Author Guide: Going from Production to Book Launch

You might assume that once your book is written, edited, and sent off to production, your work is done, but that’s anything but true. Many authors are unaware of the level of work that goes into making a book a success. 

In reality, there’s a lot that needs doing between when you send your book to production and when it launches. 

To help you prepare, we’ve put together a set of resources to guide you through the process and help you make your launch day a success. This article will cover the first phase, which happens right after your book has been sent to production.

The Starting Point

Remember at this point it is critical to set a date for your formal launch. It should not be ‘whenever’. Find out when you will get your printed copies and when the book will be in the shops (if you have distribution). Work everything backwards from that date. There is no point in creating hype before there is an actual book to buy. Give yourself enough time to potentially get a distributor. Time your launch party along with your Amazon launch date (and hopefully your Audible release). 

Step 1: Create a website

Your website is the central hub for all information related to your book and your work as an author or creator. It can be a one-page simple one, or a complex one. But readers need to know how to find you outside of your LinkedIn or social media. Many websites offer easy-to-use templates that you can customise to your brand. Alternatively, consider hiring a website designer to assist. But using a simple drag-and-drop editor like Wix can work. Don’t forget there are AI assistants that can throw up a website in minutes. 

A good website should:

• Feel true to your personality and message.

• Provide necessary information about you and your books

• Have links to where readers can buy your book

Step 2: Determine all key metadata for the book

Metadata refers to all the data about your book that retailers, Amazon, Ingram Spark and even librarians need. It’s essential for helping readers find your book online. 

In the past, metadata used to appear on card catalogs in libraries, but with recent advances in technology, it’s evolved to describe all the digital information about your book.  Get organised and have a single document that holds all this information for easy reference as you are going to be cutting and pasting it all the time. 

The most important metadata for books include:

• Title

• Subtitle

• Publisher

• Imprint (if relevant)

• Author name 

• Publication date

• List price for all formats (hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audio book)

• ISBNs for all formats

• Keywords all the search phrases people may use to find your book. 

• Categories

Step 3: Get your author accounts 

Amazon is a vital platform for authors, since this is where many readers do their shopping. Once your book is confirmed and loaded on KDP and Amazon, you should get your Amazon Author Central page set up. This will allow you to put your book in pre-order if desired, so that readers can order it in advance, which boosts sales. You will claim your books once they are loaded on Amazon and that is the way you link all your books. 

Set up your profile on Goodreads. Goodreads is a critical review platform and once your book is published you will claim your book there (https://www.goodreads.com/).

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t panic. There are many articles and resources on Amazon to help you through the process. 

Step 4: Start thinking of a social media strategy

In today’s world, almost all businesses thrive off social media, and the book industry is no different. With online niches like Bookstagram, BookTok, and BookTube taking over various social media platforms, you should consider leveraging this to reach your audience. 

Whether you hire a social media manager or handle it yourself, you should start your social media strategy as soon as possible to build awareness and hype around your book.  We don’t suggest you kick off actual sales before the book is available, but just start posting with content that is relevant and will draw more people. When you do launch you will be spamming all your friends and circles so wait until the time is right.

Step 5: Start sourcing endorsements

Many of us have been won over by a blurb or endorsement on a book’s cover. Think about it: you’re browsing the thriller shelf, looking for a new book. There’s an author whose book sounds interesting, but you’ve never heard of them. And then you see that there’s a James Patterson quote on the front. 

Immediately, you’re convinced to give this book a shot. After all, if a famous crime writer enjoyed it, why wouldn’t you?

Similarly, a praise quote from a respected authority in your niche can help prompt readers to buy and read your book. Make a list of people you admire, and start reaching out to them with emails about you and your book. You never know, you might get lucky!

Step 6: Get your material organised

When you’re publishing a book, there are a lot of things to keep track. Information, invoices, text, images … the list goes on. 

The last thing you want is to lose a key piece of information (or the final version of your manuscript), which is why it’s a good idea to create an organisational system to help you keep track of everything and easily find something if you need it. Whether it’s a folder on your drive or an online system, make sure you save everything relating to your book in one place, no matter how insignificant it may seem. MAke sure you save all your final documents, your AIS, your back cover blurbs, your final edited proof as well as all the versions of your book (epub as well as your print PDF files.)

Step 7: Look into review sites

Various sites are aimed at bridging the gap between authors and readers by allowing book reviewers to access early copies of books. These are referred to as advanced reader copies (ARCs). Commonly, these are provided in ebook format (eARCs) and contain a disclaimer that readers are accessing an early version of the book, where small errors might still be present. 

It’s a good idea to look into these sites early, so that you can have a few reviews for your book already available when it’s published. 

The two most popular sites are:

• NetGalley 

• Edelweiss

  
  

You can also directly send out a PDF to reviewers before your book is published. Social media is once again a great place to find readers interested in your book.

In conclusion 

Launching a book can seem daunting, which is why it’s much easier to break the process up into smaller parts. That way, you can focus on one thing at a time, instead of realising that you’re two weeks out from your launch day and you’ve done nothing so far. 

Remember that you’re not alone in this. Your publisher, agent, and writing community are all there to offer advice and support, so don’t hesitate to reach out if needed.