The book is finished!

It’s edited. It’s proofread. It’s formatted.

The paperback is ready to go. The ebook looks great. Auditions are coming in for the audio.

Now I can sit back and...oh, wait...

Getting a book ready for publication is only the beginning.

Over the next few weeks, I have a long list of things to do to get readers interested in my next release.

I need to:

• write an amazing book description.

• A/B test different descriptions using ads - the book isn’t for me, it’s for the readers.

• upload the paperback and ebooks to Amazon exclusively.

• recruit at least 100 reviewers and set up a system for distributing review copies.

• create pretty graphics I can use on social media that scream my genre.

• set up low-level FB ads to send targeted readers to the pre-order so Amazon knows who the book is for and can start suggesting it to similar readers when the book goes live.

• add the title to my BookBub and Amazon pages.

• build interest using a free spin-off story as a lead magnet.

• craft amazing emails to my list promoting the launch while also offering them value.

• arrange newsletter swaps with other authors in my niche to go out during the first week after release.

• set up Amazon ads targeting similar books to mine in the top 100 and new release charts.

• do the same for the ‘customers also bought’ titles on the books that generate clicks.

• order book promos with sites like Book Barbarian, Fussy Librarian, and Robin Reads to go out in the second week after release.

My strategy is to get a slow and steady increase in sales over the first few weeks following the launch. This works much better than big a spike on day one.

But the main thing I’ve found with marketing books is to stay laser-focused on your target niche.

It’s better in the first few weeks to sell one-hundred copies to the right audience than a thousand to a much broader one.

Because that’s when the algorithms start working their magic...