I’ve spent quite a bit of time in the last week preparing for the release of Under the Covers: Book 3 of the Texan Quartet. It comes out next month – 13th August to be exact – and there’s a lot to do in the lead up. I actually created myself a checklist so I could remember all the things I needed to do.
Notifications
There are lots of places who will promote new releases, usually in an “Out this month” section of their newsletters. Many of these have deadlines at least a month in advance so I need to make sure I get them in early. I also write a press release and distribute it to a number of newspapers, radio stations and other media outlets.
Updates
I check all of my social media accounts and online hang outs to make sure the new book is showing up. These include GoodReads, Amazon, author organisations and certain blogs. I also add it to Authorgraph in case readers want to get a digital autograph. Then of course I check to make sure my own website is up to date with the latest information.
Marketing/Promotion
One of my favourite parts of having a new book is looking for promotional items for it. For the Texan Quartet I’ve done some postcards, but I’ve also created a bookmark for each book with a charm relating to it. What Goes on Tour has a guitar, All that Sparkles has a dress and for Under the Covers I found some gorgeous coffee cups. I also like creating book trailers and I’ve found the music and background I want to use. I’m hoping to put it together next week. Finally I research what else I can do to make my book discoverable – so people can find it and hopefully buy it! I’ve done a number of blog tours and this time I’m searching for reviewers and bloggers who might be willing to read and review Under the Covers.
So that’s how I prepare for a new release. My checklist is constantly evolving as I think of something extra to add to it. If you want to pre-order Under the Covers, check out the links on the Under the Covers page.