{"id":11450,"date":"2015-03-26T10:52:56","date_gmt":"2015-03-26T05:52:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tommorkes.com\/?page_id=6878"},"modified":"2024-01-10T11:15:28","modified_gmt":"2024-01-10T18:15:28","slug":"publishingcourse-launchprep","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/tommorkes.com\/publishingcourse-launchprep\/","title":{"rendered":"[ecourse] Launch Your Book To Bestseller - day 7 of 8"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"launch<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Prepping Your Launch \u2013 the unsexy step most authors miss (and why they fail) (Day 7)<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Did you get here from a link from a friend? To get access to all the content, make sure you sign up for this free training right here<\/a>.<\/em><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Congratulations!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019re 7 days into this course, or about 90% of your way to a bestselling book launch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At this point, you have the foundational elements of what you need to successfully launch a book to bestseller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However\u2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And this is a big however\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You still need to \u201cprep\u201d the launch.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s funny (or sad), but this is the part so many authors skip. They do all the hard work of building out their plan, creating their book sales page, maybe (in a few cases at least) even identifying alternative marketing channels\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then they launch their book and\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crickets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What happened?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

More importantly, how do we avoid the same fate?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, I\u2019ll answer both questions. So let\u2019s start at the beginning\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Book Battlefield Preparation\u2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I spent 9 years in the U.S. Army - 4 years at West Point, 5 years as a commissioned officer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During my military career I worked at the Platoon and Company level, all the way up to Battalion and Brigade level. Because I had a knack for strategic planning, I became responsible for much of the Military Decision Making Process (MDMP) training for our Battalion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the first things you learn as you\u2019re going through MDMP (which is another way of saying: creating a plan of attack for an operation), is that no mission starts until you\u2019ve conducted Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield (or IPB for short).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

IPB is a process where military leaders define the battlefield environment, describe what effects the battlefield will have on friendly and enemy forces alike, evaluate the enemy threat in the area, and determine possible enemy courses of action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In other words, IPB allows military leaders to get a full picture of what\u2019s going on\u2026which allows us to mitigate the greatest potential risk and failures with our plan BEFORE we move forward with it...<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In combat, lives were on the line, so you can bet I took this topic very seriously\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the stakes aren\u2019t quite so high in book publishing, you can bet the same rules apply to a book launch.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s why steps 11, 12, and 13 of The Bestselling Book Launch Sequence are so important \u2013 it\u2019s when you put together the remaining pieces of your book launch to make sure everything is lined up and ready to rock and roll for your launch\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the secret that most bestselling authors know (that most amateurs miss) is that launch day is not the most important day \u2013 it\u2019s the days leading up to launch that matter the most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So let\u2019s get to it\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Review of The Bestselling Book Launch Sequence<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

The bolded items are the ones we\u2019ll cover today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 1: Create a Book Launch Sequence Working Document<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 2: Identify Key Players<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 3: Set Your Launch Date<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 4: Clarify Your Goal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 5: Centralize all Materials for Your Book<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 6: Create an Early Notification List<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 7: Create an Ambassador Group<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 8: Develop Your Influencers Circle<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 9: Identify Alternative Marketing Channels<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 10: Build Your High-Converting Book Sales Page<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 11: Get Your Book Ready for Distribution<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 12: Notify Ambassadors and Influencers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 13: Final Prep and Pre-Launch Marketing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 14: Launch<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 11: Get Your Book Ready for Distribution<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Now that we have the backbone of our marketing and promotional effort ready, it\u2019s time to square away the distribution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Primary Ways to Distribute Your Book<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
  1. Amazon.com (to sell your book on the largest digital book platform in the world)<\/li>
  2. Createspace.com (for print on demand)<\/li>
  3. Gumroad.com (for selling directly to your audience)<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    There are of course many other platforms for book distribution, like Barnes and Noble, the Apple store, the Google Play store etc. \u2013 but those listed have the greatest reach and marketshare (Amazon + Createspace), and the greatest ease of use (Gumroad.com for direct-to-reader sales), which is why I recommend them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    How to Get Your Book Ready for Distribution<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    As noted above, there are dozens of ways to distribute your book. Depending on which route you go, you'll need to collect and assemble that information LONG before your book launch (so nothing goes wrong at the last minute).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you intend to leverage the market leaders (Amazon \/ Createspace), here's what you'll need to do at a minimum;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. create an Amazon KDP<\/a> account<\/li>
    2. create a Createspace<\/a> account<\/li>
    3. create an Amazon Author <\/a>account (yes, this is separate)<\/li>
    4. secure your ISBN. This comes free if you want to use Createspace as your \u201cpublisher\u201d; otherwise it costs about $125 for a single ISBN. Note: you do NOT need an ISBN for a digital-only book (ignore anyone who challenges this statement - they're wrong).<\/li>
    5. generate an ASIN. This is like an ISBN but for digital books \u2013 Amazon creates this automatically for you when you upload a book into KDP.<\/li>
    6. create your book description<\/li>
    7. create your about the author description<\/li>
    8. consolidate editorial reviews<\/li>
    9. set your pricing and distribution options<\/li>
    10. upload final documents and review them online and offline (you should order a physical print copy weeks before launch so you can make changes if need be)<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      You\u2019ll want to make sure that no matter which route you go \u2013 whether digital or physical (or both), direct to your reader, or via a platform like Amazon.com \u2013 that all the necessary information is plugged in and ready to go BEFORE launch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      I recommend getting this part setup at least 30 days in advance (more if you're publishing a paperback or other type of physical print version of your book).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      WARNING!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      When you do this stuff on a platform like Amazon, there is generally a 24 - 48 hour lag time for most information. That means if you wait till the day before to start filling in your information on Amazon, you may miss your ship date!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      This is not a smart move for any author...so please, make sure you do your due diligence and get your distribution channels set up BEFORE launch day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Otherwise, you'll feel like this kid when you miss your ship date:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"-\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

