Five Ways to Approach Your Book Launch Strategy
When you’re a self-published author, your book launch strategy is of vital importance. Without the backing of a major publishing company, you may feel like you’re on your own. Here are a few approaches that can help you rock the launch period – and see big leaps in your readership and profits.
Create an Event
Nothing sells a product in the modern market better than creating an experience for consumers. This is especially true when it comes to the world of self-publishing; books are an experience of their own, after all. Why not combine your readers’ love for your work or the genre you’re publishing in with the best approach at marketing by creating an event that is advertised to potential readers through newsletters, public library, and book club bulletins, and email campaigns? These are inexpensive or free and intuitive tools that can help you rope in a wide and excited audience.
Consider a Giveaway
Everyone loves getting something for nothing. Unfortunately for self-published authors, giving away endless copies of their work doesn’t result in anything more than the possibility of increased exposure – exposure that just doesn’t pay the bills. When you want to incorporate giveaways into your launch strategy, doing so correctly is key.
There are many avenues for self-publishing that allow you to list your work for free, either temporarily or as part of a buy-one-get-one kind of deal. Being able to control how long your work is available for free and to whom is crucial for making the giveaway work. Some suggestions might include offering a free copy to email list subscribers or fan club members. You may also want to partner with a company that distributes your work for free for a brief period of time, advertising it as such. All of this will help build interest, with a minimal financial loss on your part.
Do the Discount Thing
If the idea of giving your work away entirely for free doesn’t appeal to you, you may want to consider employing discounts instead. This harnesses the same principle; people love feeling like they’re getting a great deal. However, it provides the additional safety net of at least some purchase price. This not only prevents you from losing money on large numbers of giveaway units being moved, but it also offers a perception of value to your consumer. Your work is just too valuable to offer for free, or at least that’s how they’ll see it!
Get Your Readers Involved
In every market, today’s consumers like to feel as if they are part of an experience. Rather than just being marketed to, your readers want to feel involved in your publishing process. An easy and inexpensive way to do this is to offer contests, reader participation prizes, and other interactive elements centered around your book launch.
Don’t Focus on Dates
One of the biggest factors in a successful book launch strategy is understanding that in the world of self-publishing, dates don’t matter quite as much as they do elsewhere. For major players in the published word, release dates mean big parties and book signings. While there’s nothing wrong with this approach, it just doesn’t usually work for smaller publishers and self-published authors.
The first few months after your initial release are still considered part of your launch period. Give yourself and your work time to get the hang of things. Work your way into the public eye and measure your success rather than the speed of your rise to popularity. Letting go of dates and focusing on other factors will not only improve your morale, but it will also improve your overall book launch strategy.
For more information and help in creating your book launch strategy, contact the industry experts here at 4 Step Studio. We can help you make a game plan that works for you – and gets your work in front of more people!
