Affiliate Disclosure: This post contains Amazon Associates links, which means if you click on them and make a purchase, I will receive a couple of pennies (at no extra charge to you).

When Stephanie Chandler asked if I’d like a review copy of her new book for authors, I replied “Yes!” without even reading on to see what the book was about.

I’ve known, liked, and respected Stephanie, founder of the Nonfiction Authors Association, for years. I’ve read a few of her earlier books and know her content is relevant, well-written, and loaded with specific how-tos.

I was even more interested when I learned the new book’s title is “The Nonfiction Book Marketing and Launch Plan: Build Your Audience and Sell More Books.”

It’s a time-saver for you … and for me

I wondered if this might be a book I would write if I finally made the time to do it. I hoped it was, because it’s so much easier to recommend someone else’s excellent resource than it is to create your own, right?

Not surprisingly, this information-packed guide and workbook printed in an 8.5 by 11-inch format is everything I hoped it would be … and more.

(Feel free to skip the rest of the review and buy this workbook now.)

What’s “The Nonfiction Book Marketing and Launch Plan” about?

Part training manual, part workbook, this 243-page resource instructs you to:

• Acknowledge and accept the authority you gain from authoring a nonfiction book.
• Own that authority.
• Leverage that authority in ways that help sell books.

Stephanie uses the word “influencer” rather than “authority” or “expert.” I prefer “authority.” I encourage you to read Chapter 1, “Become an Influencer in Your Field” with the word “authority” in mind instead.

Why? Because in today’s lexicon, “influencer” and “influencer marketing” don’t necessarily have anything to do with knowledge or expertise.

When people hear “influencer,” they think of TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube stars. You can be a social media influencer simply because of your personal style, celebrity parent, or physique.

But if you’ve written a book on a subject, you’re an authority. A subject matter expert. You know what you’re talking about.

“The Nonfiction Book Marketing and Launch Plan” does a masterful job of showing how to make the most of your position of authority to promote your book.

Use these features to launch your nonfiction book

Stephanie combines three features to educate and prompt action:

• Instructional content
• Exercises with accompanying worksheets
• Checklists

You can write on the worksheets in the print book, but if you’d rather not – or if you’ve purchased the e-book – use the downloadable worksheets and checklists available at a URL provided in the book (email address required).

The instructional content addresses most tactics you’ll need to make your nonfiction book a success, from creating an effective website to pursuing podcast interviews and from public speaking to snagging publicity.

The chapter on author and book websites is outstanding. You might buy the book just for that information if you haven’t created your website yet or are looking to improve an existing site.

Blurbers and beta readers

I love the attention Stephanie gives to securing pre-publication blurbs – endorsements and testimonials – that validate and praise your content. Too many authors skip this step.

She focuses on securing them from other authors. I encourage you to look to other people who influence your target audience, too. I’ve had success with that approach for my books.

I wish the book offered more of a distinction between beta readers and launch team members, too. Beta readers provide early feedback on content. Launch team (also known as street team) members help promote the book when it’s published.

Some beta readers might join the launch team, but you’ll want to recruit non-beta readers to your launch or street team, too.

Buy this book, but don’t let it overwhelm you

You need this book. Get it here.

But … keep in mind that any time you find a resource as comprehensive as this one, you risk overwhelm. (The table of contents alone is seven pages.)

So, take your time with it.

You might already know some of what’s in there. Skip those sections. Jump to what’s new to you.

As you learn and complete the exercises, remember that you’re an authority. You’re an expert. You know more than the average person about your book’s topic.

Let “I’m an authority on this subject” be your mindset as you select the tactics you’ll incorporate into your book marketing plan.

And be sure to download my free Book Marketing Plan Template. It will let you take all you’ve learned from “The Nonfiction Book Marketing and Launch Plan” and drop it into a simple, easy to follow template. Use it as your blueprint as you move forward.

When you want to learn how to do something, do you prefer to learn from a book or a course? Please tell us in a comment.

Affiliate Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on them and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission (at no extra charge to you).

Last week, Esquire reported on how some publishers send book-themed goodies – “merch,” as the Young People say – with advance reader copies (ARCs) going to TikTok and Instagram influencers.

