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4 Steps to Take Charge of Your Book Launch

Duolit’s rock star (guest posting) road tour is rolling on, with a stop at the Book Marketing Maven! 

I made a huge mistake with my first book.

I got caught up in the excitement of finally finishing my manuscript that I rushed straight through to the publishing part, ready to share my book with the world and watch the sales roll in.

A few purchases from family and friends took me through my first week, but then things took a nosedive. In the absence of anything close to a marketing strategy, my big book launch was less like the roar of a space shuttle lift-off and more like the fizzle of a bottle rocket dud.

you only launch onceI learned my lesson the hard way.

Like all the kids say these days, it’s all about YOLO: You Only Launch Once.

(That is what the acronym stands for, right?)

So how can you take control of your book launch and make it count? How can you set the proper tone and put your sales on a good growth trajectory from the outset?

You just need to follow these four steps and the sky’s the limit for your book launch (pun intended).

Step One: Assemble Your Team

When properly executed, a great book launch will make you feel like a spirited conductor. But first you need a talented orchestra to lead (otherwise you’ll just be a weirdo waving your arms in the air).

Don’t fill the seats with the first musicians you stumble across, you’re looking for real talent and a good personality match for you and the rest of the team. Search for editors, designers, reviewers, advanced readers, and street team members who know something about your genre, come with great references, and can meet your deadlines.

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  • Rose Klix

    This sounds like great advice. I just need to find time – no make time to go on my own blog tour. I see you are following your own advice and going on one.

    • Hi Rose! Yes, sometimes it is a matter of making time instead of finding time (a task that’s always much easier said than done). Even for us, going on a blog tour requires a lot of time and planning, but it’s definitely worth it!

  • Larissa

    This is great advice! It’s okay to be proud of your work that you want to show it off to the world-but patience and timing works best in creating the best book launch for your first (and others) novel!