This post was supposed to go live this morning, but accidentally got marked as a draft. I apologize for the delay.
I've ordered the proof copy of Seasons' Beginnings. Once that arrives, I can go through the book one final time, mark and correct any errors, and upload the corrected files to Createspace and KDP. Because of the ten-day delay for pre-orders, the eBook version won't be available right away. I may hold off on making the paper version available until October 21 (the official release date), though if there's interest, I might release it sooner.
With traditional publishing, books normally only get a big push around their release date, since if they don't sell through in six weeks, they're considered sunk. Luckily, as an indie, I can give the book time to find its audience--though it would be nice to have that happen sooner rather than later.
Since I have some breathing space, I'm mulling over potential marketing ideas for SB. Some possibilities include a Goodreads giveaway, seeking reviews through Story Cartel or Net Gallery, and/or a blog tour. I haven't had much luck with these ideas with my previous books, though since SB is in a different genre, it might fare differently. I know giveaways are popular with readers, but they don't seem to do much for actual sales. (What I do need are reviews, ideally good ones, so I can promote SB in bargain book e-mails. Hopefully, eBookSoda will accept a new release even if it doesn't have a lot of reviews. Other sites may take longer to get into.) Whatever I decide on will be announced here.
Of course, the most important part of the book launch is the celebration. For me, this means taking my family out to dinner. If I develop a local fan base, some day I plan to throw a release party at a local chocolate lounge. Perhaps I'll reserve that for when I finish the Catalyst Chronicles or the Season Avatars series.
Readers, how do you learn about new books, and what makes you decide to try one? Writers, what are your favorite marketing methods?
2 comments:
Just a few weeks away!
Giveaways are good for reviews. And you do want those before the book launches. I know my publisher sends out A LOT of books for review before the release date. (I asked once about Net Galley - they said no, way too many trolls and not worth the cost.)
Do a tour, do interviews, do everything as long as you want. It's your book and you have all the time you want to promote it.
I have a few favorite reviewers whose tastes seem to mirror mine so if they rave about a particular book, I check it out.
I've noticed too that if I check a particular book out on Amazon they tend to recommend similar books so maybe keywords are just as critical to get them to pop up using the same filters.
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