What the Esquire essayist might not realize is that this is a long-standing practice in consumer product publicity.

Why, when I was your age…

Waaaaaaaay back when I was a publicist at what was then the world’s largest PR firm, we often sent attention-getting and relevant gifts with press kits. They weren’t extravagant, but they weren’t tchotchkes, either.

It usually worked.

And it often made my telephone follow-up calls easier.

That was the case with the bicycle horns included with a Schwinn press kit. As soon as I mentioned the horn to a journalist recipient, they’d say, “Oh yes! I remember that!”

What are publishers sending with ARCs?

This tactic works best when the gift makes sense.

In my Schwinn example, the connection between a bike horn and a well-known bicycle manufacturer was obvious.

Publishers seem to be focused on making a clear connection, too.

As “The Merch-ification of Book Publishing” notes, each influencer ARC box includes just a few gifts linked to the book’s graphics or themes.

For example, for a book set in Long Island, N.Y.’s wealthy Hamptons area, influencers received:

• An ARC
• A tube of pricey sunscreen
• Sunglasses in book cover colors
• Cookies from Tate’s Bake Shop, which started in Southampton

(Sidebar: Tate’s gluten-free chocolate chip cookies are the best I’ve ever had…link added for fellow celiacs.)

Searching for #bookmerch on Instagram, I found fiction ARC gift boxes that included:

• Tote bag, t-shirt, and sticker
• Notepad with the book’s graphics and a tiara
• Crown replica

DIY ARC gift packages

These examples are from publishing houses. What if your publisher isn’t willing to support your book this way? Or if you’re self-published?

Can you do this yourself?

Of course you can!

You can easily send clever merchandise with ARCs, especially if you don’t try to match or compete with big publisher budgets.

You can easily send clever merchandise with ARCs, especially if you don’t try to match or compete with big publisher budgets.Click to tweet

5 steps to send clever merchandise with ARCs

Here’s how to get started.

1. Keep your distribution list small.

What’s most important to your author career right now? Rewarding your most loyal super fans? Getting on the radar of a top influencer in your genre or field? Connecting with up-and-coming reviewers?

Understanding who you need to influence now will help you narrow down the list of potential recipients.

While it’s always a numbers game – the more ARCs you send, the more likely you are to enjoy some level of exposure – once you start spending money with gift boxes, less is more in the beginning.

Starting with just a handful of recipients (5? 10?) allows you to test ideas, become familiar with vendors, and gauge results.

2. Brainstorm gift ideas.

I like to brainstorm with another person who understands what I’m trying to do and can contribute ideas.

If you write fiction, start by listing relevant details, including the book’s mood and tone, themes, protagonist characteristics, settings, and so on. That process could lead to a Greek evil eye key chain for a thriller set in Greece, for example.

Nonfiction authors can prep for brainstorming by listing key messages and ideas from the book along with tools used to accomplish them.

Get creative! Imagine what you’d like to receive with an ARC and apply that to ideas for your book.

Write down all ideas– don’t discard anything – before zeroing in on those you like the most.

3. Keep it practical.

Today’s readers are increasingly concerned about sustainability and waste. Tiaras are fun, but they’re a throwaway item, aren’t they?

On the other hand, if your book involves royalty, a faux crown works just fine.

Here are just a few generic items you can order with custom graphics that connect with your book specifically or with books in general:

• Tote bags
• Note pads
• T-shirts
• Can koozies (neoprene beverage can sleeves)
• Pencils embossed with your book title or bookish sayings
• Coasters
• Coffee/tea mug
• Imprinted Post-its®
• Key chains

Don’t let this list limit you. You might have bigger ideas!

4. Get it done.

The biggest challenge for me in this situation is figuring out how to execute my idea.

Here are a few resources that might help you overcome that obstacle.

• Amazon – You can find just about anything on Amazon, and can sometimes get what you need in bulk quantities for items that include personalized pencils.
• Etsy – Looking for personalization? You might find it here.
• Moo – Use Moo for printed products that include stickers, labels, notebooks, and postcards.
• Vistaprint – This is another reliable source for printed merchandise that includes notepads, stickers, labels, and note cards.
• Zazzle – Thinking about custom t-shirts, mugs, or other items that are more expensive than key chains and pencils? This is the place to start. Create, then order.
• CafePress – Like Zazzle, CafePress lets you create products.
• Canva – Need a little design help for anything you’ll imprint? Design site Canva can help.

