A book launch is a few weeks of work squeezed into the right order. This checklist runs from three months before publication to the week after, and covers the parts first-time authors most often miss: advance copies, pre-orders, metadata and a local event. Tick items off as you go; your ticks stay in this browser. Print it, or download the PDF for the fridge door.
Your launch checklist
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Examples
- Three months out: decide the publication date, then work backwards. Advance copies go out about eight weeks before.
- Six weeks out: pitch your local independent bookstore for an event and your library for a talk.
- Launch week: post the buy link once, clearly, everywhere you have an audience; then thank people individually.
- Week after: ask early readers who enjoyed it to leave an honest review.
The three things that move a launch
- A fixed publication date that everything else counts back from.
- Readers who have the book before launch day and are ready to talk about it.
- One clear place to buy it, shared consistently.
Mistakes that cost launches
- Setting the date before the files are final.
- Uploading the wrong ISBN or price and fixing it in launch week.
- Planning the party before planning the pre-orders.
- Going quiet a week after launch.
Questions
How early should I start?
About three months before publication for a self-published book, longer if you want trade reviews.
Do I need a launch party?
No. A local event helps, but pre-orders and early reviews matter more.
When should advance copies go out?
About two months before publication, so reviewers have time to read.
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