“Everything should be as simple as possible, but not simpler.”
Albert Einstein
Here is the two-step process for writing and launching a successful book:
- Write a book readers will share.
- Share the book with people who will read it.
It is really that simple, but it is not always easy.
I have written and launched multiple books of my own and helped launch and market hundreds of other books as well. This simple guide is meant to help authors plan a successful book launch.
Everything you read below is an effort to expand on the two main guiding principles while keeping the approach as simple as possible, but not simpler.
1. Write a book readers will share.
This is different than just “write a good book.” There are a lot of good books out there that people read and enjoy, but bestselling books are the ones people read, enjoy, and then recommend to their friends. There’s nothing wrong with writing a book like that, but if you want to get a lot of people to read it, then you have to give readers something they will talk about.
Many times this means testing out an idea for a book ahead of time. While some authors do find success “writing to the market” or chasing the latest trend, a better approach is to write something interesting for a community of people who feel passionate about the kinds of books you write.
The next step is to find that community of people and . . .
2. Share the book with people who will read it.
There are two ways to communicate to this community of readers who will share your book.
- Your platform.
- An influencer’s platform
Leading up to the launch of your book, you should be building a platform for people to follow you (an email list is best) and building relationships with people who have a platform.
The more your platform or an influencer’s platform includes people who will read and share your book, the more likely it is for your book to be successful.
Here is what to do leading up to the launch of your book:
Influencers’ Platforms
- Create a launch of list influencers whose platforms include people who will read your book. An influencer includes anyone with a podcast, radio show, email newsletter, Instagram following, or YouTube channel.
- Reach out to everyone on this list to ask for an interview, review, guest post, or simply to share the book or an event around the book.
- Follow up until you get a definitive “yes” or “no.”
Your Platform
- Pre-order Campaign: Build anticipation with bonus gifts for early buyers.
- Launch Campaign: Incentivize a purchase now rather than later with bonus gifts for anyone who buys the book by a definitive deadline.
- Content Campaign: Continue to create content (excerpts, articles, quotes, videos, etc.) inspired by the book that gets people interested in learning more.
