Team Book Launch Strategy
Start by identifying individuals within your existing network who might be interested in beta reading or reviewing your book. This could include friends, family, colleagues, or acquaintances who enjoy reading books in your genre. Expand that outreach to include social media. If you don’t have a following, ask friends and family to share the post with those who may assist with this goal.
Create an informative message that covers the essence of beta reading and book reviewing. Highlight any benefits you are offering. This can be a free advanced copy of the book, or other creative benefits you could offer. Some authors mention their beta reading team by name in the dedication or a follow up thank you page at the end. These personalized benefits can be incentives for avid readers to join your team.
Beta team building should begin as soon as possible. Most authors begin this process when their book is with an editor. The editing process on a first book will take longer, so give your plan enough time to include that. Once your book is ready for beta readers, they need a clear outline of what information you’re seeking. Questions related to the book helps guide results and ensures your readers are thinking from the critique perspective. 30 days is plenty of time to get their feedback.
Follow up with the team over the course of the month for beta reading. During that time, create social media content and get their feedback. This encourages the team while building out your marketing tools. This should also be ready to go within 30 days. It should include intentional postings related to your books, conversation starters for engagement, and a few simple sales messages. Each of these needs to be accompanied by a static or moving graphic. The best results are moving graphics.
This is also when it’s ideal to organize guest posts on websites or author blogs around your launch. For free, reaching out to other authors in your genre is a great beginning. If you’ve got the income to leverage, I’d suggest hiring a book blog tour company. The value of this investment can be seen in both time and sales. Create guest posts, interviews, and contact book podcasters and interviewers during this time as well.
By the time the team returns feedback and the content is created, the timeline should be 2 months out from launch.
Start scheduling all the posts created across whatever social media avenues have readers who adore the genre you write in. Send out the content for guest spots and fulfill interview commitments. This process needs accomplished inside of 2 weeks.
Begin visiting the arranged podcast recordings, develop new interview connections, and thank everyone who is and has been supporting your efforts. Create a post on your own website that will serve as a link to each site featuring you, each podcast interviewing you, and every influencer that mentions your book. This process needs to continue through and beyond the launch.
During the process of visiting other blogs, podcasts, and interview sites, have the launch team sharing the information and engaging with the sites. This benefits the launch, the site, and the team benefits by seeing their efforts pay off. Not all of your beta readers will be able to engage in all things, but one or two each is a free way to support the visibility and launch.
The week before launch should be dedicated to daily sharing, collecting reviews, maybe live readings of your books. Remind beta readers to write their reviews and get them posted on launch day. Share some keywords related to your book that might benefit search results for people looking for your story. This will both help your book rankings and give your beta readers turned reviewers a clear understanding of how to best support the launch.
If the book is polished, the process is followed, and the copywriting for the book description and messaging is done right, this launch plan will ensure the achievement of sales goals.
Beta Reading and Reviewer Recruitment: (4 months out)
- Identify individuals within your existing network interested in beta reading or reviewing your book.
- Expand outreach to social media and ask friends and family to share the post.
- Create an informative message explaining the essence of beta reading and book reviewing.
- Highlight benefits, such as free advanced copies and personalized acknowledgments.
- Begin beta team building when the book is with an editor.
- Allow sufficient time for the editing process.
- Clearly outline what information you’re seeking from beta readers.
- Aim for a 30-day feedback period.
Content Creation and Engagement: (3 months out)
- Follow up with the beta reading team over the month, gather feedback, and create social media content.
- Prepare marketing tools, including social media posts with graphics within 30 days.
- Organize guest posts, interviews, and book blog tours.
- Get feedback and content creation completed by 2 months out
Social Media and Outreach: (2 months out)
- Schedule social media posts across relevant platforms.
- Send out content for guest spots and fulfill interview commitments within 2 weeks.
- Visit arranged podcast recordings and develop new interview connections.
- Create a post on your website linking to all features and interviews.
- Encourage beta readers to engage with blogs, podcasts, and interview sites.
Pre-Launch Week: (2 weeks out)
- Dedicate to daily sharing and collecting reviews.
- Consider live readings of your book.
- Share relevant keywords to boost search results and book rankings with reviewers
- Remind beta readers to write reviews to post on launch day.
Post-Launch and Ongoing:
- Continue engaging with blogs, podcasts, and interview sites.
- Encourage beta readers turned reviewers to share and engage with your book’s visibility.
- Monitor reviews and engage with readers who provide feedback.