Create a book launch plan that works best for your book and skills
Who is this course for?
- Authors who want to understand how to create a book launch plan that works best for their book and skills
- Those who want to learn how to streamline their marketing efforts to support their specific goals
- Authors who are interested in knowing the best ways to invest their marketing resources (both in terms of time and money)
What you’ll learn
- The difference between the release date and a launch date
- The various components of a book launch and the best order to do them in
- How to pick and choose which marketing activities are right for you
- When and where to invest elbow grease instead of hard-earned dollars
- How to maintain your marketing momentum
About the course
After weeks, months or sometimes years, of writing, when you finally get to write the words “The End,” every author feels an intense sense of satisfaction.
You may have even sighed with relief when you set down your pen or closed your computer after jotting down those two little words.
Your manuscript is finished! Now you can reconnect with the real world and catch up with the relationships (or TV shows!) you’ve missed while holed away, working on your book.
It’s at this point where…
After weeks, months or sometimes years, of writing, when you finally get to write the words “The End,” every author feels an intense sense of satisfaction.
You may have even sighed with relief when you set down your pen or closed your computer after jotting down those two little words.
Your manuscript is finished! Now you can reconnect with the real world and catch up with the relationships (or TV shows!) you’ve missed while holed away, working on your book.
It’s at this point where many first-time writers believe the hard work is behind them and the best is yet to come!
Unfortunately, these same authors soon realize that writing was the easy part. No matter how they choose to publish their book, it needs to be launched and marketed so people can find it. While some publishers support those activities in a limited fashion, many others will hand you your finished book and send you on your way.
Even if your publisher does offer support, it’s crucial for you to be an essential contributor to the effort. Your success depends on it.
Learn how to avoid “shiny object syndrome” and spend your time on those activities that are more likely to yield the results you want at a pace you can sustain.
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Course Content
93 lessons, 9 hours of video
Lesson Name & What’s Included
Module 1: Overview of a Book Launch
4 lessons
Welcome to Book Launches Simplified! In this module, you’ll find a brief introduction to the course, an overview of what a book launch is (and isn’t), the difference between your release date and your launch date, and when you should start planning your launch.
Module 2: Before You Launch
16 lessons
There’s a lot to know and have in place before you get too far into your launch. In this module, we’ll discuss identifying your ideal reader, influencing the reader experience, knowing what you hope to accomplish with your book, the things you’ll need to know regarding your book listings and distribution, deciding whether to use KDP Select or not, taking a good author photo and setting up your author profiles on Amazon, Goodreads and Bookbub, inventorying potential launch bonuses, and a quick note about pre-order campaigns.
Module 3: Launch Team
5 lessons
Having a launch team allows you to bring together a group of people who are all willing to support the launch of your book at the same time. In this module, we’ll discuss what a launch team is, how to build one, and what you should ask them to do as well as what you should be doing to support them.
Module 4: Editorial Reviews
7 lessons
When seeking editorial reviews, the options available will vary depending on how much time there is between when your book is ready for review (fully edited and designed) and when your book is released. In this module, we define what an editorial review is and how to go about getting them both from the trade and from influencers.
Module 5: Reader Reviews
8 lessons
Reader reviews are important too and could mean the difference between someone deciding to take a chance on your book or not. In this module, we talk about where to find potential reviewers, as well as how to conform to Amazon’s review policies.
Module 6: Social Media
8 lessons
When it comes to social media, it can quickly become overwhelming to figure out where to be and how to grow your audience. In this module, we take some of the pressure off. We discuss social media strategies that help you build your platform while still enjoying yourself.
Module 7: Publicity
19 lessons
There are a lot of facets that all fall under the topic of "publicity," so this is a lengthy module. They include topics like submitting to book awards, distributing press releases, reaching out to the media, taking a blog tour, and bookstore and library campaigns, among other things.
Module 8: Advertising
6 lessons
Advertising allows you to show your content in front of a targeted audience. In this module, we discuss various ways to advertise your book and how to determine which one is right for you.
Module 9: Marketing Materials
6 lessons
Marketing materials are helpful to have for the media, as well as for people you meet along the way. In this module, we talk about sell sheets, author websites, mailing lists, printed materials, and how to prepare for an author event.
Module 10: Working with Promotional Partners
3 lessons
Leveraging other people’s audiences can be one of the fastest ways to grow your own platform. So, in this module, we suggest some ways to partner with other authors and secure sponsorships for your work.
Module 11: Additional Resources
5 lessons
Our beta team for this course asked us to cover some topics that didn’t quite fit in with its scope, but we knew would be helpful. So you’ll find recommended resources here, as well as suggestions for how to find editors and proofreaders.
Module 12: Bonus Materials
6 lessons
We’ve added some bonus items that we thought would be helpful, including information on finding your market and getting your book into schools.
Instructor
Tara Alemany
Tara Alemany defies a simple definition. She is a multi-award-winning author of seven books. She is also a speaker, business consultant and publisher, as well as a serial entrepreneur. Although she’s started many businesses during her career, her favorite by far is Emerald Lake Books, which she co-owns with her best friend, Mark Gerber. This boutique publishing company provides a unique blend of business coaching with publishing to help its authors succeed, whether it’s their first book or their fiftieth! Emerald Lake Books specializes in working with positive people who want to integrate a book into their marketing plan or sales funnel to build their business or brand. Using a unique goal-oriented approach to publishing, Tara combines her business and publishing knowledge to help her authors set and attain goals for their readers, their brands and their books. Tara’s award-winning book, "Publish with Purpose," reveals the unique process developed by Emerald Lake Books to help their authors set and attain their goals. In addition to publishing, consulting, writing and speaking, Tara serves on the Board of Directors for a Christian writers’ critique group, acting as both president and chaplain of the group. In her spare time, she is a winemaker, a military Mom to 2 young adults (one of each) and is owned by a black cat.
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