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| Behind the Scenes of a Successful Book Launch 🎉☕️🎂 |
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| | So much goes into a rocket launch. The few minutes it takes for the rocket to get to orbit above the Earth looks effortless, but actually years and years and millions of dollars and thousands of work hours went into that successful launch. Click to watch the recent SpaceX launch of their Starlink satellites starting right before launch.
While I’m a friendly person who likes chatting with friends and strangers alike, I was terrified to market my first novel. Everything I share with you, I had to learn through the school of experimentation and practicing in the real world.
From my experience, I believe that no matter who you are, you can learn to market your novels. Your way may not be my way. You're invited to find something useful here you can integrate into your own style of book marketing.
One more caveat: No matter where you are in the writing process of your novel, you can benefit from thinking about bringing your book to the marketplace now.
Now the good news!!!!
I fully funded the Kickstarter campaign for my novel on Day 1 (Tuesday, March 1).
I’ve sold 100 books so far to friends and strangers, alike.
Yay! This is my most successful launch to date, my most ambitious also, as I am reaching wider and broader.
Success for me is selling books, yes, and reaching a broader audience, and having the opportunity to cultivate a relationship with my fans. Kickstarter connects us directly with our backers. I love that!
Here are some of the ingredients that I feel went into this successful launch:
- setting a manageable goal (for me): $500.
- connecting with my network before and during the launch for support, feedback, critiques, cross-promotions.
- studying and preparing a lot (images, book blurbs etc.) (See Russell and Monica’s book, just published. His material has been so useful, thorough, with lots of examples.)
- getting clear on my WHY for my book.
- being vulnerable.
- asking for help.
- taking the time to ruminate, plan, think, and feel.
- making room for the meltdowns, and having support and understanding with loved ones while I travel this road.
- constantly checking in with myself about what feels true, real, important, and noticing all the ways I feel pressure to perform, succeed, meet other people’s expectations and my own shadow expectations.
- regularly reconnecting to what I really want; noticing if tiny choices are working for me; then choosing again if I need to, making course corrections every step of the way.
Overall, I could not do this book launch alone.
What is a book launch?
Sending your book out into the world to generate sales and excitement for your book and to bring in your fans and new readers who will hopefully become fans.
Three Steps You Can Do Now
While you’re editing your novel or writing a new one, you can prepare for your book’s eventual launch. Here are three steps. (I'll have more steps for you as I develop them.)
STEP 1
Know your deep why as a writer.
If you haven’t explored your why in-depth, I recommend you do, either by journaling, or having a friend, coach, or therapist help you excavate your truth. Go deep, get vulnerable, and create a safe place to have this exploration.
Example
Over the years I have explored this, not always finding immediate answers especially at the start.
Now my WHY circles around these things:
— the need to self-express
— the need to know myself
— the need to know the world
— the need to shape the world
— the need to create a powerful emotional journey for the reader (more on that below)
STEP 2 Know your author persona why and be able to share that succinctly with friends and strangers, readers and media.
I teach this tool to help you create your author branding statement. (article, course)
Example
Mine is:
I write magical tales of romance, mystery, and adventures to empower women and girls to be the heroes of their lives.
Step 3 Brainstorm on the emotional/psychological arc (journey) your main character takes in your story; write it in 1st person; most likely their journey is your journey, maybe something you experienced 30 years ago.
Example
I shared this a few weeks ago and created a post about it here.
Other Key Elements of A Successful Book Launch
Timing We can control when we launch but we can't control who else is launching at the same time.
The same morning I published my Kickstarter, science fiction novelist Brandon Sanderson launched his campaign and raised $5 million in an hour and broke Kickstarter. LOL
If you're preparing or thinking about preparing your book launch, here are some prompts to help you reach for the stars:
- I wonder…
- How can I… ?
- Who can I talk to that has done what I want to do?
- What is my body telling me about (the topic)?
