compiled a list of the key components needed in a successful book launch.
No matter if you are a debut novelist or a seasoned writer, a strong book launch is essential for making your story discoverable for new readers, as well as existing fans. And it doesn’t have to be hard work, it can be a lot of fun if you have a well thought-out and researched strategy.
Hopefully, the list compiled below of the 5 principle ingredients of a strong book launch can ease your worries and help you to build an efficient book launch strategy.
Get book reviews + arc reviews
No matter how great your book is it is incredibly rare for books to sell without reviews. The reason why reviews are so important is that readers trust other readers. A collection of positive reviews pre-launch is a good way to promote your book to new and old fans.
So how do you gain reviews before you launch your book? Here are a few places to start:
· Reach out to your following. If you already have a strong social media presence, on Instagram, Twitter or even an author blog, reach out to your followers and offer them free advanced reader copies (ARCS), in exchange for honest reviews. They say that around 20-40 reviews pre-launch is a good size to give a positive impression but not appear like you’ve paid people to review.
· Use arc distribution websites. There are many websites created to connect authors to experienced reviewers. An example of this is NetGalley, which hosts a variety of seasoned reviewers, who receive your book for free in exchange for their detailed and honest reviews.
· Friends and loved ones. As long as your family have actually bought your book and read it, encourage them to leave an honest review. This is an especially good opportunity if you are struggling to gain reviews, as family and friends are usually eager to help.
Build an author website
Now is a great time to build your author website, although you can create it at any point, it is most effective before your book is launched. An author’s website could be an Instagram page or a more traditional blog.
Although many authors find the idea of building an author website daunting at first, once they get into it, they both realise it’s importance and enjoy creating it. Try to view it as your place to build your personal brand and interact with readers who love your work.
Some ideas of elements to include on your author website:
· Meet the author. An introduction is an essential part of your author website and certainly not a part to skip. Include an author photo and a little about yourself so that your audience can put a face to the name. Don’t fret about sharing to much about yourself, your fans are interested in you and will connect better if you are honest and genuine.
· Book description. Include a section that describes your book with a high-quality photo. This is your chance to describe your book in your own words, so make sure your description is compelling and honest. As this is your personal page feel free to have fun with it.
· Links to buy your book. All of your hard work building your author website will ultimately go to waste if your followers or subscribers don’t know how to buy your book. It is crucial to include visible and clear links to places where your book is being sold, the more options the better.
Announce your book on social media
Another way to use social media, other than requesting reviews, is to announce your book on all your platforms, yes, I mean all of them!
How are people going to buy your book if nobody knows about it?
You might have different groups of readers on different social media accounts, so it is important to have a dedicated book launch post of all of your accounts to reach as many people as possible.
There are lots of ways to announce your book but here are some tips to help it go smoothly:
· Use design apps to create a vibrant announcement post. A book launch post aims to encourage your followers to buy your book, to do this it is important to use colourful and high-quality images. Apps like Canva are great at making eye-catching and vibrant graphics but if you aren’t that tech savvy you can always think of using a professional. The caption should promote your book and list its best and most exciting features, genre and of course, where to buy it.
· Run a giveaway for your followers. Set up a giveaway for a select few of your followers. An example of this could be giving the first 10 to sign up for your mailing list a free signed copy of your book This is beneficial as it creates excitement from your audience and adds to your mailing list at the same time.
Get press coverage
Online magazines and publications are always in need of new material and many would love to discuss your upcoming book or even interview you for an Author Spotlight. By agreeing to an article, you gain the opportunity to reach a larger audience, who may be interested in a book like yours.
Although all press coverage is positive. I find that literary magazines or websites committed to books are the most beneficial. This is because their audiences are book lovers and are always on the look for new reading material. To go a step further, you could find magazines or websites that focus on books like yours. For example, if your book is a fantasy novel with a strong female lead you might want to reach out to websites that focus on the fantasy genre or feminist works.
We at The Book Network often post Author Spotlights on our blog. Contact us if you are interested.
Online book tour
Gone are the days when authors trek through cities on physical book tours selling their recent books. Not only, do publishers not have the budget but an online book tour is more effective.
An online book tour combines some of the earlier elements that I have mentioned. It is a multi-faceted strategy that combines reviews, interviews and appearances across social media and blogs.
It is a great way to generate buzz for your upcoming book, as well as introduce or re-introduce you as an author to your audience.
Here are some elements that make up an online book tour:
· Interviews and Author Spotlights
· Radio and podcast appearances
· YouTube Videos
· Live chats
· Social media contests and giveaways
· Book reviews
· Guest blog posts and your own blog posts
· Social media posts
Interested in an online book tour that helps you connect with potential readers and sell more books? Contact us to find out how we can help.