      Step 12: Briefly Notify Ambassadors and Influencers<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

      Now that you have everything setup on the back-end for your book launch, it\u2019s time to share your book with Ambassadors and Influencers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Ideally you want to give ambassadors and influencers 1-2 weeks lead time to read the book. This will give them ample time to read (or at least skim) the book, which will allow them to honestly share it with their audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      If you're on a time crunch, I still recommend sharing a free copy with both groups before launch day, even if it's only a few days in advance (for Dan Norris' The 7 Day Startup, we didn't have the book finalized until the week before...it wasn't ideal, but it worked out fine in the end).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      #1. Email your ambassadors a free copy of the book<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      For ambassadors, I recommend sharing a link to the book that is hosted on Amazon S3 (or an equivalent hosting platform).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      That way you can track downloads with something like S3Stat.com (which is what we did for The 7 Day Startup).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Alternatively, you could use LeadPages Leadbox + Lead Magnet delivery feature<\/a> to capture emails and deliver the book (this might be redundant, but would allow you to track every download, which is helpful).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Also let your ambassadors know when the book officially launches, and to have their review ready to go! Don't leave a review reminder to the last minute (the day of launch). Instead, let it be know to your ambassadors - who signed up to read, review, and share your book - that you expect a review day one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Here's some \"swipe copy\" you can use for your ambassdors:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      * * *<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Hey guys, just wanted to let you know NAME-OF-BOOK<\/strong> launches DATE-HERE.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>

      Here's a free copy of the book (please keep this a secret!!): [link here]<\/strong><\/em><\/p>

      Can you please:<\/em><\/p>

      1. read<\/em><\/p>

      2. write a review (so it's ready to go on launch day)<\/em><\/p>

      Really appreciate all your support thus far, guys. Let me know if I can help out with anything, or if you guys need anything to help with promoting, marketing, and\/or sharing the book.<\/em><\/p>

      -*YOUR NAME*<\/strong><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

      * * *<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      #2.  Share your free book with influencers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      There are generally two types of influencers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      1. Infuencers you know<\/li>
      2. Influencers you don\u2019t know<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

        How to Approach Influencers You Know<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

        Keep the email simple, short, and to the point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Add a ClicktoTweet (more on how to do this below) to make it painlessly easy to share your book. Influencers are busy people - don\u2019t make them work to support you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        How to Approach Influencers You DON\u2019T Know<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

