Successful Book Launch Tips, Influencer Book Marketing, A+ Content and Book Recs. – Booklinker April Broadcast
Hello Reader,
As I mentioned before, in addition to being the Author Liaison for Booklinker, I’m also an author. My coauthor Chuck and I are releasing a new sci-fi book this week. It’s been over a year since we had a new book out, so I’m excited and there is always a small bit of second guessing. “Did I upload all the final files to KDP and Draft2Digital? Did I update the back matter of my other books? Did I sign up for enough newsletter promos and swaps?”
All of this runs through my mind, but then I remember I can continue marketing and selling my book months, even years after launch. So it’s not like everything must be done on launch day. Keeping this in mind helps ease the tension and allows me to enjoy and celebrate the fact that we wrote and published a book! Which is something that should be celebrated!
Over the past 2 decades of writing and publishing, I’ve learned some strategies that have helped me feel good about book launches. For me, it’s not all about the number of books we sell on launch day/week. Instead, I always want to make sure I cast a wide net and get the book in front of as many “ideal readers” as I can. And you don’t need a big budget to do this.
Here are the book launch strategies I use (in order of importance)
Include a pre-order Booklinker link to our next book.
Chuck and I have learned to have covers made for a complete series all at one time. This way we can get up a preorder up in time to include a link to it in the book we are releasing. You can usually set up a preorder up to 1 year in advance. Include the pre-order Booklinker link in the front and back matter of your book, making it easy for the reader to get your next book.
Send a special “Lauch Announcement” to your newsletter list.
Even if you recently sent a newsletter to your readers, it’s ok to also send them one on release day. These readers are already fans and will want to celebrate this day for you and get the new book. Personally, I love it when my favorite authors let me know about a book release. The special launch email should only focus on the book you are launching.
Participate in paid newsletter promotions through CraveBooks, FussyLibrarian, LitNuts and many others.
These newsletters, featuring new and bargain books, are sent to an established list of readers who want to receive these emails. The companies promote your book in these emails for a fee which can be as low as $9. Even if you don’t have a big marketing budget, getting on a few of these lists can have an huge impact.
Here is a complete list of these promos on Kindlepreneur.
Email different ebook platforms about a month before your launch.
Platforms like Kobo and Apple appreciate it when you reach out to let them know about an upcoming book release. Contact them to find out the best way to let them know about your launch. Many times they have a form you can fill out and send them.
If you are on social media, schedule extra posts on this special day and throughout the week.
Create engaging posts that encourage people to respond. Social media is all about connecting to people in an authentic way. Use these posts to share about your new book, but find a way to make it more than just, “Buy My Book!” (But of course you still want to include a Booklinker link).
Use StoryOrigin and/or BookFunnel to sign up for group and author swaps with authors in your genre.
Sharing about other books in your genre is the perfect way to provide additional value to your readers. I don’t recommend you do this on launch day, but do it in newsletters leading up to the launch and after. There are plenty of readers to go around, so work with other authors and don’t look at them as competition.
What are some strategies you use for a book launch, Reader? Let me know and I will share them in the May Booklinker Broadcast.
Happy Marketing!
Kerrie
Booklinker Author Liaison
Kerrie Flanagan
Last month I talked about optimizing your Amazon page which included information about A+ content. I don’t know about you, but for me, one of the best ways I learn how to do something is to see what other authors have done.
Do you have A+ content for one of your books?
Please share a link with me and I will compile those into the May Broadcast.
Industry News & Articles ✍🏽
Since I opened talking about book launches, here are some other strategies and insights from other Indie Authors.
🌟 How to launch a book to #1 bestseller for under $100 (book marketing tips from chatGPT). By Derek Murphy
🌟 ALLi Condemns Meta’s Use of Indie Authors’ Books to Train AI Without Permission, Calls for Clarity and Compensation
A recent investigation by The Atlantic magazine has confirmed what many in the author community have long suspected: the works of thousands of writers—including members of the Alliance of Independent Authors—were used without permission or compensation to train Meta’s artificial intelligence models.This includes… Read Entire Article
I also promised you some article and info about using Influencers to help widen your reach for your book/s. Here’s a few I found:
🌟 The Complete Guide to Influencer Marketing for Authors
Influencer marketing plays a major role in the digital marketing landscape. Influencers have hundreds of millions of followers across multiple platforms, and their massive, targeted audiences have resulted in nine out of ten marketers working with influencers. READ MORE
🌟Book influencers: Why they’re valuable, how to find them & more
Don’t underestimate the impact book influencers can have on your work. Learn why connecting with literary trendsetters is worth the effort and how to proceed. Read this great article on Fussy Librarian with great info and resources.
👉 Monthly Marketing Tip
Did you know that your email signature can be a powerful marketing too? It’s true. In addition to having your website and socials, include a Booklinker link to one of your books or series. Or create a Collections Page that lists all your books with one simple link. Here is an example from my pen name signature. The link goes directly to a Booklinker landing page.
🙋🏻♀️ Quick Poll 🙋🏽
Last month I asked, “what is the place you most often use your Booklinker links?”
Social Media was the most popular answer, followed by blog, website and back matter.
Front matter and newsletter were at the bottom of the list. If you aren’t using links in these two places, consider implementing some.
📚 Recommended Indie Author Marketing & Industry Books
Looking to expand your book marketing knowledge? Here are some book I recommend from indie authors and marketing experts.*
*This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click and purchase
Booklinker Blog Post
Writing can be a lonely pursuit, but with the proliferation of active, engaged and even “in-person” online writing communities, writers no longer have to go at it alone.
Here is an blog post sharing How to Use Kickstarter to Launch a Book.
About Booklinker
Booklinker is a free service that helps authors save time and sell more books with a single, localized link for their entire international audiences. Booklinker is owned by Georiot Networks and powered by its flagship service, Geniuslink. In 2022, Apple Books began supporting Booklinker, helping it become a fully multi-retailer tool. Booklinker remains free for authors through the generous support of Apple Books and partnerships with other retailers.
