Amazon and Goodreads (which is owned by Amazon) are two places your book should be listed, and you’ll need to set up an account at each one.
Why Amazon? Even if you hate Amazon, as many authors do, it will be your single largest sales channel. You’d be cutting off your nose to spite your face (to use a bloody cliché) if you didn’t make your book available here.
Why Goodreads? Here’s an article by David Kudler, owner of Stillpoint Digital Press, about 6 Reasons You Have to Be on Goodreads — starting with it’s “a social networking site where more than 40 million book lovers gather daily to review, discuss and share their favorite books and find out about new ones.”
Both sites let you set up an “author page” as well as listing your book. The author page showcases your author bio, lists and links to all your books, and can link back to your website so fans can get on your mailing list. (Remember, your website includes a sign-up link for your mailing list.)
need to finish writing — discuss metadata.
Here’s a PDF from BookBaby explaining how to use keywords to help readers find your book.
Next? Consider a Goodreads giveaway.
Back to Pre-launch communications.