Social Media - How to Launch a Book Online

We hear about physical book launches all the time. An author will advertise their presence at a physical book store, do a reading, sign some copies, and (hopefully) sell out! Have you considered that a virtual book launch might be even better at reaching a larger portion of your audience? Especially if you already have a fan base on social media!

This post will assume that you have some way of getting word out to your audience, whether it be an email list you've cultivated, a post to an online writer's group you're a part of, a call to action (CTA) on your author website or word of mouth at your local bookstore or library. If none of the above apply, even a post on your personal social media page(s) will work. We'll also assume that you've got a finished book, ready to sell and a method of distribution!

Making a Guestlist

An online launch party needs guests. In order to attract the right people to your launch, you'll need to invite them. This can be as simple as :

• Creating a list of people you know would be interested in your book. Once you have your list, you can approach authentically about attending. This means planning well in advance so that you aren't just sending them an invite after 6 months of non-contact, remember that cultivating those relationships is key to successful marketing on social media!
• Posting about your upcoming launch to a few online communities that you interact with on a regular basis. It's important to ensure that you know that you're posting within groups that include your target readership. 
• A visit to your local library or bookstore with information about your launch and a printed QR Code you've made that links to your invite.
• You can google search forums that discuss books in your chosen genre and post your invite there (be sure to check with any admins or moderators - we're not looking to spam here!)
• Social media posts shared by friends and family can be another way to get word out. Just make sure you're very clear about who you're targeting here - a successful launch is the goal, you don't want your granny inviting all of her friends if they're going to be offended by your risqué content! Numbers are good, but numbers just for numbers sake isn't the aim.

Event Setup

• If your chosen social media platform is Facebook, you can set up an event page that is linked to your author profile. Alternatively going live would work equally well with enough pre-launch hype generated
• If you're an Tiktoker or Instagrammer, you can schedule a live event and advertise it with a series of pre-launch posts. 
• If X (formerly known as Twitter) is more your thing, you can set up event hashtags so that people can easily join in the launch chat- this information should be on your invite so that your guests can easily find it.

During your event setup, you should ensure that a link to the preorder for your book is visible (and live!)

There are many other options for hosting depending on your chosen regular platform(s). (You should use your regular platform(s) for this, as they are where your audience are most likely to look for you.) StreamYard is a multi streaming platform that allows you to broadcast to multiple social media accounts simultaneously, helping make your launch run smoothly should you decide to launch to multiple audiences at the same time. You can even use it to broadcast live to your website.

Another thing to make sure of is that you have a way for people to pay you when they order through your launch.

• Slide Three
  • This is where you can choose to read a chosen excerpt of your new book to your guests.
  • Alternatively you could speak about your writing process, or where you got the inspiration for this book.
• Slide Four
  • Give your audience a chance to WIN something. You could offer a signed copy of your book or print of your cover artwork. Branded mugs, pens and bookmarks are other options. Make sure that you make a condition of them winning that they must have contacted you by private message to order a copy of the book before the end of the live/event. This could help encourage sales and keep your audience engaged.
• Slide Five
  • Invite your audience to ask questions. If your guestlist is large, you could include a section on the RSVP before the event, for them to send you their questions in advance. This way you have a selection of appropriate questions, that you can prepare answers for.
• Slide Six
  • Discuss the things that you have enjoyed about writing this book/series. 
  • Share some ARC reader reviews.
• Slide Seven
  • Ways to sign up for future release news - this is a great opportunity to encourage people to sign up to your newsletter, or to follow you on the social platform they are viewing your launch from.
• Slide Eight
  • Link to where your guests can purchase a book from you.
  • Remind them that if they want to be in with a chance to win, they must contact you directly to order their copy, during the event.
• Slide Nine
  • Share any future projects you have planned/started.
• Slide Ten
  • Thank your guests for joining you for your launch and remind them again where they can purchase your book.
  • Mention that the winner will be drawn within 48 hours of end of the event and to look out for a video post of the draw being held. This can encourage them to follow you on socials if they haven't already taken the opportunity.

After the Event

• Reshare any links you mentioned during the event as individual posts.
• Don't forget to record the draw and post the winner announcement!

Interacting in this way with your audience can be really successful in building relationships. These relationships, if nurtured, can support you as an author as you progress forward in your career. 

If you'd like help with branding, organising your social media accounts or setting up an event such as the example above - contact us here.