Completing a book and preparing to publish your work is a huge milestone for any author, and your book launch should reflect that. Writing a book takes months, if not years, so you want to make sure it reaches your audience with a BANG instead of getting lost in the crowd of new publications. A great strategy can help drive readers to your new book and ensure your launch is a marketing success.

But where do you start? There is a lot to think about when launching your new book, so we've broken it all down for you. Here's what you need to know when planning a successful book launch:

A book launch is a series of events, activities, and other efforts that are planned in the weeks or months leading up to the release of a new book. The goal of a book launch is to generate interest from an author's target audience and boost sales. After all, writing a book requires a significant investment of time and effort, so why not give it your all when promoting your latest work? 

Books have a much better chance of being discovered by readers when you commit to an engaging, well-planned book launch strategy. You may even convince buyers to pick up your book over a competitor's. A successful strategy might include the following steps:

• Social media campaigns
• Email marketing
• Merchandise for advertising and promotion
• PR events
• Book tours
• Launch parties

Navigating the abundance of book marketing opportunities available to today's authors can be overwhelming, which is why Routledge works closely with our writers to find the most effective strategy to launch each unique body of work.

Depending on your book’s genre or subject matter, there may be a tried and true book launch timeline that most others in your category follow — this can help you outline a plan and determine what will work best for your new book. 

However, we’ll break down a general book launch timeline to help you prepare your budget and get your marketing plans scheduled and ready for action. When you partner with Routledge to launch your book, we can support your efforts by providing marketing materials, books for display, and much more. For more information, click below.

1. Finalize Your Book Launch Date 

This is the first step in planning your launch. Without a final release date, it isn't easy to make an accurate marketing plan. Work with your publisher to iron out the official launch date and then build your calendar to make the most of the time before release. Ideally, you'll want to start generating buzz about your book roughly three months before its release date.

2. Finish Essential Publishing Tasks

You may choose to complete these tasks closer to your book launch date, but finalizing your draft and editing beforehand is essential to long-term success. The sooner you get this done, the more time you’ll have to catch any typos, mistakes, or changes that need to be made before your book is officially released to the public. You may also want to work with your publisher to ensure any work that needs to be completed on your end is on track and fully understood. 

All books published with Routledge are peer-reviewed at the proposal and manuscript stages by respected academic specialists to ensure the highest quality content. We also have in-house production and design teams that work alongside key partnerships to efficiently and attractively design and produce books. This way, you don’t have to worry about outstanding loose ends leading up to your book launch date.

3. Gather An Email List

While publishers typically have built-in email marketing activities that automatically deploy when a new book publishes, building out your own email lists is highly beneficial to keeping readers updated on your book’s release and any promotional events. You should try to grow your audience as much as possible before your official book launch.  

4. Schedule Promotional Events & Marketing Plans

Build a calendar outlining every event or promotional opportunity you plan to include in your book launch. This may include book signings, free chapter teasers, promotional material (e.g., flyers and books for display), speaking engagements, and more. Of course, these dates don’t always have to be set in stone, but setting a time on your calendar will help you focus your marketing efforts without getting too overwhelmed. It can also help you stay on track as you work toward the official release date. 

5. Create an Author Website

As an author, you may already have your own author website or page, whether through an affiliated educational institution or for providing professional services (e.g., university faculty page, consultation page, etc.) However, if you don’t have one, now is the time to consider setting up an author site. As a published writer, it’s crucial that readers can find out more about you and your work online. By creating your own website, you have complete control over the personal details and type of information you want your readers to access – including important details about your book launch. 

Some key features to include are: 

• An “about” page 
• Links to your social media accounts
• Contact information 
• Blog or news announcements 
• Email list sign-up 

Although adding a blog to your website is not required, it can be a great asset to building an audience for your upcoming book. Blogging can inspire readers to add their information to your email list, which is excellent for sharing book updates and details about future events. A well-written blog can also help keep your book at the top of your audience’s mind and attract potential new book buyers.

6. Set Up a Web Page for Your New Book

Creating a specific page on your website for your upcoming book is a great way to feature related information and content. This can help funnel readers to the part of your website that promotes the new book while allowing easy access to upcoming events and book launch updates.  

This page should include your book cover (if you have it), the book description, and any early endorsements for the new book. A great book review can be a significant purchase incentive for readers.

A book-specific page is also an ideal spot to include an email sign-up form so readers can subscribe to news about the upcoming book launch. You can even stir up excitement by offering a free chapter excerpt on the page as well. 

To ensure audiences know where to purchase your book, include the link to your book’s Routledge page. From there, customers can purchase your book in any of the various formats available across the globe. You don’t want to miss out on your international audience!