In addition, when searching online for items you’d like to be imprinted with the book title, your character’s image, or anything else, use the term “advertising specialties,” as that’s what they’re called. Adding your city and state to that phrase will help you find a local supplier if you’d rather talk to a pro than wing it on your own online.

5. Follow up.

Make the most of your investment by following up with the influencers you’ve sent packages to.

Rather than ask if they’re going to review your book, ask if there’s anything else they need from you to decide if they’d like to review it.

Not a big name? Doesn’t matter

So what if you’re not a big publisher with a big promotion budget? You can still embrace big publisher tactics that include sending clever merchandise with ARCs. Just do it on a smaller scale.

Less is more – send fewer packages, include less merchandise with each ARC.

But don’t dismiss the idea because you’re not with a big-name publisher.

My experience with this tactic as a publicist taught me that it’s effective whether you’re sending out three packages or 33.

Follow the publishing leaders and give it a try.

Not sure if this tactic fits into your book marketing plan because you don’t have a book marketing plan? Download my free Build Book Buzz Book Marketing Plan Template now! It comes with complete instructions and examples. Don’t wait!

What big publisher promotion tactic have you tried that worked? Please tell us about it in a comment!

“How long should I promote my book? Two months? Three months?”

Authors ask me this question all the time.

They’re often surprised by my answer: You should promote your book as long as it’s available for purchase and the content is relevant.

The book launch myth

I’m surprised at how many authors put all their effort into the period around the publication date, then abruptly stop. They abandon the book, even if (or especially if) they’re disappointed with sales results.

That’s often because many, many authors — you, maybe? — mistakenly believe that they can only promote their book when it’s new. That’s the farthest thing from the truth.

Many authors mistakenly believe that they can only promote their book when it’s new.Click to tweet

But they have this impression because there’s a lot of hoopla and hullabaloo around book launches. You can easily find launch courses and checklists online.

You’ll have to look a little harder, though to find programs like my Book Marketing 101 courses that look at book promotion more wholistically and explain how to support your books over the long term.

Readers don’t care about your publication date

In reality, you can — and should — promote and market your book as long as it’s available for purchase.

Readers don’t care if your book came out last week, last month, or last year. All they care about is that it’s a good book.

Readers don't care if your book came out last week, last month, or last year. All they care about is that it's a good book.Click to tweet

Here are five things you can do to promote your fiction and nonfiction books long after the launch has come and gone.

1. Pitch yourself to the press as an expert source.

If you’ve written a book on a topic, you’re an expert. Your expertise doesn’t have an expiration date. Your book is a long-lasting credential. But don’t wait for journalists to find you — go to them.

Note that you don’t have to be a nonfiction author to be an expert source. Novelists typically do a great deal of research around situations, professions, themes, and other specifics for their books. What did you learn more than you ever thought you would while researching your fiction? You can probably talk to the media about it with confidence.

Also read:

• Finding the hidden news hooks in your fiction
• How to be your own book publicist
• Promoting your book: 8 ways to pitch media outlets
• How to get trade journal publicity

2. Speak about your book’s topic.

Whether your ideal readers belong to the Junior League, Rotary International, or the National Society of Accountants, you can identify a topic that will resonate with them.

While this is often thought of as a tactic for nonfiction writers, novelists can also speak about topics related to their book’s content.

Also read:

• 5 real good reasons to be an author who’s a public speaker

3. Do podcast interviews.

Let’s be honest. Authors who hit the bestseller list as soon as their books are released are busy, busy, busy. They don’t have time to be interviewed by every podcast host who wants them as a guest, so they give their time to the most popular shows.

That leaves everyone else to interview everyone else, right?

The best part? Podcast hosts don’t necessarily need you to have a “new book” credential to book you. They just need you to be a good guest with something interesting to say.

Also read:

• 19 cool podcast facts every author needs to know
• Podcasts and authors: Should you be a host or guest?
• 19 of the best podcasts for authors and writers

4. Guest blog.

Blog hosts want interesting, original content for their readers.