        First, I don\u2019t recommend cold emailing influencers and asking them to share your book. There is a 99.9% chance you\u2019ll be ignored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Instead, you want to start months before your book launches<\/strong>, and always lead with GIVING.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Step 1.<\/strong> List out every influencer who has an audience you\u2019d like to reach. If you\u2019ve been working in your industry for a while, this should be an easy list to compile (just think about all the people other people talk about in your niche or industry).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Use this tracker to list out and track every person.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Step 2.<\/strong> Join their email lists and follow them on social media (Twitter, FB, Google+, LinkedIn, etc.).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Step 3.<\/strong> Respond to their newsletter emails and offer your services (sharing, promoting, or otherwise doing something small but useful for them).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Step 4.<\/strong> Reach out on social media \u2013 engage personally and in a helpful manner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Step 5.<\/strong> Continue engaging is an unobtrusive manner, continue to offer help and support, promote these influencers to your list or on your social networks\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Step 6.<\/strong> Now you can send them an email about your book, and let them know you\u2019d like to share a copy with them. Don\u2019t send it until they say yes. If they don\u2019t respond, follow up. A simple email that says \u201chey, just checking in to see if you got this\u201d is more than enough to remind a busy person to get back to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Case Study: The 7 Day Startup<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

        When it came to The 7 Day Startup<\/em>, we had Dan reach out to every influencer on the list personally and let them know about his new book that would be coming out in a few days, with an offer to share the free book with them. For those people Dan knew well, we shared the book in the email.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        For others, we asked if they would like a free copy (otherwise it comes off presumptuous).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        In either case, the emails were low pressure and allowed the influencer to choose not to take action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Here\u2019s an example of an email we sent to certain influencers. I've changed and modified it a bit so you can use it for your own purposes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Enjoy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        * * *<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Hey *NAME*<\/strong>, how\u2019s it going? Just wanted to let you know my new book is going to be coming out shortly, NAME-OF-BOOK-HERE<\/strong>, and it will be [free? \/ discounted? \/ bonus incentive?]<\/strong> for a few days.<\/em><\/p>

        Here's a link to a free copy (please keep this link private): [link to free copy]<\/strong><\/em><\/p>

        I would love your feedback if you get the chance. <\/em><\/p>

        And if it resonates with you, a share would go a LONG way.<\/em><\/p>

        (no pressure though)<\/em> <\/em><\/p>

        Also, I'm putting together a huge list of free resources here [link your resources section here]<\/strong>. Thought your audience might get some value out of that.<\/em><\/p>

        Thanks so much and let me know if I can help you with anything.<\/em><\/p>

        \u2013*YOUR NAME*<\/strong><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

        * * *<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        As you build your Influencer Circle you\u2019ll realize you know some influencers better than others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Those you know better you can be more direct with (I need help spreading the word \u2013 please share<\/em>), but for those you don\u2019t know quite so well, it helps to approach these conversations more politely and get their buy in before you send the free book (I have a new book I think you\u2019ll love \u2013 it releases next week but I\u2019d love to give you a free advance copy. Let me know if you\u2019d like one!<\/em>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Bonus Points:<\/strong> In some cases, offering a signed copy or physical print of the book will go a long way, creating a much bigger impact. In very rare cases, where the influencer is quite hard to reach but you believe would enjoy your book, finding his contact information and mailing a signed hardcopy and personal note could go a long way (although there are certainly no guarantees).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Step 13: Final Prep and Pre-Launch Marketing<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

        Before you reach your launch date, you\u2019ll want to make sure all marketing and promotional wheels are in motion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        What to do BEFORE Launch<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
        1. Confirm everything is finalized and ready for distribution<\/li>
        2. Confirm the majority or all of your copy is created (to notify ambassadors, your main email list, influencers, etc. about the launch)<\/li>
        3. Confirm you\u2019re not missing something (because we\u2019re almost always missing something).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

          Here are a few steps to make sure you cover all your bases:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          #1. Confirm all files and distribution channels are ready to go<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

          If you\u2019re going the Amazon route, it\u2019s so important everything is ready at LEAST 24 hours out from launch. Amazon\u2019s system takes a while to update when you have new changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          If you\u2019re going the KDP route, it takes a MINIMUM of 24 hours advance notice to create a free promotion or countdown deal (exclusive to KDP select enrolled books\u2026meaning \u2013 you must keep your book exclusively on the Amazon platform for at least 90 days)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          #2. Create ALL promotional material for the first few days of the launch and preschedule where appropriate<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

