Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Anatomy of a Book Launch - Part 1

Welcome to my three part series, in which I’ll share the anatomy of my book launch—the specifics, the what’s and the why’s—all in the spirit of paying it forward. I figured, why not share the details. Anyone out there who’s either launching in the near future or will launch one day, could use this as a reference*.

September & October (or 4 months before launch day)

This may be obvious but, be sure you’re everywhere you can be online: goodreads, twitter, Facebook, etc. However, make your presence mean something. I’d rather have a strong/genuine presence in a few key places than be all over the place with a thin/weak presence.

Here are the things I worked on, ordered, and organized in September and October:
  • Worked with Teen Book Scene to have an “early buzz building” blog tour. I can’t sing their praises loudly enough. Visit their site and you’ll see why.
     
  • Researched bloggers who review books and emailed them with review requests. I focused on those with 1,000 or more followers.
     
  • Took out a free Craig’s List ad to announce the launch of kmwalton.com
     
  • Contacted my local big city library (Philly) about getting on their author list.
     
  • Decided upon my book launch venue and got it officially booked.
  • Designed and ordered promotional cards at Vistaprint.com – My family and I have handed out 200 to date!! 

The front & back of my promo cards - so you can see what I chose to put on there.
  • Designed and ordered car door magnets from Vistaprint.com – two live on my car, otherwise known as “The Cracked Mobile”. My mom and one of my younger sisters offered to put one on each of their cars. I figured, the more people who see my book cover, the more it increases the chances they’ll see the book “out there” and pick it up.

The magnet on my salty car door.
  • Attended lots of YA book signings at my local bookstores—a great way to network and introduce myself.
     
  • Joined Rachael Harrie’s Write Campaign and participated in a few blog hops—all in an effort to get my name out there.
     
  • Attended Philly Lit Night – the West Chester edition. Again, a great way to network and meet fellow writers.
I hope you’ll stop by next Tuesday for part two of this series. Part two is when I kicked it into overdrive and the real work started!

*By “reference” I mean just that—something to refer to. I am in no way suggesting this is a list of musts. Do what you’re comfortable with and what fits into your budget.

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