Your book doesn’t have to be new for you to provide what blogs need and want. In fact, the longer your book has been out and the more you’ve learned about reader reactions to it, the better able you are to write guest posts that will address reader interests.

Also read:

• The guest blogging audience most novelists don’t know about
• 4 reasons to embrace guest blogging
• Download our free Guest Blogging Cheat Sheet

5. Use social media to keep your book title in front of the right readers.

Not too long ago, I bought a book because the author posted on Instagram that the Kindle version was on sale for three days. I’ve been meaning to buy it, but had forgotten to do so.

Then this $1.99 Kindle deal showed up in my Instagram feed. It was a no-brainer. (When I told my daughters about it, they each bought a copy, too, because they had heard good things about the book.)

You know that you don’t want to smother people with marketing messages and images on social media, but regular, appropriate, and humble posts will help remind people (like me) that your book is out there waiting to be read and loved.

You can also use social media months and months after your book is published to remind people to review it on Amazon, Goodreads, and elsewhere. Encourage them to request it at bookstores and libraries, too.

Also read:

• Want to attract readers? Create social media content that resonates
• Instagram Stories for authors: How to create and use them
• Boost social media success with these 3 image types
• Create book promotion quote graphics
• BookTok for book marketing
• Three keys to selling more books with social media

Don’t forget . . .

There’s a lot more you can do, too. But here’s what’s important to remember:

• You don’t want to merely launch your book and move on. You want to continue to promote it months or even years later so it can educate, entertain, or inform the people you know will love it.
• Readers don’t care if your book is “new.” All they care about is that it’s good.

Want to learn more? Register for the “Book Marketing 101 for Fiction: How to Build Book Buzz” or “Book Marketing 101 for Nonfiction: How to Build Book Buzz” e-course to learn how to do all of these things and more.

What can you do today to promote your not-so-new book? 

(Editor’s note: This article was first published in August 2018. It has been updated and expanded.)

Did you pour your heart, soul, and dreams into announcing your book to the world?

And then, did you walk away from it just a few weeks or months later?

Maybe you were burned out. Disappointed with sales. Hated putting yourself out there with your book. Or dying to get started on your next project.

Stalled book marketing can’t be permanent

There are many reasons for your marketing to stall out, but it should be a temporary situation, not a permanent one.

Your book deserves the attention you can continue to bring to it. You wrote it to entertain, educate, or inform people, so you have to let readers who will love it know it exists.

Let’s fix your stalled book marketing problem now.

It starts with mindset.

Here are seven things you can do to make the essential attitude readjustment that will help you get back to it.

1. Surround yourself with positive people.

And ditch the Debbie Downers.

via GIPHY

They will suck the life out of you.

Truth is, the negative, whiny people in your circle are often uncomfortable with what you’ve accomplished.

They fear your success. In their minds, the higher you soar, the more likely you are to leave them behind.

I realize, of course, that you can’t always remove these people from your life. But you can certainly get some distance.

Make that a goal, because you can’t fly high with anchors weighing you down.

2. Resurrect that book marketing plan.

Your book marketing plan is your action blueprint. It details what you want to accomplish and how you’re going to do that.

If you’ve got one, pull it out now and review it.

Never created one? Fortunately, it won’t take long to fix that.

Start with my article, “Create your book marketing plan by answering these 7 questions.”

It includes a link to my free Build Book Buzz Book Marketing Plan Template with complete instructions, but you can download it here, too.

3. Make yourself accountable.

One of the best ways to resurrect stalled book marketing is to make sure you’re accountable to someone who will hold you to your commitments.

One of the best ways to resurrect stalled book marketing is to make sure you’re accountable to someone who will hold you to your commitments.Click to tweet

I have a goal buddy for this. In late December, we meet to review what we accomplished that year and to share goals for the coming 12 months. We follow the annual review with regular check-ins that hold us accountable for hitting those milestones, or explaining why we didn’t.

Look for someone who can do this for you – and vice versa. Another author is your best option, but it’s not necessary. All you need is a friend or colleague who also needs accountability support.

