A Timeline for Marketing Your Book

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Many authors find marketing their books difficult if they don't have any experience. There's a lot of great info out there for self-publishing, but marketing is a topic that often gets ignored in favor of the creation of the book itself. But marketing your book is crucial to get sales, so I've laid out a quick timeline with some ideas for effectively marketing your book. This isn't an exhaustive list, but it gives you a place to start.

Before Writing

Think about who your audience is, your goals, budget, and your brand.

While Writing

Begin building your brand, engaging your audience, and planning out your strategy. Think about where your audience is and how to reach them. Pick one social media platform your audience uses and join in on conversations, share content that would interest them, and interact with your audience. It's also a great time to build a website, which should at least include a bio, links to social media, and info about the book. A blog is also something you can include, and it would be an opportunity to share about the process of writing the book.

Put together a plan—think about potential reviewers, book awards, and news outlets you can reach out to. If you decide to pay for ads, figure out where you are going to put them, for how long, etc.

While Revising

Now is the time to create a media kit, promotional materials, ads, and finalize your plans for sending out ARCs. Start advertising now, especially on your social media. Don't get spammy, and space out ads with other content. Also, get your metadata ready, this includes BISAC codes, a summary, and bio. Set up preorders; this is a great way to generate interest and start showing up in searches. If you plan to sell on Amazon, set up an author profile. 

While Preparing for Publishing

Send out ARCs, apply to book awards, continue marketing on social media, and running ads.

Make sure you're checking retails sites and your website for correct info/typos.

Lauch

Post updates, announcements, etc. Make sure retail sites have updated and presales have been sent. Celebrate! 

After Launch

Keep marketing, making announcements, and engaging with your audience.