Book launch ideas can make or break your next book release. How you conduct your book launch is one of the most important aspects contributing to its sales success. And your book launch ideas can take your release day from mediocre to possibly hitting bestseller lists.
However, launching (or relaunching) your book successfully takes planning long in advance. As soon as you know you will release your book to the public, it’s time to start brainstorming. In this article, we cover 11 book launch ideas to help inspire your planning process.
Think of launching your book like you do sharing an important post on social media. The hour you post you want to boost engagement by responding to comments and making sure the algorithm takes notice of you.
View your release day in a similar fashion. To hit your important goals the day of, it’s crucial to prepare in advance, likely even a year prior. This will help you have the best possibility to reach your sales goals. Here are 11 book launch ideas to set your book up for success:
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View your release day in a similar fashion. To hit your important goals the day of, it’s crucial to prepare in advance, likely even a year prior. This will help you have the best possibility to reach your sales goals. Here are 11 book launch ideas to set your book up for success:
1. Build A Book Launch Team
You can build a launch team before you have the final version of your book—in fact, you should. That’s why building a launch team is first on our list of book launch ideas.
A launch team, or street team, often exists as a private Facebook group. Your launch team will read the book prior to release and create buzz through social media posts and reviews.
Reviews largely contribute to overall sales, so the larger your launch team, the better. Just make sure they complete the tasks you (or your launch team leader) assign them. Include giveaways as incentives!
2. Pitch Your Book To Book Bloggers
Next on our list of book launch ideas is pitching your book to bloggers. Many book lovers devote blog posts to writing about books they read. Prior to your release day, reach out to well-known book bloggers and pitch your book. If they are willing to blog on your book, their blog will reach their subscribers and therefore, entirely new audiences.
The more readers you can reach in your book’s niche, or even simply book lovers, the better. This ensures readers who may not otherwise be aware of your book are given the opportunity to purchase.
3. Launch A Podcast
Consider launching a podcast about your book, or appearing as a guest on well-established podcasts. This makes our list of book launch ideas because the more your name appears online, the better. Readers love a behind-the-scenes view on writers’ writing process, and backstories about characters that may not make it to the final draft, etc.
4. Release Your Title
Writers often create a working title for their manuscript and do not know what their final title will be until much later in the book launch process. A book title provides an entire aesthetic to the book, what the cover may look like, and a hint about the plot.
One of your book launch ideas should be to make your title release a big day. Include fun giveaways, going live on socials, or providing a bit of reasoning behind why you chose the title you did. This gives readers something concrete to hang onto as they wait for your book’s release day.
5. Guest Blog
Similar to pitching your book to book bloggers, pitching yourself as a guest blogger on another writer’s website should be one of your book launch ideas. You can do this in the months leading up to your book launch. The more you can put your name on the internet, the better.
Don’t forget to include your book title and a link to pre-order if possible!
6. Release A Book Trailer
A book trailer is a visual way to engage readers and build excitement about your upcoming release. Whether your title is for a fiction or nonfiction manuscript, a book trailer is a succinct way to capture what your book is about and provide just another way for readers to connect, share, and comment.
7. Host A Webinar For Readers Who Pre-Order
As mentioned, pre-orders play a vital role in whether or not your book lands on a bestseller list on release day. To create even more incentive for readers, one of your book launch ideas should include a private webinar for those who pre-order. This webinar could be as simple as you talking about your book, or a Q&A session for readers to ask you about your upcoming title.
8. Host A Book Launch Party
You should celebrate your release day with a book launch party for you and your team. But consider hosting a launch party for your readers as well.
This could be an in-person event at a library or bookstore and include some form of refreshments, prizes, and book giveaways. Or you take your party virtual and host an online event to celebrate your new book.
9. Get Creative With Your Book Readings
Readers love showing up to hear their favorite authors read their books. But we all know the feeling of hoping readers will show up to our book signings or readings. If you’re a new writer, consider getting creative with your readings with these book launch ideas:
- Include live music as people come in
- Invite an actor to do a portion of the reading
- Dress up as a main character yourself for the reading
- Give a prize to readers who are best-dressed as a character
This takes your book reading to the next level and gives your readers more than they expected. Under promise and over deliver.
10. Use HARO
HARO stands for Help A Reporter Out and is a free service to help journalists find the right stories to cover. As a writer, you want as much hype as you can get, so you may want to alert these journalists to your upcoming book is one of your book launch ideas. They may report on it and help in your book launch!
One writer landed on The Today Show due to using HARO. Make sure to perfect your pitch and that you are prepared the moment a journalist contacts you.
11. Engage In Pop-Up Events Close To Your Book Launch
In-person gatherings will likely never be taken for granted again, and with pop-up events back in style, consider hosting several. Your pop-up events could be similar to a book tour but with less promotion and a little less formal. A pop-up event may draw in larger crowds for established authors but can help create buzz for up-and-coming authors as well.
Don’t forget to alert your followers at least 24 hours in advance!
Ready to Launch Your Book Boldly?
Writing a book takes so much more effort than non-authors can realize. While launch day can creep up on your readers, you plan for it months in advance with all these book launch ideas.
You started the process so long ago that by the time you reach launch day, you’re so proud of your book and so exhausted because you:
- Ideated your plot
- Drafted your story
- Edited your book
- Created your marketing plan
- Worked on cover design
- Created social media graphics
- Released your book title
- Launched your book
You put so much work in, it’s time to launch your effort with boldness. And you can use our book launch template to help ensure success.
Don’t apologize for building hype about your book or filling social media with release-day updates. Your followers want to know what’s happening and you only get a launch day when you launch a book!
Refuse the urge to apologize for sharing your hard work. You wrote and edited your book with confidence, now that you completed your book launch, it’s time to release the final product with boldness. You’ll get those occasional critics, just like every profession does, but enjoy the day with your fans, your team, and your friends and family.
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