Book Marketing Timeline

By Rose Cushing of Cushing Publishing

You need to begin marketing your book before you begin writing it.

As you are writing it

While it is being edited

Two weeks before release

Release Date

Post Release


Who is your target audience for your book?


What are your goals?


How many books do you want to sell? Break down by quarters.


What is your marketing budget?

Branding

Branding is incredibly important if you plan to be a writer for the long haul. You must remember you are branding yourself you are the company. Not the particular book you are writing, but you, as an author.

How would you define your brand? Give me 5 words to describe it.

You will need an author bio. Have you written one? You should look at about 150 words max.

How will you classify your book? What BISAC subject codes fit best?

Do you have an author website? Things you will need to include:

About the author, About the book, Blog, Contact, Homepage. Add pages as necessary.

Social Media Marketing

Choose two or three platforms that you know how to do well.

Create your content which should be a blend of memes, post, tweets, photos relevant to your book. Remember 20% promotional ads and 80% content that would be of interest to your readers, but not directly promoting your book. People like to get to know you. Include personal things like hobbies, likes, trips, etc.

Good to have a brainstorming session to create this type of content in advance.

Media Kit

This is one of the most important things for you to assemble. Media Kit should include:
1) Contact info.
2) Agent or Publicist name
3) Bio and photo
4) Promotional information such as FAQ, Media links, Press release, Graphics, ads, photos, things to grab readers attention
5) Author website
6) One Sheet

Review Strategy

Set a goal for how many reviews you would like to have after the first week of release. You will also need pre-printing reviews for your book cover and promotion. Think of who you will send an advance copy to obtain these.

What’s Next

Keep your momentum going.

Make sure you have your author’s page on Amazon up to date.

Increase your presence in social media groups.

Use your one sheet to call on local bookstores to set up your book tour.

Make a list of social media influencers, podcasters, etc. and contact them about your book. When you get a podcast interview or article done be sure to put the links on your website and social media pages.

Rose Cushing is an author, podcast host, publisher, television producer and documentary film maker. She loves horses, writing, marketing, and gardening. In her contemporary women’s fiction Chasing the Wind she takes us on a journey of life changing proportions from being a small-town journalist to an heiress traveling the world. Her debut novel will be available in October 2023. She also established Cushing Publishing, a small traditional publishing house in 2023.