The cover is ready, the marketing materials are all falling into place, but your book is still in editing. You’re excited to start talking about your book, but what do you say at this point? When are you really meant to dive into marketing headfirst?

Having a book ready is exciting! However, there are a few things you should keep in mind before you jump into telling your audience about your book. If you can answer all these questions with a resounding “yes,” you’re ready. If not, you may want to figure out these answers first.

Do you have an audience to tell?

Back in the days of town criers, when there was news, the crier would stand in the town square and start shouting at people passing by. Aren’t you glad we don’t have to do that anymore to get our messages out? When you’re just starting out in marketing, it often feels like shouting to a void. How likely are people to hear you if you start shouting where you are now?

This all comes back to your platform, but the long and short of it is that you need an audience before you can make any announcement that people will care about. It does no good to shout to an empty room. If you don’t have an audience, work on drawing people to you before you start shouting to the void.

P.S. If you want help building your platform, I’d love to work with you! Check out this online course to get started building a platform that works for you.

Is your book ready to buy?

When you start talking about your book, you can hope and expect that your audience will start asking you where they can get a copy. When they ask, which would you rather say? “Sorry, it’s not ready to order yet. But I’ll let you know as soon as it is!” or, “Here’s a link to my favorite online store!”

The second is more helpful. The first requires additional contact, which may work in your favor! But it does delay the gratification of your readers holding your book in their hands, and it creates additional, unnecessary steps between hearing about your book and your reader reaching for their wallet.

Depending on your timeline, you may need to delay that gratification. In which case it would do you well to ensure you have a very good way to collect your interested readers so you can contact them directly when the time comes. Email lists are great for that! Talking about your book and growing your email list makes for a solid marketing plan if you won’t have a preorder period or that period will be one month or shorter.

Do you have events lined up that require attendees to know about the book prior to the event?

If you need your audience members to be active and engaged at an event before the book is available to them, using your book like a carrot on a string to entice their interest may work in your favor. If that’s the case, make sure the call to action you use emphasizes the event, rather than the purchase of the book.

These events may be in person, such as readings or signings, but they also include giveaways, discounts, and interviews.

Sometimes you don’t get control of when to start talking about your book. After all, when you first begin, very few will discover your book on their own. But taking the above steps ensures your message will fall on willing ears, and ensure your book will have the best initial sales period you can give it.

---