Angela J. Ford - How to Plan an Epic Book Launch in 6 Steps

INTRODUCTION

So you want an epic book launch but you dont know where to start.

Or maybe youve launched a book before and it didnt go as well as youd hoped!

The question is what should you be doing?

What are the steps to follow for a book launch?

Ill lay it all out using my books The Five Warriors and The Blended Ones as a case study.

PAUSE BUTTON!

Before you get started, your book should be:
Fully edited or at least in the editing phase

In the hands of reviewers who can leave endorsements

Check? Okay, you can read on now

3 Months Before Book Launch

Your most important action is research.

I know, it doesnt sound like fun, but at the very beginning you need to find out who YOU want to read your book.

If you dont know, how are you supposed to tell them about it?

No, your book is not for everyone. If youre writing mysteries and trying to market to the little old lady who loves gardening and reading about creating the perfect herb garden, youre in the wrong market.

But, maybe her neighbor across the street enjoys sitting on the porch reading mysteries while knitting outfits for her cats.

Knowing who your readers are is key for book sales, and thats what you want, right?

Some things to consider when you do your research:

• What is the age group of your readers?
• Who has the buying power? Do they have it? Their children? Their parents? An organization or charity?
• Where are they online? Facebook? Goodreads? Instagram? Book Blogs?
• Where are they offline? Grocery stores? Local bookstores? Meetups? Churches? Other community groups?
• What are their hobbies? Reading? Writing? Being outdoors? Gaming?
  

Yes, some of this data can be hard to gather, but you can always just ask. A great place to start is asking friends, family and acquaintances. Read them a description of the book. Tell them what genre it is. Ask them who they think would enjoy reading it. Yes, its a process and youll be tweaking who your target audience is as you gain more knowledge.

Lets move to the next step!

2 Months Before Book Launch

Now that you know who your readers are, start looking at book covers in that genre, and look at some of the bestselling books. What do they have in common? What is different about them? What does the design look like? How big are the words? What kinds of images were used?

Browse for ideas at your local bookstore

Before you start looking for a cover designer, its helpful to have some idea about what you want to accomplish. For inspiration, I recommend heading to your local bookstore and hitting the shelves (yes, Im giving you another excuse to head to the bookstore). While you walk through the bookstore, pay close attention to the book covers, especially the ones for bestselling books.

You may notice some book covers jump out, leaving your fingers itching to buy the book regardless of the storyline or genre. Youll notice others use graphics from the movie or television series. Each book will have its oddity. Some will have gigantic text so you know exactly what the title of the book is and the name of the author. Some non-fiction books will have photography and visuals while some fiction books will just have text and a colored background.

Pay close attention to the cover design of books in your genre and make a list. Write down what you like and what you dont like about those covers, including the front, the spine, and even the back cover.

Check out whats trending on the gram

Have you ever subscribed to a book box and followed their hashtag on Instagram to see what their readers are posting? Or maybe you follow some popular book bloggers and enjoy seeing what kinds of books they enjoy reading. Browse through some of those posts and check out what people are saying about the book covers, that should help you on your quest for the best book cover design in the galaxy.

Gathering your thoughts

Once you have ideas, its time to put your thoughts together. Write up a document with elements youd like incorporated into your book cover design. Be sure to include links to a few book covers you believe are stellar and would like your book to be similar to. Or at least some of the elements, I understand that your book has to be uniquely yours.

When youre putting together ideas for your book designer you should also include specs for your print book, this includes the total number of pages, whether your book will use cream or white pages and if the cover will be glossy or matte. Youll also want to include the print size. If youre only getting an ebook cover design you can omit those details, however, I believe a print book cover is imperative.

Scour the internet for a book cover designer

Finally, its time to find a book cover designer, because now you know what you actually want and need for your book cover.

Browse through the portfolio of your designer. Chances are if you dont like anything they have designed, you probably wont like what they create for you.

Find out about their process. Most designers are happy to chat and make you feel confident about timing, pricing, and rounds of revisions. While many designers offer unlimited rounds of revisions, keep in mind that they are a professional and there is a reason they design the way they do.

Ask if they are willing to promote you. While this is not mandatory, I often feel more comfortable working with a designer who has an online presence both via their website and social media. If I know they are going to post their new cover design and get excited about it, it gives me another reason to work with them.

Its great to work with a designer who specifically works with self-published authors and can offer other design elements, such as banners, bookmarks, and other social media graphics. If you end up working with a design agency, chances are they arent as specialized as a cover designer who is used to working within the ebook and print design specifications.

Regardless, its much easier today to get an excellent book cover design. There are the professionals whose work I adore and who I recommend for the job. Youll notice the budget varies which allows you to find someone to work within your self-publishing budget.

Recommended Book Cover Designers

The Thatchery. Every single cover she creates has a wow factor, but I particularly love the way she makes a book series cohesive. You can look at all the books in the 1929 Series by M.L. Gardner and know that they simply belong together. I also adore the covers shes done for Ellen Smith, another author Im a huge fan of. https://www.thethatchery.com/

Wicked Book Covers. I connected with this designer via Twitter and enjoyed browsing through her portfolio. She offers pre-made designs you can purchase, or request your custom cover design. What makes her unique is that shell create custom 3D models for you. https://www.wickedbookcovers.com/