Start Here for a Successful Book Launch

You can use this site in several ways:

  • Read through to get an understanding of what’s involved in a successful book launch.
  • Refer to the Book Launch Timeline and (coming soon) other tools for organization.
  • Read Case Histories to get ideas for your own launch.
  • Use the Resources section to find people and organizations who can help with your launch.

A few caveats:

  1. This site is a work in progress. Please subscribe (see the sidebar) to be notified as I add and update content.
  2. The timing suggested here is for indie authors who are using a print-on-demand system to produce and ship their books. If you’re planning to use a traditional printer, you’ll want to do things a little differently (allow more time, determine your initial print run, plan differently for distribution and fulfillment).
  3. The examples and case histories used here are from real, typical, authors. They are not “outliers” who rocketed to fame and fortune astride a silver bullet. What worked (or not) for them is likely to work (or not) for you.
  4. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, and many of the resources I mention are local. We have a very active community of authors and publishers here, but you can also (probably) find resources near where you live.
  5. I don’t receive a finder’s fee from any of the resources mentioned here, but some of the people I’ve worked with have become good friends, and the Book Alchemist is my husband.
  6. If you’re wondering who I am, and how I learned about best practices for launching books, check out the About Me page.

OK; ready to organize your book launch?

Here’s what you need to do first …