4. Get out of your comfort zone.

Nothing invigorates me like learning how to do something new, especially when I think that “something” is over my head.

Take a few minutes to list book marketing-related tactics you think would work for your book and its audience, but that intimidate you for whatever reason.

Here are mine just to give you a few ideas:

• Creating short social media videos quickly
• Creating short social media videos quickly
• Creating short social media videos quickly

(I have to get over this, right?)

Whether yours include contacting an up-there-at-the-top influencer for a book blurb or mastering TikTok, pick one and start. Just start.

I promise that you’ll love the feeling that pushing your boundaries a bit gives you.

5. Find your tribe.

Do you often feel like you write in a vacuum?

The people you spend the most time with don’t understand your publishing challenges, struggles, and successes – not your co-workers, your friends, your family.

You need to plug into a writerly community. If you’re already connected to other authors, it’s time to reconnect or participate more.

Attend those meetups in person. Join the Zoom gatherings. Engage more in the Facebook groups (and please join the brilliant authors in the Build Book Buzz Book Marketing Group on Facebook).

Start conversations. Pay attention to what group members share about their book marketing experiences. Ask them to brainstorm with you – and return the favor.

6. Create a mastermind group.

If you’re already connected to authors – if you’ve found your tribe – invite a select few to join a mastermind group.

Not already networking with other authors? Now’s a great time to get started. A small, focused mastermind group will work fine.

With a goal of helping each other keep the momentum going – and that can be for more than marketing – establish ground rules and a regular meeting schedule.

Your reward will be inspiration, insight, and priceless moral support.

7. Be analytical.

Your goal with book marketing is to do more of what works and less of what doesn’t.

Your goal with book marketing is to do more of what works and less of what doesn’t.Click to tweet

Think back to the last time you promoted your book. What seemed to contribute to awareness and maybe even sales? What disappointed you?

What did you share on social media that generated lots of engagement? Which types of posts got crickets?

If you didn’t track activity and results, scroll back through your social media posts. Check likes and comments on launch-period blog posts. Review the open rate and unsubscribes for newsletter mailings.

Invest a few minutes reflecting on what triggered the highs; what triggered the lows. All of this will help identify where to put your effort again.

What are you going to do now?

Which of these seven options will you start with? Which one speaks the loudest to you?

Do you need to surround yourself with other creative people like you to get motivated again?

Or do you need to return to what worked best during your book launch and do more of it?

Can I help? I offer one-on-one telephone book marketing coaching that lets me zero in your situation and help you find solutions that will work for you and your project. Learn more here.

Only you know what will help you eliminate that deadly stalled book marketing. But whatever it is, just do it.

I’ll be cheering you on.

Are you suffering from stalled book marketing? What are you going to do about it? Please tell us in a comment.

When those expectations aren’t met, writers often feel like failures.

It’s not a good feeling. But it’s one that can be avoided.

How?

Plan a soft book launch.

Soft book launch defined

In the marketing world, a soft launch happens when you release a new product to a limited audience before doing a full-blown introduction later.

Companies use this approach for a number of reasons, including gathering feedback they can use to improve the product or fine-tune their marketing language for the full launch.

For most products and services, it’s a great way to answer the question, “Have we got this right?”

3 reasons to plan a soft book launch

There are three primary reasons a soft launch is a smart strategy for authors and books, too.

1. Reader reviews

A soft book launch gives you time to secure those all-important reader reviews before introducing your book to the world.

Reader reviews tell book buyers that your book is reader-tested and approved. This is important “social proof” you’ll want in place before announcing your book outside your network.

People who don’t know you or your product quality need this reassurance.

These early reviews also give you fodder for marketing pieces that include quote graphics (quote cards).

2. Quality assurance

The people you trust to support you during your soft launch can identify any random typos, format glitches, or other issues that seem to inevitably creep into books.

You can also ask for feedback on your book description on the back cover (if you have one) and online sales pages. Is it accurate? Does it resonate with them?

3. Marketing language

Many times, you’ll spot patterns in your early reader feedback. Several on your soft book launch team might express the same thought – “I wasn’t expecting that twist at the end!” or “I will look at this issue differently now that I’ve read your book.”

