How To Launch A Book
One of the most thrilling moments in an author’s career is when you type those two infamous words “the end.” You finally can yell a “woot woot” and the sit and relax. Actually No! Now is when the fun starts the launching of your book so readers can find it and read it.
Although this article is specific to indie authors which means you are self-publishing your own work you can still market your book even if you are with a publishing company.
During the onset of your launch you want to offer a discounted rate on your book. The reason behind this is you attract new readers during this time and become more visible. If you are new to the game one of your goals should be to have your book in the Amazon’s Best Seller List. It goes without saying that Amazon’s algorithm looks to the number of books you sell. So, obviously the more you sell the higher you will appear in their charts.
If you decide to offer your book for free instead of a discounted rate this too will maximize your chances of receiving more purchases which in turn will hopefully equate to more reviews. That being said there are two different avenues authors take when promoting their books in Amazon. One is Amazon Kindle Unlimited. This option locks you in for a few months where you cannot sell your books anywhere else except Amazon. Otherwise, the other option is “going wide.” Here you set a specific price in Amazon, your books are not available to be read for free, and then you can sell them in any other platform you want.
Specific to Amazon there are several points to consider when pricing your book. If you price your book at $0.99 you will definitely get ranked on their site. However, if you price your book at $1.99 you receive 35% royalty fees on purchases. If you price your book at $2.99 then you can earn 70% royalty fees. So, understandably so you must consider what is most important to you from the onset.
I recommend you start with the $0.99 promotion so that you can gather your audience and hopefully your reviews. Then after analyzing sales you can increase the price of the book until you are ready to launch book 2. At that time you reduce the price again right before the new book comes out as an incentive.
Now that we have discussed pricing on Amazon how do you actually launch your book?
Well, you share it in all of your platforms. Post it on your author website, Facebook author page Facebook groups, Instagram, Twitter, etc. Provide a giveaway to attract readers. You can also consider hosting a book launch zoom party. Another way is to apply for a Bookbub Featured Deal. Keep in mind this avenue is very competitive so don’t fret if you don’t get a deal at the beginning. There are other sites you should consider in addition to Bookbub such as - Bargain Booksy, The Fussy Librarian and Robin Reads.
Overall, promote your book in as many places as possible. If readers do not know about you or your book then it goes without saying they are not going to know about the book.
If you are at this stage, then congratulations and always remember to keep on writing.
