Raise your hand if you waited until you hit \u201cpublish\u201d on Amazon to start thinking about how to get the book launch results that author dreams are made of.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re a traditionally published author, you might not have thought about it at all. You expected your publisher to do whatever was needed to make sure readers discovered your book. No need for you to get involved. (Whoops.)<\/p>\n

You were probably disappointed with your launch results, too.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s turn that around. It starts with taking specific book marketing steps while you’re still writing.<\/p>\n

Discovery is key<\/h2>\n

I understand the challenge. It\u2019s hard enough to find time to write the book. Making room in your schedule (and mind) for book marketing while writing might seem like too much of a challenge.<\/p>\n

But you have to — even if it means it takes a little longer to finish writing.<\/p>\n

If you don’t start laying the groundwork you need to sell books before your manuscript is done, your book launch results will be dismal, discouraging, and disappointing.<\/p>\n

[novashare_tweet tweet=”If you don’t start laying the groundwork you need to sell books before your manuscript is done, your book launch results will be dismal, discouraging, and disappointing.” hide_hashtags=”true”]<\/p>\n

Your book won’t be discovered on launch day or any other time of the year unless you goose the discovery process. That work starts early.<\/p>\n

9 early steps to improving your book launch results<\/h2>\n

<\/a>Here are nine steps to take while still writing that will help lay the groundwork for success.<\/p>\n

Take on just one at a time. Fit in what you can, when you can.<\/p>\n

If you do this, you\u2019ll have several of your book marketing basics in place by the time your manuscript is done. That will set you up for a better, more successful launch.<\/p>\n

1. Learn as much as you can about book marketing.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Read a book<\/a>. Take a course<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Identify the bloggers who are publishing book marketing information you can trust. Subscribe to their newsletters.<\/p>\n

In addition to my newsletter, I recommend:<\/p>\n

\n
• Kindlepreneur<\/a><\/li>\n
• Author Marketing Experts<\/a><\/li>\n
• The Nonfiction Authors Association<\/a><\/li>\n
• Reedsy<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

  2. Get clear on who will love your book.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

  That\u2019s your target audience, the people you wrote your book for.<\/p>\n

  If you\u2019ve written a nonfiction book, your target audience is people who are interested in that topic. But what do you know about them?<\/p>\n

  Many novelists tell me they wrote the book they\u2019d like to read. It makes sense, then, that their ideal reader \u2013 their target audience \u2013 is people who are like them. (That\u2019s not always the case \u2013 it\u2019s just an example.)<\/p>\n

  3. Research your target audience.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

  Learn as much as you can about\u00a0the person who is most likely to buy your book<\/a>.<\/p>\n

  This will help you visualize your audience \u201cavatar\u201d \u2013 the one individual who best represents those who will love your book.<\/p>\n

  Next, do more research to learn where you\u2019ll find them online and offline. For example, do people in your target audience use TikTok<\/a>? Will you find them on LinkedIn? Do they like Pinterest?<\/p>\n

  4. Build a following on the social network that most of your audience uses.\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

  Your research into your target audience helped identify where you\u2019ll find them online. Select one or two social networks that are most popular with your audience and learn how to use them effectively.<\/p>\n

  <\/a><\/p>\n

  After you\u2019ve spent some time learning how they work, start following \u201cthe right\u201d people there.<\/p>\n

  Try this: Find the most popular authors in your genre. Follow them, and follow the people who follow them, too. (If they like the types of books the category leader writes, they\u2019ll be interested in yours, too.)<\/p>\n

  And, of course, share content that will interest your ideal readers.<\/p>\n

  5. Connect with bloggers.\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

  Virtual book tours<\/a>\u00a0(author blog tours) are common and popular book launch elements.<\/p>\n

  When you \u201cgo\u201d on a virtual book tour after your book is published, you\u2019ll ask bloggers who reach the people you want to reach to share content that\u2019s related to your book. That might be a:<\/p>\n

  \n
  • Guest post<\/li>\n
  • Q&A<\/li>\n
  • Audio or video interview<\/li>\n
  • Book review<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    You will be far more successful with bloggers who already know who you are. So, after you\u2019ve identified the blogs you\u2019ll want to visit on your tour, comment on and share their posts regularly.<\/p>\n

    They\u2019ll notice you.<\/p>\n

    6. Build an email list.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    Start gathering email addresses now. This is a never-ending process and for many, that growth is slow. So don\u2019t wait.<\/a><\/p>\n

    Be sure to offer a downloadable gift \u2013 a \u201clead magnet\u201d\u2013 in exchange for each email address. (Get ideas for fiction lead magnets<\/a> and nonfiction lead magnets<\/a> and learn how to create them at those links.)<\/p>\n

    Learn how successful authors use email to communicate with their readers by subscribing to their newsletters. What do you like about their approach? What do you dislike?<\/p>\n

    I also recommend reading Newsletter Ninja: How to Become an Author Mailing List Expert<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n

    [novashare_tweet tweet=”Learn how successful authors use email to communicate with their readers by subscribing to their newsletters. ” hide_hashtags=”true”]<\/p>\n

    7. Compile a list of \u201ckey influencers.\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    Who is most influential<\/a> with your book\u2019s target audience? You\u2019ll want to ask them to endorse your book after the manuscript is polished and finished.<\/p>\n

    Begin gathering names and contact information for them now. That\u2019s all \u2013 just figure out who they are and how to reach them, and save it all in a file.<\/p>\n

    8. Create a Facebook Page.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    I\u2019m not talking about a Facebook profile<\/a> \u2013 that\u2019s your personal account where you acquire \u201cfriends.\u201d I\u2019m referring to a business Page<\/a> where you acquire \u201clikes.\u201d<\/p>\n

    You\u2019ll need a Page to advertise on Facebook, but it\u2019s also a good way to establish your book\u2019s presence on this popular social network without annoying your friends.<\/p>\n

    Use it to solicit opinions on your book\u2019s topic, share progress updates, ask fans to vote on cover options, and so on.<\/p>\n

    9. Add your book title to your e-mail signature.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    It doesn\u2019t get any easier than just typing “Author,” followed by your book title.<\/p>\n

    ---

    \n

    Which one of these will you start doing today? Will you pick the easiest or the hardest?<\/p>\n

    Do what works for you, but whatever you do, be sure to do it now.<\/p>\n

    What\u2019s the most important thing you did before you launched your book? Please tell us in a comment.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    <\/a><\/p>\n

    Raise your hand if you waited until you hit \u201cpublish\u201d on Amazon to start thinking about how to get the book launch results that author dreams are made of.<\/p>\n

    If you\u2019re a traditionally published author, you might not have thought about it at all. You expected your publisher to do whatever was needed to make sure readers discovered your book. No need for you to get involved. (Whoops.)<\/p>\n

    You were probably disappointed with your launch results, too.<\/p>\n

    Let\u2019s turn that around. It starts with taking specific book marketing steps while you’re still writing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":19434,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25,11,12],"tags":[43,35,1488,990,1323,1204,51,77],"class_list":["post-15349","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fiction","category-tactics","category-tools","tag-book-marketing","tag-book-promotion","tag-discovery","tag-ideal-reader","tag-influencers","tag-social-network","tag-target-audience","tag-virtual-book-tour"],"yoast_head":"\n