When you identify these gems in their feedback, consider how you can use them to improve the book’s description and marketing materials.

Create a soft book launch team

Many authors use “street teams” for book launches. They’re people you recruit from your network to read and review pre-publication copies of your book and talk it up on social media during the launch period. (Be sure to read “How to create a street team for your book” by author and popular podcaster Meagan Francis.)

Use a similar approach for your soft launch, but leave out the social media component. With a soft launch, your focus is on securing feedback and honest reviews on Amazon, BN.com, Goodreads, and any other platform that’s important to your book.

You don’t want supporters promoting it yet.

Managing the launch

With your team recruited, take care to:

• Communicate precisely what you need team members to do and when.
• Give them enough time to read and review the free copy of your book that you provide.
• Ping them occasionally with reminders – we’re all busy and can lose track of time.
• Provide exact page links they can use to share their reviews.
• Make it easy for them to write a meaningful review in minutes by providing them with a copy of the Build Book Buzz Reader Book Review Form.
• Explain that reviews need to be honest and that reviewers must include a disclaimer sayinig they received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Presuming everything unfolds smoothly, you’ll be ready for that official launch to a far wider audience in just a few weeks. By taking this extra step, you’ll not only increase your confidence, you’ll improve your chances for success, too.

What has been your most successful book launch strategy? Please tell us in a comment.

You’ll find a lot of good advice online about what you should do to prepare for your book launch. Several sources offer checklists and timelines.

These book launch prep to-do lists are generic, of course, because they can’t take individual author situations into account.

Most, for example, will tell you to email your list. Many authors haven’t built an author email marketing list that’s separate from their personal contacts directory, though.

Still, there are several book launch prep must-dos that make sense for most authors. Here are five of them.

1. Create a book marketing plan.

You know what Ben Franklin says about this, right? “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.”

A book marketing plan is your blueprint to success. It will help you think through and identify your ideal readers. You’ll also determine the specific steps you should take to get your book title in front of them.

To make this process easy for you, I walk you through the process with my free fill-in-the-blanks template and accompanying instructions. Simply download your Build Book Buzz Book Marketing Plan Template, then use it to get organized and take action.

2. Determine which social network your ideal readers use the most and expand your presence there.

If you’ve written your book marketing plan, you’ve done the work to figure out who is most likely to buy your book. (Need help with that? I’ve got an affordable training program that helps you identify your ideal reader.)

Next, match your reader demographics — age, gender, income level, geographic region, etc. — with social network demographics. You can do this by selecting two or three social networks you think are popular with your readers and adding the word “demographics” to a Google search. You might search for “Instagram demographics” or “YouTube demographics,” for example.

If you’re an active social media user, you probably have a good sense of where you’ll find your readers.

Once you know which platforms they use, work to increase and improve your high-quality connections there. Consider taking a course on how to use the best network for you effectively so you maximize your time on that platform.

3. Create your book’s marketing materials.

Again, there are a few basics that every author needs in place before a book launch. They include:

• Book announcement press release
• Online press kit
• Quote cards
• Images that include your book
• Email announcement to your personal contacts, independent of an opt-in email marketing list

If you’re planning a virtual book tour (also known as a book blog tour), write a few of your proposed guest posts ahead of time.

4. Recruit a street team.

A book launch street team is a group of readers, like-minded authors, and/or friends who agree to support your launch.

Typically, you ask them to read an advance review copy, write an honest review, and stand by to post that review on retail sites and Goodreads during launch week. You’ll want to create a plan that includes other strategies for generating reviews, but your street team should be a big part of that.

You’ll also ask them to promote the books to their networks. To help them with that, give them quote cards and images that include your book (see above) along with a selection of tweets, Facebook posts, and Instagram messages they can use. Include hashtags for each social network, too.

5. Update your social media profiles.

If you’re like most of us, you set up your social network profiles when you created those accounts and haven’t updated them since. (If you aren’t like most of us, I’m very impressed!)

Bring them up to date with a current author head shot, an updated description with a website URL,  and a header that promotes your new book.

(Pro tip: Don’t use your book cover for your profile photo. People connect with people, not books.)

What’s on your book launch prep list?

Your book launch prep list might include other tasks, as well. There’s so much you can do!

