Launch week with no budget. What's actually worth your time?
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R. S. Breed Founder
A lot of launch advice assumes money for ads, promo sites and review services. Plenty of people don't have it. Here's what I'd spend time on instead.
Most of the launch happens before launch week. By release day you want:
- A fixed date you can tell people, ideally with the book up on pre-order.
- Blurb, categories and keywords done properly. They cost nothing and matter more than most paid things.
- A handful of early readers who've had a copy and have said they'll post an honest review in the first week. Not relatives who'll gush.
- A clean opening. The sample sells the book, so the first few pages get more polish than anything else.
During the week itself:
- Tell the people who've already asked to hear from you, however few. Whatever list, group or feed that is.
- Post once, clearly, wherever you already have some presence. Cover, one line on what the book is, where to get it. Then stop. Ten posts in a week reads as panic.
- Message your early readers individually and politely to remind them about reviews.
- Turn up in the communities you're already part of. Don't join twenty reader groups the week of release to drop links. Everyone can see what you're doing.
Some things cost nothing but aren't much use either:
- Chasing strangers on social media.
- Swapping reviews with other authors. Ethics aside, it doesn't find you a single reader.
- Refreshing your rank. Once a day is plenty. Once a week is healthier.
And after launch week, remember that most indie books don't take off in week one, and that isn't a verdict on the book. The launch is the start of its life, not the end of it. The best marketing for this book is usually the next one, which is annoying advice and also true.
What's the one free thing that actually made a difference for you?