What actually matters (and what doesn’t)
✍️ For debut & indie authors
• Start a spreadsheet of booksellers, librarians, bloggers who you connect with as you build your network
• You don’t need to attend author events as a debut. You don’t need special editions. You don’t NEED all the glitter, you just want them because your faves(who are seasoned btw) have done it. Focus on three things the most. Reaching READERS, having a cover that fits your market and writing the next book/s.
• Have a timeline for the 6 months leading up to release for marketing purposes, and give yourself a decent buffer to have absolutely everything finalized before release. And if that book is not a standalone, have book 2 drafted before book 1’s release.
• Find whatever channel gives you a voice and lean into it. The best opportunities are in-person events, not any of the social media platforms.
• Launching doesn’t have to be perfect. Small, consistent steps , sharing your story, engaging readers, building community matter more than a flawless release.
• You know that saying “Dress for the job you want, not the one you have?” Treat your book like that. Dress it in a cover that says what this book is and where your career is headed. Release the formats you know your future audience is going to want (adult readers? You’ll want audio for commuters. Middle grade? Parents like paperbacks. Highly collectible? You’ll want a fancy hardcover.) Tune up your blurb so it promises what you know your book will deliver.
• Forget the first book and write a second. Your book’s destiny was decided 3 months before it released, and the first is rarely an author’s best work. Front list sells back list.
• Watch out for burnout. Take care of you, step back when you need to, and give yourself permission to curl up on the sofa and not worry about marketing for a day.
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