© 2021 Karen Sargent
Launching a book is hard. I’m almost always on somebody’s Facebook launch team because I want to help my author friends find my reader friends. Here are a few tips I’ve learned that will help you introduce your book to the world:
SET GOALS: Is your goal to reach a certain number of reviews on Amazon? Are preorders important? Do you want to increase newsletter subscribers? Your goals will determine the launch team’s activities.
VET YOUR TEAM: Sadly, some people will volunteer for your team to get a free book but won’t participate in promotional activities. Seek out members who will be committed. Also, consider the number of social media followers they have. More followers means more potential readers for you.
LIMIT LAUNCH PERIOD: Excited authors start their launch too soon. By the time the release date arrives, the team’s momentum has peaked and many members have moved on. I was on one launch for three months! Spend two weeks getting acquainted with your team. Give them a few warm-up activities (e.g., set up Goodreads account, announce they are on the launch team on social media, etc.). Then put your team into action for two weeks, actively sharing on social media, writing/posting reviews, and doing activities that help you meet the goals you established for your launch. The team’s momentum should peak at your book’s release, not be exhausted before the big day arrives.
BE PURPOSEFUL: Your team has a limited amount of time and energy to dedicate to your book launch, so use it wisely. Playing games within the group can be fun, but do games help new readers discover your book? Instead, provide a book graphic for your team to share on Facebook, then ask them to post a GIF of a bad hair day in the comments when finished. That’s fun with a purpose!
CHOOSE INCENTIVES: If you offer incentives to increase participation, choose incentives that your team will want to work for. Some may want an autographed copy of your book, but would a gift card appeal to more team members?
INSTRUCT: Some team members may not know how to write a review or copy/paste text or change notifications on Facebook. Be prepared to teach them how to do the activities you request.
Plan well, lead well, and your book launch team will be a success!
_________________________
When her novel, Waiting for Butterflies, debuted in 2017, Karen Sargent learned launching a book isn’t easy! So she became a launch team frequent flier to support other authors with the gargantuan task. After being asked to lead several launches, Karen started Book Launch Team MVP. She has curated all the best practices for leading a book launch team and offers packages ranging from the author who plans to DIY to the author who needs a total takeover. Check out Book Launch Team MVP or email Karen@KarenSargent.com for information.