- What have others done in this case?
- How do others handle x problem or issue?
Ultimately, we write our novels to be read. You owe it to yourself to learn how to market your novels in a way that is sustainable and supportive to you and what you want.
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Have a happy and creative week! Happy Writing!
All my best,
Beth
PS. Page Turner Awards are open for 2022!
Their Early Bird pricing ends soon!
Receiving an award for your fiction can validate your efforts, offer you recognition from strangers, and be a great feather in your cap for marketing.
I'm a sponsor of this contest (and a former winner!) and am giving away 2 prizes this year: - For published authors: the Branding for Authors course bundle, plus 3 months of one-on-one support
- For unpublished authors: Edit Your Novel course, plus 3 months of coaching and manuscript review.
Contest open until 31st of May 2022.
All the details and how to enter here:
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| I stand for peace and for freedom. I stand with the people of the Ukraine. My great great grandmother was from Odessa, a great great grandfather was from Chernivitsi, both immigrating to the United States in the 1880s. I also have a Russian Jewish great grandfather who immigrated to the US in the early 1900s.
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| | Recent Posts on Writer's Fun Zone blog- Tied In Knots: Writing Tie-in Fiction by Bobby Nash
- Are Author Websites Still Necessary in 2022? by Dave Chesson
- Author Q&A with Claire Stibbe (dark, domestic suspense novels)
- Should You Become a Part-Time Proofreader as a Writer? by Thao Nguyen
- Take Time to Celebrate by Nevada McPherson
- Storyboard Your Tale by LA Bourgeois
- Author Q&A with Shannon Lawrence, featuring her book The Business of Short Stories: Writing, Submitting, Publishing, and Marketing
- Author Q&A with Amanda Krill, featuring her book, Feisty & Non-Compliant, and its Kickstarter campaign
- Write The Story As You Want To, Not How Others Tell You To Write It by Janelle Riley
- The Power of No by Lisa Towles
- Is Visualization the Key to Success? by Catharine Bramkamp
- Author Q&A with Bobby Nash, Thrillers, Mysteries, Media Tie-Ins
- The Copyright Claims Board is Coming Soon! by Kelley Way
- Author Q&A With Tinthia Clemant, featuring her book, My Immortal Beloved
** Write for us and gain experience and clips, and share your wisdom! ** |
| | | | | You have been reading the Creativity Sparks Newsletter!
Now in its 16th year, this newsletter is a service of my coaching and consulting business, helping genre fiction writers write, market, and publish their novels to the delight of their readers.
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| ABOUT BETH BARANY
Beth Barany is creativity coach for writers, a teacher, workshop facilitator, and speaker, who helps fiction writers experience clarity, so that they can write and polish their novels, and proudly publish them to the delight of their readers.
Beth speaks to groups locally, online, and internationally. For more details and how to book, go here.
Owner of the Barany School of Fiction, an online training hub, Beth takes great interest in how humans learn, create, and grow, and includes all her students’ life experiences, including the ancestors, into the moment.
Want a course to help you prepare to write your novel? Discover the comprehensive Plan Your Novel course here to help you vision, brainstorm, and plan your next novel. Planning for panthers, who want some structure but no too much. A road map to guide you on your way to writing your novel. By the time you're done with this course, you'll be ready to write because you know where you want to go and are excited by it.
Beth Barany is also an award-winning novelist and writes magical tales of romance, adventure, and mystery to empower women and girls to be the heroes in their own lives.
Uncover her Henrietta The Dragon Slayer series here (YA Fantasy), her Touchstone series here (Fantasy/Paranormal Romance).
beth@bethbarany.com
Barany School of Fiction
Writer's Fun Zone blog
Photo Credit: by c. 2018 Ezra Barany
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| I sit in the territory of Huichin, part of the stolen land of the Chochenyo Muwekma Ohlone, the successors of the historic and sovereign Verona Band of Alameda County. |
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