Leaderboard · Media & entertainment
Publishing & authors
Marketing plays for publishing & authors, ranked by votes.
Photo: Ashar Mirza
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1
Recruit an ARC reader team eight weeks before launch
Eight weeks before your book's release, post a short application form asking readers why they want an early copy and which platforms they review on, and select twenty to thirty readers across those platforms. Send the advance copy with one clear ask, post a review the week of release.
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2
Serialize a bonus chapter through your email newsletter
Write one bonus scene or deleted chapter not included in the book and release it to your email list in three parts, one per week, in the month leading up to launch. End each part with a line pointing to the pre-order link.
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3
Pitch your local library system for an author visit
Email your local library system's programming coordinator with a one paragraph pitch for an author talk or reading, your book's genre, a link to a sample chapter, and two or three available dates. Offer to donate a signed copy to the branch collection.
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4
Organize a launch week street team with a shared task list
Two weeks before launch, invite ten to fifteen of your most engaged readers into a group chat and give them a shared list of five simple tasks for launch week, posting a quote graphic, asking their library to order the book, and leaving a review. Check off tasks publicly to keep momentum visible.
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5
Offer a pre-order bonus that requires proof of purchase
Create one bonus item, a short story, a character map, or a signed bookplate, and require readers to submit their order receipt through a simple form to claim it before a stated deadline. Remind your list once a week during the pre-order window.
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6
Write a book club discussion guide before you need one
Before your book releases, write ten discussion questions and a short author note about your intentions with the story, and post it as a free download on your website. Link to it directly whenever a reader mentions their book club is considering your book.
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7
Schedule a two week blog and newsletter tour around launch
Contact eight to ten book bloggers or fellow authors with newsletters in your genre and offer a guest post, an interview, or an excerpt, scheduled across the two weeks surrounding your release date so a new post appears every day or two. Track each date in a shared calendar.
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8
Run a time limited giveaway on a reader platform
List a small number of copies in a two week giveaway on a platform like Goodreads, timed to end the week before your release date, and mention the giveaway once in your newsletter and once on social with the entry link. Follow up with entrants after the giveaway ends, win or lose, with a pre-order link.
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9
Book a local bookstore event two months ahead
Email or visit your local independent bookstore two months before release to propose an in-store event, a reading, a signing, or a conversation with another local author, and offer to help promote it through your own newsletter and social accounts.
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10
Re-engage a quiet newsletter list before your next launch
Before announcing a new book, send your existing newsletter list a short reply only email asking what they want to hear more about, backlist recommendations, writing process, or behind the scenes, and segment future sends based on who replies. Remove addresses that bounce or never open after two consecutive campaigns.
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