As an author, your book’s publication date is the day when months or even years of hard work finally pay off. The writing process can be long and arduous, and if you decide to go the traditional route, finding an agent and publisher can be just as overwhelming. Most presses offer support with editing, production, marketing, and publicity, but as your book’s author, you will always be its best and most powerful advocate. The most successful authors are intentional and take a proactive approach to book launch preparation, often carrying out detailed planning months in advance.

Below are ten steps you can take to set your book up for success, long before it hits shelves.

1. Clarify Your Goals

First, figure out what “success” means for you. Understanding your primary goals for the book will help you plan and prioritize effectively. Do you care most about maximizing preorders and landing media coverage? Or are you more interested in speaking invitations and course adoptions? Maybe you don’t aspire to reach a general audience, and instead hope to contribute meaningfully to your field or address a niche professional community.

Your promotional activities should always be aligned with your book’s intended audience and your primary goals. For example, if your goal is course adoption, you may choose to prioritize academic listservs, conferences, and sending sample chapters to instructors over posting on social media.

2. Tighten Your Positioning

What is this book, who is it for, and what makes it stand out? Long before your book comes out, you should know your answers to these questions like the back of your hand. Understanding your book’s market and being able to describe your position in it concretely will strengthen every element of your outreach. You likely discussed this early on with your editor, but your book may have evolved since then. Be sure you and your publishing team are on the same page about how your book will be positioned and the audiences you are trying to reach.

It is often helpful to identify three to five comparable titles. These should be books published in the last five years or so that share a common audience with your project, whether they overlap in subject matter, writing style, or conceptual approach. These comparisons will help you articulate how your book fits into the current market and what makes it stand out from its competitors.

3. Prepare a Detailed List of Contacts

Your publisher will likely ask for this early on, as it is one of the most useful resources you can offer a traditional publishing marketing team. Brainstorm people who already know your work or care about your topic, and invest time in making sure your list is thorough, organized, and up-to-date.

It often works best to segment your list into different audiences—institutional contacts and journalists, for example, can make up separate lists. You’ll also need to know what you’ll be asking of each segment. Are you offering a digital review copy? Proposing an event? Or are you simply sharing the link to preorder and purchase? Your publisher will guide you in this, but getting a headstart can help make your list as comprehensive as possible.

4. Compile Core Author Materials

You will need a professional, high-resolution headshot and author bio to include in your book’s press kit. Your publisher will ask you for these, but preparing them in advance can help to ensure high quality and consistency, and also will minimize last-minute scrambling.

Your author bio should be concise and include your most recent and relevant awards, publications, and credentials. You may need to draft several versions to serve different contexts or length requirements—these can often range from approximately 25–50 words all the way up to 150–200.

5. Plan Content for Social Media

While some authors may shy away from self-promotion on social media, this is one of the fastest and easiest ways to reach your network and audience. Ideally, you should begin posting about your book long before it reaches shelves. Nowadays many readers are also interested in behind-the-scenes insight into your writing process and journey as an author. Consider how your unique perspective and experiences might be used to attract readers to your book.

It can be helpful to create a content calendar that includes key dates for your book, ranging from a cover reveal and preorder opening to launch week and any significant author events. Brainstorm ideas and coordinate with your publisher, as they will also be promoting your book on their social media. Consider what useful or intriguing insights might convince readers they can benefit or learn more by buying your book. These might include any surprising findings, overarching arguments, key concepts, or interesting case studies.

You should plan to post consistently before and after your book’s launch. An intentional, steady posting schedule is often more effective than a short burst of promotion right around the publication date. You may choose to prioritize a few primary channels where your audience is likely to spend the most time—whether Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, Substack, or specific subject-area platforms.

6. Build Credibility as an Expert in Your Field

For nonfiction authors, perceived credibility is especially important. Readers want to hear from experts or thought leaders in a field whose opinions and knowledge they can trust. One of the best ways to promote your book is by building credibility through bylines, an effort which you can begin long before you even begin to prepare for a book launch.

What can you speak or write about authoritatively that is accessible, current, and might be attractive to media outlets? How can you contribute your expertise to relevant national conversations, particularly in ways that could link back to your book? Consider writing an op-ed, thinkpiece, or book review. Pitch ideas to journalists you know and outlets that share your book’s intended audience.

7. Reach Out to Established Networks

Reach out to any professional or community organizations you are affiliated with. Cast a wide net—make sure you are taking advantage of any established contacts and groups you have engaged with over the years. These might include professional associations, listservs, institutions, and local or online communities.

8. Update Your Online Presence

As launch draws closer, make sure your website, public profiles (including institutional pages), and email signature are all up to date and include your forthcoming book. At minimum, your author website should include your bio, any previous publications or media appearances, and a contact form or professional email.

​

You should also ensure that your new title has a dedicated book page, whether on your own website or your publisher’s. This should include your book’s cover image, a description, and links to purchase. You can also add the table of contents or a sample chapter, as well as any endorsements as they arrive.

9. Take Advantage of In-Person Communities

Long before a book tour might materialize, you can begin building excitement locally using in-person networks. Tell everyone you know to buy your book, from your colleagues and associates to family members and friends. Reach out to local bookstores to see if you can organize a reading or book signing. Establishing and maintaining in-person connections will help you down the line, and builds excitement for your book organically.

10. Coordinate With Your Publisher

Above all, you should always be communicating with your publishing team. The major benefit of traditional publishing is that you are not alone in this. Like you, your publisher has invested in your book and wants to see it succeed. Sharing your contacts, networks, plans, successes, failures, and ideas is the best way to ensure your efforts are all working in sync. Make sure you understand their marketing and publicity plan and your own responsibilities to avoid redundant efforts and missed opportunities. As with content creation, it can help to keep track of key dates and plan out any outreach responsibilities or events on a calendar.

Conclusion

The intentional steps on this book launch checklist will set your book up for success and help you take full advantage of your existing networks. They will also leave you well prepared to support your publisher’s marketing and publicity efforts to the best of your ability. Self-promotion may not come naturally to you—for many authors, this aspect of publishing feels more difficult than actually writing their book—but taking purposeful, well-chosen actions will help your book reach the audience it deserves.