          When the launch happens, your job is to lead the movement. This means building awareness of the release and creating energy and excitement around it. The more excited people are, the more willing they will be to download, review, and share.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          For The 7 Day Startup<\/em>, because we were doing a 5 day free giveaway promotion, we knew we needed 5 days worth of content. While we didn\u2019t write out every email and social media message before we started, we did create key milestones and times that would trigger certain emails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          For example, I would recommend having an email for your newsletter and social media posts (on all platforms) ready for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          1. when your book hits #1 in its category<\/li>
          2. when your book hits 1,000 sales<\/li>
          3. when your book breaks top 100 in Amazon<\/li>
          4. second to last day of promo \/ discount \/ incentive<\/li>
          5. last day of promo \/ discount \/ incentive<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

            When your book launches, you want to be everywhere. That\u2019s where it helps to have multiple platforms (blog, newsletter, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ etc.) sharing content in multiple mediums and formats (text, images \/ graphics, videos, etc.).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            How to Create Promotional Text<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

            For text, creating ClicktoTweets out of quotes<\/a> is an easy, effective way to spread the message.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Here\u2019s exactly how you can do it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Go to Bitly.com to shorten the link to your book \u2013 either the splash page or directly to Amazon or whatever platform you\u2019re using.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \"bitly\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

            (Bonus: this is also great for tracking purposes, so you should definitely use it)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Next, go to Clicktotweet.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \"clicktotweet\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

            Create a ClicktoTweet message that is generic enough that anyone could share, but also encourages people to click through (notice the clear Call-to-Action at the end: \u201cGet it!\u201d).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Also make sure you tag yourself in the message (alternatively, hashtags work fine in a situation like this):\\.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Example of what a ClicktoTweet might look like...<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \"clicktotweet2\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

            Here are some more examples of ClicktoTweets I created for this free course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Feel free to test them out (and get bonus cool points in the process);<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Wow, on day 7 of @tmorkes new book launch course and my mind is melted. Check it out! http:\/\/bit.ly\/1NKiuwe [CLICK TO TWEET<\/a>]<\/p>

            Almost finished with @tmorkes course: \u201cLAUNCH YOUR BOOK TO BESTSELLER\u201d- best publishing training online! Check it out http:\/\/bit.ly\/1NKiuwe [CLICK TO TWEET<\/a>]<\/p>

            Wow, that @tmorkes guy is so handsome and smart. I wish he was my friend! [You\u2019re really awesome if you CLICK TO TWEET this one<\/a>]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

            Creating Promotional Graphics<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

            For graphics, I recommend something like Canva.com<\/a> if you\u2019re not a Photoshop whiz or don\u2019t have a full-time artist on staff. The best part: Canva.com comes with templates for all your social media needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \"canva\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

            Using something like Canva, you can quickly and easily create a full social media \"press kit\" - including images and marketing copy to be used on various platforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Wrapping Up<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

            Today we talked about:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            1. How and why the Army conducts Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield (IPB)...and how to apply it to your book launch<\/li>
            2. How to get your book distribution channels ready<\/li>
            3. How to reach out to ambassadors and influencers so your major marketing effort is prepped before launch day<\/li>
            4. Several hacks for creating compelling marketing material (graphics, ClicktoTweets, and more)<\/li>
            5. Examples of email and social media swipe copy you can use for your own launch<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

              And now you are ready for the big day: LAUNCH DAY!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              Next lesson, we're going to cover all the things you need to do launch day (and launch week) to skyrocket your book to #1 in Amazon (and keep it there for the weeks and months to follow).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              But first...<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              Homework!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              HOMEWORK!!!!! (will only take 12 seconds)<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

              Don't worry, today is easy (and should take you approximately 12 seconds to do).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              In the comments below, answer the following two questions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              1. What distribution channels are you using? Amazon? Createspace? Apple? Google Play? Gumroad?<\/li>
              2. Why did you choose this channel?<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

                Oh, and if you're not sure of the above, let me know. I am happy to talk through the pros and cons of the various distribution channels out there (as well as help you figure out alternative distribution channels not covered today).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                This free course is your oyster, so take advantage!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                See you in the comments...<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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                Prepping Your Launch \u2013 the unsexy step most authors miss (and why they fail) (Day 7) Did you get here from a link from a friend? To get access to all the content, make sure you sign up for this free training right here. Congratulations! You\u2019re 7 days into this course, or about 90% of your […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":14,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","filesize_raw":"","footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tommorkes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11450"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tommorkes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tommorkes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tommorkes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tommorkes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11450"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tommorkes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11450\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16559,"href":"https:\/\/tommorkes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11450\/revisions\/16559"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tommorkes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11450"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}