What do you do before every launch? Why? Please tell us in a comment. 

They understand how social media works and they use it effectively.

For example, they know that each social media site has its own personality, so they don’t share the same content across all networks. Each post is tweaked according to the social media platform’s unique needs.

I’m also seeing a lot of book launch mistakes on social media.

This can turn into a real issue for authors making several of them because it can kill their connections quickly.

Here are the three I’m seeing most often, along with suggestions for turning them around.

1. Every single thing you post on every single platform is about your book.

Every. Single. Thing.

I’m interested in your new book. Really, I am. I am all about books and your books in particular.

But I’m connected to you on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and all I’m seeing from you is how excited you are that your book will soon be published/is being published today/was just published.

People will tolerate that for a few days, but three weeks of nothing but new book posts is pretty intense.

At first, we might think, “Oh, that’s interesting! I’ll have to check it out.” As we see more and more posts, we start to think, “Is that all you’ve got going on these days?” Eventually, we disconnect from you because of the constant repetition.

During your book launch period, share some of the content you usually share, too, so you’re not a one trick pony.

Maddie Daws, the pen name of best-selling author Sandi Kahn Shelton, is an example of somebody who has this figured out. Her Instagram account has a nice mix of book and everyday life content as she approaches the launch of a book that is part of Amazon’s May “First Reads” program for Prime subscribers.

2. You’re doing what everyone else is doing.

Classic example: The “OMG My First Case of Books Arrived” video post. One I saw recently went on for at least five minutes. That was four minutes and 30 seconds too long.

If you’re doing it because you’re certain that your network truly can’t wait to see you cut open a box of books, then go for it.

But if you’re doing it because everyone else is doing it, don’t. Try something different to capture interest and attention.

Start by asking yourself: “What does my audience need to know about this book?” or “What about this book will excite my readers?”

3. You aren’t helping us help you.

We want to help you let the world know about your wonderful new book, but we’re all pressed for time, ya know?

So, when you ask, “Can you help me spread the word about my book?,” give us the tools we need to do that.

Please provide:

• A short book description so we can describe it accurately
• Sample tweets and Facebook posts
• A few social media graphics we can share
• A link to your book on your preferred retail site or to your list of purchase site options on your website

When my friend Monica Bhide asked me to support her new book, Read. Write. Reflect., she also provided a social media graphic with a pre-publication blurb I had written (see below). This made it easy for me to promote her book on the social networks where I’m active — all I had to do was add some text that reinforced my testimonial, grab an Amazon link, and post with the image.

The more you help us help you, the more we can do to support you.

Everything in moderation

To help keep your network engaged, learn what works on the various platforms you’re using and create custom content on each so there’s less overlap (and network burnout). Then, create a mix of everyday life and book launch posts so what you share isn’t such a dramatic change from your routine when you don’t have a new book.

Finally, remember that everything doesn’t have to happen during the small window of time surrounding publication date. You should be promoting your book as long as it’s available for sale. If you burn out your audience during the launch, you’ll have many fewer connections to promote to later, when it’s just as important.

What’s the one thing you’ve done on social media during a book launch that you think has had the greatest impact?

She had pitched an essay about her book’s topic to a major (MAJOR!) daily newspaper hoping that the essay would be published when her book was released. The publication held on to the essay, finally publishing it — gulp — 15 months after the book’s publication date.

Woe is she, the author lamented. “It won’t help the book,” she wrote.

I beg to differ.

In my response, I told her, “It will help it now just as much as it would have if the article appeared the week your book was published. As long as the book is available for purchase, you should be promoting it and publicity like this should be a big piece of that effort.”

Book marketing doesn’t end with the book launch

The author’s reaction to this significant book publicity success — responding sadly with “If only!” instead of clapping her hands together with glee — points out a common misconception among authors and many professional book marketers.

Most think that book marketing ends with the launch.

They’re wrong.

And if you’re smart enough to realize that and keep promoting your book as long as it’s available for purchase, you’ll be rewarded with ongoing sales.

Readers don’t look at publication dates

Here’s why: Readers don’t care when your book was published. All they care about is that the book is good.

