What To Do On Book Launch Day & Beyond?

  

Even for authors who are not thrilled about having to market themselves and their book, there comes a time, usually upon the publication of their book, where they fill with excitement and beam with optimism. It is, for them, a feeling of rebirth, a chance to start fresh and to launch their book to the world. It is a window of time where they are open to doing anything and everything to get the word out about their book.  

So, what should one do to market their book on the first day of its release? 

First, let me say that the marketing of a book begins way before it is published. 

Four months prior to your book’s release, you send out galleys or advance review copies to dozens of book reviewers at magazines, newspapers, blogs, and websites.  

Six months prior to your books release, you will have created a web site and perhaps started your own blog or podcast.  

Long before you have a book in hand, you’ve built up your voice and brand on social media, connecting with those who could become your readers.  

As you can see, the way to look at book marketing is to recalibrate your watch and make the first day of marketing not the day of publication, but rather some date six or more months prior to your book’s release. 

Of course, many of you reading this may have already missed all of these pre-publication benchmark deadlines. That’s okay, because there is always more that can be done at any point.  

The book marketing spectrum, has many points of entry. Even if you did everything that i just outlined, on time, it does not mean that your work is done. Plenty happiness from the date of publication onward.  

For instance, that website that you created six months ago needs to be updated, listing new reviews, upcoming appearances, new blog posts, etc.  

Your social media continues to be active in terms of posting, networking, and researching.  

For book reviews, you now move on to paid opportunities, and secure a plethora of reviews.  

My main points here are as follows:

• Day one book marketing begins way before the first day your book is released.
• Regardless of what you did three, six, even 12 months ago, you must do more now and into the future. You never stop marketing yourself - and your books. 
• Lastly, try to remain as optimistic and enthusiastic about your book weeks and months after its publication. Good things will happen overtime. You want to keep the momentum of effort going so that it can build up into having a pay-off down the line.  

So, dear author, your book launch marketing activities don’t really start when the book is launched -- nor end there. Stay in there for the long game. The wait will be worth it.  

 

Do You Need Book Marketing Help?

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, with over four million page views, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors like you to promote your story, sell your book, and grow your brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator!

 

About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over 4.5 million pageviews. With 5,300+ posts over the past 14 years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs  by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2025.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully).

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum