The Book Launch Checklist for Launching Your Self-Published Book

Learn the Steps for Launching Your Self-Published Book

Pulling from my book, The Self-Publishing Manual, Create and Publish Your Own Print and e-Book, I walk you through the steps for Pre-Launching, Launching and Post-Book Launching your book.

Self-Publishing Book Launch Checklist

It is time to get your book out into the world. Use social media and all your connections (your platform) to highlight and showcase your book. Let people know your book is published. Be sure to include a live web link from any posts back to the Amazon sales page so people can buy your book. Here are some basic steps you can take.

Pre-Book Launch Day

1. Write Out Your Launch Plan, prepare a calendar
• Research some other book launches and their descriptive text for inspiration on how to write yours. Google “how to run a successful book launch”

2. Prepare a media kit with launch graphics: this is your library of elements for launching your book.
The media kit should include all the graphics assets you will need to promote your book. JPG images of your book cover, flat and 3D. Your headshot, a good book and author description, a book trailer video for YouTube and your blog. Have a physical copy of the paperback version to hold up in photos.
• Includes a good book description and author bio. All the links for your book on Amazon and anywhere else
• Have a links list of your Social Media and web properties for easy access.
• Create a book trailer video. This can be posted on Amazon and in your Amazon Author Central Account

3. Work on building an e-mailing list, increasing your platform, and getting greater exposure. Pre-release a pdf version of your book. Use several chapters as a lead magnet to attract subscribers.

4. Set up your Amazon Author Central Page. Link your book, update your bio, add images and videos once the book is published.

5. Set up some launch day interviews. Develop some articles based on your book that you can post on a blog. Develop a virtual book tour. This should be an ongoing effort while you are writing your book. Develop connections to influencers in your market, join Facebook groups, Twitter, Bloggers. Build a Dream 100 of influencers.

6. Set up a Launch Team. Team members should purchase a copy of the book and post an honest review on Amazon. Try to have some international members. This will be helpful on launch day.

7. Prepare an Event for Launch Day. Using a Facebook Group and Facebook Live you can hold a live summit with experts. Have additional training around your topic. Take questions. Host an and broadcast a party.

8. Prepare for Launch Day
• Make a launch video, “What I have (my new book), What it includes (table of contents), What I want you to do (where to get it, Amazon)”
• Prepare all your links for handy access, Twitter, Facebook groups, websites, social media sites
• Have a swipe file with a series of pre-written announcements for social media, different lengths. Be sure to have the Amazon book link in the announcements.
• Media kit ready
• Launch team ready to go, access to announcement swipe file and media kit.
• Blog announcement ready
• Record a couple of interviews that you can post, prepare for a Facebook Live broadcast
• Have a physical copy of the book that you can hold up in interviews
• Have pictures of you holding your book.
• Write a Press Release

Extra
Look for local media in your community. There are local newspapers, magazines, websites, libraries all around you. They love it when a hometown author releases a new book story.


Book Launch Day

1. Make sure your book is live on Amazon and can be purchased, buying a copy will start the ranking.

2. Announce the Release your new book, live video works well for this. Post in all your social media channels. Include your Facebook Page, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube.

3.  Post your book launch notices everywhere you can. Release your announcement video and a book trailer video, Blog the announcement, Facebook Live and posts. All social media. Send the announcement to your e-mail list. Blast out as much as you can. Ask for everyone’s support.
• Be sure all posts are linked to the book’s Amazon sales page.
• Update all of your online bios and listings.
• Use your announcement swipe file to speed up posting

4. Your Launch Team should also be posting on their social media sites. Send your swipe to file to all Team members.

5. Create an event if possible, make the launch fun. Do interviews. Show behind the scenes. Do some special training.

6. Thank your fans for buying your book, build social proof. Ask for reviews. Like and Repost any comments.

Screenshot your books Amazon Ranking

7. Record your book’s rank progress on Amazon with screenshots. This is located in the Product Details area of the Amazon book page.
• Continue to post updates about your progress during the day, post screenshots of any progress on Amazon in your social media sites.

8. In the evening do another round of launch notices. Encourage people to push you over the top if you are getting close to a #1 Category ranking. Also look at the Hot New Releases for rankings.
• Be sure to screen capture all results. Amazon updates every hour. The rankings do not last that long on Amazon, so pay attention. You can use these screenshots for marketing. Your Team can be very helpful in monitoring Amazon and grabbing screenshots.

Extra
Give your book out to current and potential customers. Your book is now your brochure or business card. People don’t throw away books. Make sure all your contact info and services are in your book.


Post-Book Launch

1. Thank your fans again for their support. Do this on social media, maybe add a thank you video. Be sure to include the book link to Amazon.

2. Follow up on international sales, sometimes they happen the next day.

3. Announce the launch again on social media.

4. Post the results of how high you got in the Amazon rankings. Did you get bestseller?

5. Update all your bio’s, profiles and listings on your social media sites that you have a new book and maybe new best-seller. Update your blog author bio.

6. Start posting sections of your book on your blog. Include a short bio and sales line with links to Amazon on everyone.

7. Drop an ad for your book around the blog postings. Use the power of Google to bring visitors to your site using your book’s content. There are free blogs and websites you can use.

8. Save your new book as a pdf file and use it as a lead magnet to continue your marketing. Give your book away in exchange for someone signing up to your email list.


Extra
On your website set up an email sign-up box to gather email names. Using a service like AWeber.com or MailChimp.com, you can set up an auto-responder series that sends out emails with some of your book’s content and links to the book sales page on Amazon.

Resources
• AWeber.com, https://www.aweber.com/
• MailChimp.com, https://mailchimp.com/
There are many companies you can use to manage your email list.

J. Bruce Jones is an international best-selling author. He has created or authored over 40 published books. The Self-Publishing Manual shares Bruce's secrets from over 30 years of graphic design and publishing.

Click below to check out the book on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Self-Publishing-Manual-Create-Publish-Book/dp/1791870643