You did it!

You wrote a book!

Now it’s time to put it out into the world.

Easy, right?

Wrong.

No matter if your book is one you’ve been working on for years or a few months, fiction or nonfiction, your first book or your twentieth, by the time you get to the work of actually launching the book, you are likely going to start feeling the following insecurities creep up:

What if I make the wrong decision for my book launch?

There are so many different book marketing options—which do I choose?

What if my book is a total flop?

Am I really up for this?

The good news is that you are in good company.

To be honest, I get a little worried when authors don’t feel a little panicked when their book is about to hit the proverbial shelves. Putting yourself out there as a creative is scary!

So take heart—it’s normal to be overwhelmed at this stage. And thankfully, we’re here to teach you three steps to launch your book with confidence and success.

How to Plan a Successful Book Launch in 3 Simple Steps

1) CREATE A BOOK LAUNCH EVENT

No, your event doesn’t have to be a gigantic party (unless that’s what you want it to be!) But you do want to create something to celebrate your book.

We’ve seen the following book launch event ideas work really well:

Host a book launch party in your home. Make some apps, have some drinks, and do a quick reading from your book. The great thing about this tactic is that it’s low stress, you’ll keep 100% of the proceeds from your sales that day, and you’ll be surrounded by supportive friends and family who are eager to celebrate your success.
Host your book launch event at a bookstore, coffee shop, gift shop, or restaurant. Partnering with your local community to launch your book is always a great idea. While you’ll likely be splitting proceeds from your book sales, you will also be able to open your event out to the public and tap into your community network to spread the word about your book.
Host an online book launch event. While this is the most appealing option for all you author-introverts, keep in mind that an online event can be difficult to gauge attendance and sales. You can do a Facebook or Instagram Live reading, a live giveaway, a Q & A, or anything else your online audience might be into.
Host a combination of any of these! One of the questions we get all the time at Evergreen Authors is this: Am I allowed to have more than one book launch? Of course you are! You can have multiple in-person events and multiple events across multiple platforms.

For step-by-step guidance on how to host a brilliant book launch, check out our Book Launch Blueprint Masterclass, which will walk you through exactly what to do in the six months leading up to your launch, and the six months after.

LEARN MORE >>

2) SET YOUR BUDGET

We couldn’t post an “ultimate guide to launching your book” without talking about budget.

I won’t bore you with the details of why setting a budget is so important (because it is SO important) but I will tell you what you need to be thinking about as you wrap your head around money:

Decide how much you’re willing to spend on food, drinks, etc. Our advice: Keep it simple. Remember, people aren’t coming for fancy food and drinks—they’re coming to support you!
Decide on your ad strategy BEFORE your launch event. If you’ve watched our free webinar about advertising your book on Amazon, you know that Amazon is pay-to-play. This means that you’ll want to start budgeting for ads on day one so you can make sure to create as much buzz as possible for your book when it launches.
READ MORE: Does Amazon Advertising Work for Books?
Offer a deal. This is so important! The people who know and love you are going to want to support you and your book. Give them the opportunity to buy more than one copy. Buy one get one, buy one gift one, discounted sets for classroom teachers… the possibilities for bulk purchases are endless.

3) BUCKLE UP FOR THE LONG HAUL

No author wants to hear this, but it’s true. This whole writer business is a long game, not a sprint.

Don’t get me wrong—the launch is going to feel like a sprint!

But when that launch day is over and your event is finished (no matter what that event is), you’re going to have to sit back, take stock, and decide what’s next.

Our best advice for you is this:

Don’t allow yourself to get overwhelmed.

Here are three of our favorite pieces of advice for the long game of book marketing:

Pick 1-2 platforms you’re willing to use to sell your book and go all in on them. The truth is, you don’t have to be everywhere and doing all the marketing things. You only really need to be a few places and focus on doing those things really well.
Reach out to your network. There is nothing like old-fashioned, personal outreach when it comes to selling your book. Authors ask us all the time if there are any tips for success in doing this, and our biggest piece of advice is to create a sales sheet for your book that you can use to help with your outreach.
Step away from social media. If you’re on social media, great! Use those platforms if they work for you. But it’s a mistake to think that social media is the only tool you have at your disposal when it comes to selling your book.

Launching your book successfully isn’t just luck, it is a combination of strategy and perseverance. You’ve got this authors!