Lindsay Harrel, @LindsayHarrel
Before I was a published author, I had no idea how much work it was to send a new book out into the world. I mean, yeah, I knew there was more to it than I probably saw, but I had no idea what is expected of authors these days. And if you’re self-publishing your book, then you have even more of the burden of launching on your shoulders.
When I launched my first book, One More Song to Sing, I was pretty pregnant with my second son and admit I didn’t do as much as I should have. I honestly didn’t know what to do, and I settled for doing a little bit but not going overboard (I just didn’t have the mental or emotional energy!).
But when recently launching my second book, The Heart Between Us—which was my first with a large publisher, Thomas Nelson—I wanted to go all out. Thankfully, I’d been warned by several friends not to spend tons of money or do more than I could handle. Otherwise, you might have found me in the loony bin about now (of course, dealing with a baby and a toddler might still do that to me…).
Because there ARE a lot of things you CAN do. But what SHOULD you do? Answering this question requires some research, and that’s not exactly what I’m going to address here. What I want to offer is some basic advice about the launch process itself:
- Start early.
The month before and after a book launches is typically the key window of time when launch activities should take place—but ideally, you’ll already have a lot of things accomplished by then.
For example, most bloggers set their review schedules months in advance, so if this is part of your launch strategy, you need to start contacting them at least 4-6 months ahead of launch.
You can also start filling out interviews and writing guest posts here and there in the months before launch, as opposed to scrambling to get them all written in one week’s time. This worked well for me because I was able to be fresh and original, and have the mental energy to complete them all.
- Set clear expectations.
Start the entire process by considering what you hope to achieve through your launch activities. Obviously you want to get the word out about your new book baby, but there’s more to it than that. Do you want to get a lot of reviews? Do you want to increase your social media presence? Are you a new author building a brand, or a seasoned one hoping to reward loyal fans?
Don’t try to do everything. Figure out what you can realistically handle and set achievable goals.
If you’re traditionally published, you also need to consider what your publisher expects of you. Have several conversations and get firm deadlines set up in advance so you can schedule time for the activities your publisher wants you involved in.
- Get organized.
For me, it helped to track my actions with a spreadsheet. I would list everything I needed to do for the launch—even the smallest details—as well as the deadlines associated with each action. When I had 15 extra minutes, I would look at the list and complete an activity as I was able, then mark it off. Seeing the visible proof that I was moving in the right direction gave me a lot of peace as the launch of The Heart Between Us drew closer.
- Arrange help with non-launch activities.
As much as it sometimes feels like a book launch is taking over our lives, we do have other responsibilities—especially if you’re like me and still have young kids at home! I found it helpful to arrange for someone to take my kids once a week so I could focus on launch activities and knock out a bunch of my spreadsheet items at once. Other people hire house cleaners, get family members to pitch in on the cooking, and train their spouses and kids to fend for themselves a bit more during critical times such as a book launch.
- Hire assistance with launch activities.
When I was about a month out from launching The Heart Between Us, I admit that I panicked a bit. I’d just turned in my next book and realized that despite my list, I was a bit behind where I wanted to be in terms of putting together a launch team (also called a street team) to help get the word out about my book.
So I actually hired a virtual assistant to assist me with that and throwing a Facebook launch party—and it was one of the best decisions I made. I didn’t want my family to remember me as a stressed out shell of myself during launch time, so despite the money, it was worth it to me. It was nice having someone who had experience with helping other authors launch books to give me advice and guide me in the best way to do things.
This may not be feasible for you, but if you’re feeling super stressed, go ahead and do yourself this favor! Your mental sanity is not something to mess with. Besides, launching a book should be exciting. Hopefully you will have an amazing experience and look back with fond memories on your book’s entrance into the world.
Megan Jacobs always wished for a different heart. Her entire childhood was spent in and out of hospitals, sitting on the sidelines while her twin sister Crystal played all the sports, got all the guys, and had all the fun. But even a heart transplant three years ago wasn’t enough to propel Megan’s life forward. She’s still working as a library aide in her small Minnesota hometown and living with her parents, dreaming of the adventure she plans to take “once she’s well enough.” Meanwhile, her sister is a successful architect with a handsome husband and the perfect life—or so Megan thinks.
When her heart donor’s parents give Megan their teenage daughter’s journal—complete with an unfulfilled bucket list—Megan connects with the girl she meets between the pages and is inspired to venture out and check off each item. Caleb—a friend from her years in and out of the hospital—reenters her life and pushes her to find the courage to take the leap and begin her journey. She’s thrown for a loop when Crystal offers to join her for reasons of her own, but she welcomes the company and the opportunity to mend their tenuous relationship.
As Megan and Crystal check items off the bucket list, Megan fights the fears that have been instilled in her after a lifetime of illness. She must choose between safety and adventure and learn to embrace the heart she’s been given so that she can finally share it with the people she loves most.
Lindsay Harrel is a lifelong book nerd who lives in Arizona with her young family and two golden retrievers in serious need of training. She’s held a variety of writing and editing jobs over the years, and now juggles stay-at-home mommyhood with writing novels. Her debut novel, One More Song to Sing, was a finalist in the 2017 ACFW Carol Awards. Her second book, The Heart Between Us, released from Thomas Nelson in March 2018. When she’s not writing or chasing after her children, Lindsay enjoys making a fool of herself at Zumba, curling up with anything by Jane Austen, and savoring sour candy one piece at a time. Connect with her at http://www.LindsayHarrel.comor on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.