Pre-Launch Marketing Strategy for Books: What Publishers Recommend

For most publishers, a successful book launch does not begin on release date. Most of the work is completed weeks or even months prior to the book’s release. This initial phase, which is known as pre-launch, is extremely important in executing marketing tactics that lead to visibility, credibility, and sales momentum once the book is available to consumers. 

In this post we will provide you with a sample pre-launch marketing plan that is used by publishers and will break down each step into clear and actionable items. Regardless of whether you are self-published or traditionally published, using a pre-launch marketing strategy will help you improve the sales potential of your book. 

At Iterative International Publishers, we strongly believe that a powerful launch always begins long before the release date.

What Is Pre-Launch Book Marketing? 

Pre-launch book marketing refers to any type of marketing or promotional activities that occur prior to the official release of the book. The goal of pre-launch marketing is to generate excitement, anticipation, and interest in the book. 

Publishers utilize pre-launch marketing to: 

-> Increase interest in the book 

-> Identify and solicit reviewers and influencers to promote the book 

-> Develop retail and distribution channels 

-> Enable strong sales in the first week of release 

If a book is not marketed prior to release, it will likely not succeed in achieving significant sales or traction once it becomes available for purchase in stores.

Read Also: Offline vs Online Book Marketing: Which One Works Better in India? 

Why Book Marketing Before Release Is Critical 

Momentum is the key to selling a book - this means the better you are at getting early visibility for your book, the more likely you will be to drive traffic to your book on the sales channel. 

By creating visibility for your book before it goes on sale, you support: 

-> Improving the online algorithm for the retail sales platforms like Amazon, Google, and social media 

-> Creating trusted reviews from actual readers 

-> Creating retailer confidence in carrying your book 

From the publisher’s perspective, pre-release marketing of a book reduces risk and increases the likelihood of a long-term sustainable sales trend. 

Step 1: Define Clear Pre-Launch Goals 

The prelaunch marketing strategy for a successful book begins with defining the pre-launch goals. 

Questions to consider when developing a pre-launch strategy include: 

-> Who is your target reader? 

-> What will be your primary book sales channel? 

-> What measurement defines success (visibility, reviews, pre-orders), and what can you realistically achieve? 

These goals will then guide you on how to execute the entire prelaunch marketing strategy. 

Step 2: Prepare the Book for Promotion 

Once a publisher begins promoting a book, the publisher never promotes an unfinished product. All book assets need to be ready before you start promoting, including: 

-> Final manuscript 

-> Cover Design 

-> Book Description 

-> ISBN and Metadata 

This preparation of the above-listed assets is part of the overall pre-launch preparation of a book and helps to ensure the publisher will not waste money on marketing efforts for a book with incomplete assets. 

Step 3: Build Pre-Launch Visibility Early 

Getting your book out there takes time and doesn’t happen in a day, so publishers will begin the process way before release by doing things like 

1. Create an official author landing page. 

2. Update their official author on social media profiles. 

3. Subtly announce new books that are upcoming. 

4. This pre-launch stage is mainly about creating awareness, not necessarily selling books. 

Step 4: Use Advance Reader Copies (ARCs) 

According to many publishers, distributing Advance Reader Copies (ARCs) is one of the best and most effective ways to market your book. 

Benefits of distributing ARCs: 

1. To produce early book reviews. 

2. To create word of mouth. 

3. To build credibility for your new book. 

Publishers typically distribute ARCs for book reviews to: 

1. Bloggers 

2. Reviewers 

3. Influencers 

4. Industry professionals 

Distributing ARCs will make your book much more visible and viable in the market before launching.

Step 5: Plan Content for Pre-Launch Book Marketing 

Today, content marketing is extremely important for publishers and can be an excellent way to promote a book well before it is available for purchase. 

Examples of effective pre-launch content include: 

1. Behind-the-scenes posts. 

2. Stories about the author’s journey. 

3. Discussions about the book’s themes. 

4. Sneak peeks and excerpts from the book. 

By providing readers with content pre-launch, you can build a relationship with your potential readers before they are asked to buy the book. 

Step 6: Build an Email List and Reader Community 

Pre-Launch Email Marketing Priority 

Why Email Marketing? 

-> Direct access to readers 

-> Increased conversions 

-> Control over messaging 

Bonuses like: 

-> Free chapter 

-> Exclusive content 

-> First look 

Help build your reader base as part of your book marketing plan before releasing your book. 

Step 7: Optimize Online Listings Before Launch 

Prior to the book going live, publishers check to make sure: 

-> Amazon and other book listings are live 

-> There are appropriate categories and Keywords 

-> There is an SEO-friendly book description 

By completing this step, the book can be discovered as soon as it goes live which is critical to a successful book launch. 

Step 8: Create a Countdown Strategy 

Building anticipation by creating a structured countdown: 

Publishers will typically design a pre-launch promotional strategy that includes: 

-> 30-days of awareness 

-> 15-days of engagement 

-> 7-Day countdown to launch 

This way of promoting your book prior to the official release date keeps your target market engaged without overwhelming them. 

Step 9: Coordinate with Distribution and Retail Channels 

The preparatory steps that lead up to the release of a Traditionally published book include: 

-> Communicating with Distributors 

-> Confirming Retailers Listing 

-> Planning Inventory 

This will align your availability with your marketing, which is something the majority of first-time authors do not think about. 

Read Also: Why Every Author Needs a Book Marketing Strategy Before Publishing

Common Pre-Launch Mistakes to Avoid 

-> Waiting Until it is too late to begin Promotion 

-> Over Selling when Creating Engagement 

-> Disregarding Early Reviews 

-> Messaging being Inconsistent 

By Not making these mistakes, your pre-launch marketing effort will be successful and look professional. 

How Publishers Measure Pre-Launch Success 

Sales alone do not determine the success of a book prior to its release; rather publishers measure other areas, such as: 

-> Levels of Engagement 

-> Number Of Email Subscriptions 

-> Reviews Of the Book 

-> Pre-Ordered Books 

-> How Many Social Media Followers 

All these factors predict how well a book will do in the long run. 

Final Thoughts 

If an Author has done a great job at preparing their book release, they will be able to achieve success as all three publishers will provide sufficient exposure, enough credibility, and anticipation before the release date. 

By utilizing a structured pre-launch marketing strategy, aligned with a strong author branding strategy, investing time and resources into pre-launch marketing and executing a professional launch for your book, you can set your book up with the best chance for success in an already flooded Book Market.

The pre-launch phase is critical to the long-term success of the book; success starts with the pre-launch.