📚 Hey, about that book launch... here's what you REALLY need

5 things you gotta have dialed in (no cringing required!)

Sep 30, 2024

Ever had one of those weeks where your life seems to be going through an unexpected rewrite?

I just had one.

After months of conversations with a company about an in-house copywriting role, they told me they were going with someone else.

Sure, the email was nice - they offered to refer me to clients and keep me on file for future roles. All very complimentary, but still...disappointment stings. 😳

I have a secret weapon in moments like these: my "Happy Authors" Trello board. It's a collection of kind words from past clients that never fails to lift my spirits. As I scrolled through, trying to channel my inner Swiftie and shake it off, I came across one from Freeman Fung, a Mindvalley coach and author I worked with on his Amazon bestseller, Travel to Transform.

Here’s what Freeman wrote after his launch:

"Since the book launch, so many incredible doors have been opening up for me, and also, my list of podcast interviews/invites keeps lining up! The Author Ecosystem definitely set me up for success. And I can't say enough about how valuable Jen's work on my website has been, together with her awesome help on copywriting & coaching!"

This got me thinking about what made Freeman's launch so successful.

What would I say if I could whisper in every emerging author's ear about their top priorities at least six months before launch day?

Well, let's dive into the five essential marketing assets every author needs to feel confident about:

1. An Email List: Your Book’s Best Friend

Start building yesterday.

Even if it's just your mom and Uncle Sal. (But you can do so much better. 😂 ) Substack is great for building an author ecosystem if you're starting from scratch. It's about so much more than just collecting email addresses—it's about the relationship you have with your readers.

Freeman had a cohort of Mindvalley coaches who were also building their email lists. They were more than happy to help him create buzz during his launch by introducing this book to their growing audiences.

Remember, it's not just about your list but how you connect with other people building an audience that would be a great fit for your book. Then, it’s a win-win for everyone.

2. A LinkedIn Profile that Positions You as an Author

For non-fiction, authority-building book authors, LinkedIn is often where your biggest audience lurks. It's about leveraging those connections - because that’s where many of the people who need your book and expertise hang out. So add author to your profile and have a paragraph in your About section talking about your upcoming book with the pub date.

3. Podcasts: Conversations that Sell Books

No question being on a podcast with a good audience fit sells books. So start researching and reaching out to podcasters in your niche.

Pro tip: Listen to 1-2 episodes first. Draft a short email that clearly tells them why you're a good fit for their audience and the value you'd bring to the conversation. (If you have an email list — mention it.)

There's nothing worse than getting a podcast pitch where the guests have made it all about themselves, and it’s obvious they’ve never heard your show.

Wondering how many? Yeah, I thought so… how about starting with a goal of 5-10 podcasts and see how it goes? If that’s too many, adjust the goal. If you love it and want to do more, you can continue months after your book launch.

4. Amazon Page Copy that’s Optimized for Discoverability

Freeman's message about personal growth through travel was timely for the decade of the digital nomad. I wrote his bio and book description to pique curiosity about his message while ensuring it had the right keywords and phrases for Amazon searches. Both are essential for discoverability.

Something that worked well two years ago (but Amazon does change their algorithm so I'm not sure how well it works today) was this optimization:

Do your research for competitive titles. Find the most popular and closest match to your message and subject matter expertise. Then include a sentence in your book description: "If you loved XYZ book (the competitive title), then this book will help you understand..."

The algorithm will pull your book when readers do a search for that competitive title.

5. Amazon Reviews: Building Social Proof, One Reader at a Time

Start flexing your "review muscle" now. Make a list of all the people you can ask for support.

Wanna hear a creative AND fun approach to gathering book reviews?

Look no further than Laura Belgray's launch for "Tough Titties." A master of email relationship-building, Laura formed a book launch fan club called "The Tittie Committee." (See what she did there?)

We members received a free PDF of the book and loyally spread the word. Laura hosted Zoom parties where we wrote our Goodreads reviews together.

She provided helpful samples to kickstart our writing and made it easy for us to share on social. There were great giveaways, and we all did a bit of online schmoozing.

The whole process was energizing, fun, and far from "icky." It's a brilliant example of turning the often-dreaded task of review-gathering into an engaging, community-building event.

😜 Plus, the book is hilarious and such a delightful read. Highly recommend you buy a copy here!

There's a rumor that after 1000 Amazon reviews, your book sells in perpetuity. I have no idea if that's fact or fiction - but I bet I just got your attention.

So, set yourself a goal. Let's call it “perhaps in perpetuity?”

Every emerging author you admire started somewhere. They all faced these same fears and had to build assets from scratch.

The difference is that they pushed through. And you can, too.

Remember, it's not just about having these things; it's about understanding how to leverage them to amplify your message and connect with the right readers who genuinely need and appreciate your book.

That's the key to making marketing feel less icky and more like an authentic extension of your work.

So take a deep breath, save this post for when you’re ready, and tell me which one makes you cringe the most. 😣