With fiction, they want a good story. That story is just as entertaining today as it will be five years from now. There’s no expiration date on quality fiction — just ask Beverly Cleary who, at 101, is seeing six of her Henry Huggins books being reissued with special new features next month. The first in the series, Henry Huggins, was published in 1950.

With nonfiction, readers want information. If the content is useful and relevant, it doesn’t have to be new. Case in point: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, first published in 1989, is on Amazon Charts as one of the 20 most sold and read books last week.

And while a nonfiction book’s content has the potential to become outdated more quickly, you can easily update it and release a new edition.

Stayin’ alive

Stumped about what you can possibly do after the book launch to keep your book visible? You can repeat nearly all of the tactics you used before and during the launch. Just a few of the many options you can continue with include:

• Pursuing reader reviews
• Using your expert status to get book publicity
• Turning gem’s from your book into image quotes you share on social media
• Blogging
• Posting relevant content on your Facebook Page
• Starting or contributing to online discussions about your book’s topic
• Guest blogging occasionally or through a structured virtual book tour
• And so much more

What have you been doing already? Do it again!

And keep doing it. Don’t stop promoting your book because the launch is over.

Your book deserves your attention as long as people can buy it. Support it so people discover, buy, read, and recommend it.

What have you done since your book launch to promote you latest book? Please tell us in a comment. 

Mollie is an Agatha-Award nominee for Best First Novel for SCRAPBOOK OF SECRETS: A CUMBERLAND CREEK MYSTERY. Her second book in the series, SCRAPPED (Cumberland Creek Mystery #2), was released in January 2012. Please visit her online and follow her on Twitter, Facebook  and Pinterest.

Using new Shindig for online book launch event

By Mollie Cox Bryan

With publishers doing less and less for their authors in terms of publicity, we are often approached by well-meaning businesses hoping to help promote us—for a fee, of course.

Being a relatively new fiction writer, I have next-to-no money to sink in to promotion. When an outfit called Shindig contacted me to help promote my newest mystery, SCRAPPED: A CUMBERLAND CREEK MYSTERY, I was suspicious and kept waiting for the “other shoe to drop” so to speak. But they proved me wrong.

It was absolutely free to participate in a Shindig event because they are currently in beta, which means they are just trying out the system, getting rid of the kinks, before they start to charge for their service. They offer a video conference system where a writer can interact with readers as if at a reading or a signing.

Okay, so you can do this kind of thing in chat rooms and with Skype and Google+, now. I’ve never had any luck with chat rooms. I always get kicked out in the middle of any “chat” party I’ve attended. I’ve not tried the Skype conference because there just doesn’t seem to be that much interest from my readers. I’ll get back to this lack of interest in a moment.

Virtual video chat room

Shindig provides writers with a virtual room to video chat with readers.  The on-screen room looks like a huge library or bookstore.

From the start, the people at Shindig were helpful. They ran a test before the big day, which turned out to be a good thing. Our first scheduled test did not work. And it was purely my fault—or my old computer’s fault. I had a new one on order so we rescheduled. Through all that, the young man I worked with was polite and friendly—and yes, even patient. At no time did I ever feel that he was patronizing with me, even as I tried to find my way around the technology.

Shindig sends explicit directions and gets back to you if you have questions. They definitely get an A+ from me on customer service and tech know-how.

One of the coolest functions of their chat room is that while the main guest is chatting, others in the room can connect and chat amongst themselves. I really felt like I was in the middle of a Star Trek episode as I watched people float across the screen to each other.

It’s not for every audience

The only thing that could have gone better is the number of people that actually attended. Shindig doesn’t really help with promotion outside of their own network. They are upfront about that. I promoted the heck out of the event.

But here’s where there is a glitch: Many of my readers just did not have the required equipment, computer memory, or comfort level with the technology. Nor did they have the interest in pursuing it.

But I believe that will change over the next few years.

Even though nothing will really take the place of meeting and chatting with readers in person, this is the closest thing writers can get to it. And publishers just don’t send most of us on book tours. When I think about Shindig and the potential opportunities to writers, publishers, and any entrepreneur that wants to connect more with their clients, I get a little tingle. It’s so exciting to imagine the possibilities.

Have you hosted an online book launch event? What did you do?