7. Review Your Publisher’s Web Page for Your Book

Authors should check their publisher’s website to ensure the information about their new book is fully up-to-date and accurate. Make a checklist and make sure the following are all correct: 

• Book description 

• Author’s bio 

• Release dates 

• Table of contents

If you find anything that needs updating, contact your editor immediately.

8. Make a Social Media Plan

Your author website should be the number one priority when it comes to your online presence, but once that is underway, it’s time to include social media in your book launch strategy. From Facebook to Twitter to TikTok, social media channels are instrumental in marketing books to the public and can add an exciting flair to your book promotion. Depending on your audience, you may want to focus your attention on one platform above the others, so don’t worry about cultivating a presence on every single social media site. 

Instead, prioritize the platform that works best for your readers. Below are some options to consider: 

• Facebook: This is an ideal author platform for marketing most books. Using Facebook’s interactive capabilities, you can attract new readers and target specific audiences by sharing on relevant group pages, tagging or using hashtags, and posting videos discussing the book’s key highlights and features. 
• Twitter: Authors can have excellent success marketing through Twitter due to its ability to start conversations and attract new followers through hashtags. Authors can directly engage with other writers, book bloggers, and readers with similar interests to build a community and advertise new books. 
• Instagram: If you want to show more of the behind-the-scenes moments of your book launch, this is a great platform to post on. It also helps create a personal connection with current and new readers as they see parts of the process that aren’t typically shown. 
• TikTok: This is a Gen Z powerhouse. As one of the most popular apps for the younger generations, it also has a thriving hashtag subset called “booktok” that encourages writers and readers to share their favorite books. This can be used effectively for writers targeting young adults.

A book launch party is a great launchpad for your book’s future success. It can garner free publicity, media coverage, and promotion through word of mouth, as well as help your book stand out from the crowd. However, it is essential to understand the main purpose of a book launch event: promoting book sales. 

A book launch party is both a party and a business event. Depending on your budget, resources, and preferences, you can choose to host your book launch party online or in person. If possible, you should start planning your book launch party at least two months in advance. Here are some helpful tips for planning a successful book launch party: 

9. Choose a Date for Your Book Launch

Make sure you pick a date that doesn’t conflict with any major holidays or relevant events. If you’re active on social media, you may want to take a poll and ask people to vote on their preferred dates to maximize guest availability.  

A good rule of thumb is to throw the book launch party relatively close to the official book release date. This helps to encourage sales and maintain marketing momentum. 

10. Select a Venue or Social Media Platform

If you are hosting an in-person party, look for the ideal venue for your new book. This could include a library, bookstore, local cafe, or hotel space. If you are affiliated with a university, society, or association, your contacts may be able to assist you in setting something up. You want a venue that works well with your book’s potential audience and can fit the number of expected guests. 

If you are hosting your book launch party online, choose to celebrate the new book on one specific social media platform. One example is Twitter, which enables personal live-Tweeting with digital guests and readers. Another might be Instagram, where the author can live stream with guests and readers and answer any questions or comments in real time about the book. 

11. Use Social Media to Promote Your Book Launch Party

You’ve created an author website and social media channels prior to your book launch — now’s the time to take advantage of them! Post about the launch party before, during, and after to drum up excitement for your book.

12. Prepare a Speech

Whether your party is in person or online, you should prepare a short speech to thank your audience for their support and share more about your personal experience writing and publishing the new book. This is also a great moment to acknowledge those who have helped you on your journey and share your excitement for the book’s release. Additionally, you can use this time to reiterate when and where exactly your new book will be available for purchase.

13. Incorporate a Book Signing at Your Book Launch

If your book launch party is in person, why not host a book signing? Book signings are a great way to engage with your audience in a close and personal manner. 

If you wish to purchase copies of your book to use at your book signing, get in touch with our Author Sales Team below.

14. Share How to Buy the Book

The objective of this book launch party is to promote sales. So, why not make it easy for everyone? Add ways to pre-purchase your book and inspire readers to order sooner rather than later. There should be ample information showing exactly where, when, and how to buy your new book. 

15. Collaborate With Routledge

If you are a Routledge author, your local Taylor & Francis office can help promote your book launch by setting up a custom discount code for attendees, free chapter downloads, and even a prize draw for a chance to win a copy of your book. Contact our Author Marketing Support team here to see how we can help.

The Author Sales team provides support to authors looking to purchase their books for resale, consulting, or promotional purposes. We also work closely with training organizations, corporate and association customers, as well as governments and charities. Learn more about how our sales team can assist, or get in touch directly. 

Want more personalized help from Routledge to successfully launch your book? Dig deeper into our other resources using the button below.