Podcast: Stop! Don’t launch your book without following these 6 crucial steps from Kathy Meis

Podcast Summary

Kathy starts off by talking about the foundations of a successful book launch and the kind of mindset indie authors need.

Stop thinking of your book as your baby, and start thinking about it as a product.

Launching a book is a business, and by focusing on the following six crucial steps before you launch your book, you will increase your chances of post-launch success. Here's a summary of the six steps that Kathy takes a deeper dive into during the podcast:

Step 1: Research audience and genre

• Step one is all about positioning your book correctly in the marketplace and this can be achieved by researching your audience and genre. If you get this step right, your book will fit into a category of books just like yours, but it will also stand out. Discover the art and a science to this.

Step 2: Line up reviews and interviews

• Step Two is about creating the social crew that you need to convince readers that your work is worthy of their time and money. Reviews and interviews will help you achieve this and as a first-time indie author it is very important to gain the social proof necessary to succeed. Kathy also recommends using techniques used by traditional publisher, like Sell Sheets, to add an additional layer of professionalism to your image.

Step 3: Set up a system for capturing email addresses

• Step three is about creating a channel to talk directly to your readers with. Amazon and other major online retailers do not share customer information with you, so you'll never know who's sampling your book or buying your book from them. So you have got to set up a system to capture email addresses. This will allow you to create a direct (albeit virtual) relationship, with your readers.

Need more help to build your mailing list?

Step 4: Create a professional product

• Step four might seem obvious, but if you don't create a professional product it won't be able to compete in a marketplace that is already filled with millions of books. You have about seven seconds to engage or turn off a potential readers, so don't let that opportunity pass you by publishing an inferior product.

Step 5: Form a marketing support team

• Step five outlines the importance of lining up friends, family, readers, fellow authors, or a paid service to help your promote and market your book. This is important for generating initial interest in your book, when you haven't yet had a chance to build up much social proof for your book.

Need more help with marketing and promoting your book?

Step 6: Create a content and campaign calendar

• This step is all about showing you how organisational and strategic planning can make marketing much more effective. It will also prepare you to take advantage of opportunities that come along. Put a plan together for creating and sharing content, and the commit to measurable goals.

It is a lot of work to be an indie author, but Kathy believes you will set yourself up for success if you implement these 6 crucial steps.

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