Treat it as a guide, not a rulebook. The schedule below counts from the day you start preparing, not only from publication day. Adjust the dates to your own launch, and take the parts that fit. If you want help running it, our book marketing services build campaigns around the same stages.
Before Day One: Know Your Reader and Your Goal
Every tactic works better when you know who you are talking to. Write down, in two sentences, who your ideal reader is. Not "everyone who likes stories," but something like "women in their forties who read cozy mysteries set in small towns," or "first-time managers who want practical advice on hard conversations."
Then choose one goal for the first 90 days. It might be a number of early reviews, a certain count of email subscribers, speaking invitations, or simply getting the book in front of a local audience. A single goal keeps you from chasing everything at once.
Make the goal measurable, and honest. "Get 25 honest reviews" is something you can plan around. "Become a bestseller" is a wish. Finally, set a budget. It can be small. What matters is deciding in advance what you will spend, so that no ad or promotion feels like an emergency. Our pre-publication checklist is a good companion at this stage, because a book with clean files and a clear listing is easier to market.
Days 1 to 30: Build the Foundation
The first month is about the things readers will see when they look you up. None of it is glamorous, and all of it pays off later.
- Polish the retailer listing. Write a description that opens with a hook, choose categories and keywords that match how your readers search, and make sure the cover reads at thumbnail size.
- Claim your author pages. Set up Amazon Author Central and a profile through the Goodreads Author Program, and add your bio, photo and books.
- Set up a simple website. One page with your book, a short bio, a buy link and a way to join your email list is enough to start. See our notes on building your author brand for what to include, or ask about website design and development.
- Start an email list. Offer something readers actually want, such as a sample chapter or a short bonus story or guide.
- Make a list of early readers. Friends, colleagues, past clients, online groups and book bloggers who read your genre. Aim for people likely to finish the book and willing to say what they think.
Spend part of this month writing the pieces you will reuse: a one-sentence pitch, a short and long description, an author bio and two or three excerpts. Keep them in one document so every post, email and interview uses the same words.
Add a press page or media kit to the website while you are at it: a high resolution author photo, cover images, short and long bios and a few interview topics. Journalists and podcast hosts often decide in minutes, and a ready kit makes saying yes easy. If you also write for a trade audience, a short article or guest post can introduce you to readers who would never find the book on their own.
Days 31 to 60: Prepare the Launch
Month two is for putting people in position. Send advance copies to the readers you listed, with a short note that explains what you are hoping for and when the book goes live. Ask for honest reviews, never for favorable ones, and make it easy by providing links. Retailers and review sites have rules about incentives, so do not offer payment or gifts for positive reviews.
Decide on your launch price. Many authors price a first book or an ebook a little lower for the first few weeks, which can encourage trial readers. Each retailer sets its own price rules and royalty tiers, so read them first, for example the ebook list price requirements, before you plan any promotion.
Next, line up conversations. Contact podcasts, newsletters, local media, bookshops, libraries and community groups that suit your topic. Keep each message short, personal and relevant: what the book is, why it fits their audience, and what you can offer. Expect many no's and some silence, and do not take either personally. Follow up once, politely, about a week later, and then move on.
Think about local reach too. Independent bookshops, libraries, community centers, writers' groups and clubs often welcome local authors, and an in-person event can turn into the warmest sort of word of mouth. Offer a short reading, a Q&A or a talk that is useful to the audience, and bring signed copies or a sign-up sheet for your list.
Start talking about the book publicly, too. Share short pieces that are useful on their own, whether that is a story from the book, a tip, a behind-the-scenes note or a question for your readers. Aim for conversation, not constant announcements. A few steady posts on one or two channels beat daily posts on six.
Create a simple content calendar for these weeks. Four themes are plenty: the story behind the book, a useful idea from it, a reader or reviewer voice, and a call to action. Rotate them, and reuse the same material in your email, on your site and on social media so one afternoon of writing goes a long way.
In the last week of this phase, check that pre-orders or launch links work, the email sequence is scheduled, and everyone helping you knows the launch date.
Days 61 to 90: Launch and Sustain
Launch week is a burst of focused effort. Send your launch email, post your announcement, remind early readers to leave their reviews, and join any events you scheduled. Be present and reply to people. Small, warm conversations matter more than a loud one-day push. Plan a few days of follow-up posts, so the launch does not look like a single announcement that disappears.
Check the retailer listing each day that first week. Make sure the right formats are linked together, the description displays correctly and your author page shows all of your books. If something looks wrong, fix it quickly while attention is highest.
Expect the first weeks to be uneven. Some days bring a flurry and some bring nothing, and that is normal. Resist the urge to change everything after two quiet days.
After launch week, move to a steady rhythm:
- Send a short thank-you note to everyone who helped, with a clear way to leave a review if they have not yet.
- Follow up with the people who said "maybe later" during your outreach.
- Share reader comments and reviews, with permission, in your email and on your site.
- Offer something extra for subscribers, such as a deleted scene, a reading guide or an invitation to a live Q&A.
- Test one small paid promotion, if your budget allows, and track what it returns before spending more.
By day 90 you should know which channels reach your readers and which you can drop. That learning is the real prize of the first quarter, because it shapes the next book too. Write down what you did, what it cost and what happened, while it is fresh. A page of honest notes will save you months next time, and it gives any marketer you hire a clear starting point.
Budget and Measurement for Your Book Marketing Plan
Decide what you will track before the launch, and keep it simple: email sign-ups, website visits, reviews, sales on each format, and the cost of any ad or promotion. Write the numbers down weekly. Looking at a week of data tells you little. Looking at twelve tells you a lot.
Spend in small tests. If you run ads, start with a modest daily budget and one clear message, then adjust. Ad spend is paid directly to the platform, separate from any fees for managing a campaign. If you hire help, ask for a written scope that lists what is included and what each part costs. Our pricing page lists starting prices: Launch Essentials from $1,200 per campaign and a Growth Campaign from $990 per month, with ad spend paid directly to the platforms. The final fixed quote depends on scope and is agreed in writing before work begins.
A useful habit is to split your budget into three buckets: foundations (listing, site, email tools), launch (review copies, events, promotions) and a small reserve for whatever turns out to work. Moving money from a channel that does nothing to one that does is the whole skill.
Keep your expectations realistic. Many first-time authors see slow, steady growth and then a bump when they publish the next book. Marketing compounds, and the readers you gain in month three are worth more than a spike you cannot repeat.
What No Marketer Can Promise
Be wary of anyone who guarantees bestseller status, a fixed number of sales, or a guaranteed number of reviews. Readers decide what they buy, platforms change their rules, and no service controls either. What a good marketer can honestly promise is clear planning, honest reporting and work done on time. Ask any provider to show you what they will do each week, what it costs and how they will report the results, and walk away if the answers are vague.
It is also fair to be careful about paid reviews and fake accounts. They break retailer rules, can lead to a book being removed, and damage trust with real readers. Slower, honest growth is better in every way that counts.
FAQs
When should I start marketing my book?
Start at least two to three months before publication, ideally earlier. Building an email list and a list of early readers takes time you cannot make up in launch week.
How much should I spend on book marketing?
There is no standard figure. Set a budget you can afford to lose, test small, and increase spending only on what shows results.
Do I need social media to sell my book?
No. Pick the one or two places your readers already spend time, or focus on email and your website. A channel you can keep up beats one you abandon.
A realistic book marketing plan starts with one clear goal. Get a free consultation and we will help you shape one that fits your book and budget.
