How We’re Launching Our Book!

And what does it mean to “launch” a book anyway?

Thank you so much to everyone who has supported the launch of Hungry Authors this week! So many of you have shared on social media, reviewed on Goodreads or Amazon (where our book debuted as the #1 New Release in “Book Publishing Reference”—yay!), showed up in person on Zoom to toast with us on Tuesday, and sent us “congratulations” messages that mean the world. Seriously, thank you so much.

Since we’re swimming now in plans to “launch” our book, today we’re going to talk about what that means PLUS I’m going to share exactly what Liz and I are doing to promote the book in the next several months (this part of the newsletter will be for paid subscribers, whom I’ve woefully neglected!).

But first, let’s start with some helpful reframes about book launches.

Why have a “publication day” anyway?

A couple weeks ago, I was sitting with my sister-in-law at my in-laws’ house. An early copy of Hungry Authors was on the coffee table, having arrived a full two weeks before the book’s scheduled publication day. My mother-in-law had ordered it through Bookshop.org, which sends out copies of all books as soon as it receives them in their warehouse, regardless of when the actual “publication day” is. 

“So…” my sister-in-law asked, “What’s the point of a publication day if some sellers send the book out early anyway and everyone receives them at different times?”

It’s a great question. It’s not like a movie release day, where suddenly everyone can go see it in theaters. Books have more of a trickle-release, ending with Amazon.

I’ve come to think of “publication day” as the day that ALL of the doors have been opened for customers to buy your book. It’s the day Amazon aims to have their preorder copies arrive on customers’ doorsteps and begins allowing customers to leave reviews for the product. But honestly, that’s about all that really changes on the day of—as far as I’ve been able to tell. By that point, the authors have received their copies and most of the preorderers will have started receiving their copies as well.

Publication day is what YOU make of it.

Liz and I have seen many book launches come and go for our authors, so we’ve felt perhaps a little more blasé about our book’s publication than other authors. Not that we don’t care—it’s just that we know there’s still a lot of work to do! Our conversations have focused mostly on our to-do list to promote the book. 

The week before our book came out, our friend Merideth Hite Estevez—an amazing coach for creatives, who recently launched her own book, The Artist’s Joy—asked us what we would be doing to celebrate on the actual publication day, August 6. Liz and I basically shrugged… I would be working my 8-5 and Liz would be working on her ghostwriting collaboration and we planned to post on social media. We both had plans to go out to dinner with our families, and that was about it. 

But that wouldn’t do for Merideth—because she wisely knew it wouldn’t do for us either.

“No way. You need to do something to mark this day,” she told us. And she graciously offered to host a short virtual book toast for us. It ended up being my favorite part of the day, and it truly meant the world to me to see so many people show up for 30 minutes to join us in celebrating the accomplishment of a childhood goal for both of us.

I’m so glad Merideth insisted that we do something to celebrate. Sometimes your friends know better than you do!

But the truth is—publication day for your book is whatever YOU make of it. Nothing magical really changes on that day. You have to work to make it special, if you want it to be. That might feel a bit unfair, but it’s the truth that authors learn over and over again. No one cares about your book as much as you do. So you’ve got to take the lead in advocating for it—and for yourself. And that includes celebrating this moment.

Book launch is a season, not a day!

If “publication day” is a bit of a misnomer now, how should authors think about “launching” their books? 

Again, this isn’t like a movie premiere where you make a big to-do of one specific day. (And heck, I might be wrong about movie premieres!) It’s also VERY hard to align all of your book launch efforts to coincide on one day. Sure, it would be amazing if, on the day your book came out, you were also a guest on several podcasts and a bunch of advertisements appeared before readers’ eyes and you were on a morning talk show and you had articles debut in several major publications and that weekend you were speaking at the biggest conferences. 

Logistically, though, that’s nearly impossible. Every single podcast, publication, and other media outlet has their own editorial schedule. Most authors who don’t have massive budgets are at the mercy of whether and whenever a podcast/publication/other outlet decides to feature you and your book. So you end up with podcast episodes and articles and conference sessions happening whenever they happen—if they happen at all.

But I actually think this is a good thing. Can you imagine trying to do a massive media push for your book all in the span of a week or two? Even just one month? It would be a bit overwhelming to everyone—especially you, but also to your potential customers. Plus, it’d be very expensive.

Book launch is now a season of several months; some people say even up to an entire year! For us, we’re making a concerted effort to promote our book for the rest of 2024, basically five months. And we will likely continue to do so in 2025, but at a perhaps slower pace. Slow and steady is the name of the book launch game. 

So what should you actually be doing to promote your book? I want to tell you exactly what Liz and I have planned—and why we didn’t organize a “book launch team.”

The Hungry Authors Book Launch Plan