As Soon as Your Book's Been Accepted
If you don't have a post office box set up already, you might want to do this now, unless you want to receive fan mail to your home (and even have fans show up on your doorstep).
Check with your publisher about items you might need to help promote your book. Publishers set up marketing budgets in advance so if you want advance review copies sent to specific places or extra cover flats, now is the time to ask (not once the book's on the shelf).
Get publicity photos taken of yourself--color and black and whites. Use these with press releases or press kits.
Join a local writing group (related to the type of book you've written). If you've written a romance, you should join Romance Writers of America (RWA) and a local chapter of RWA. Other published writers in the group can help you with your promotion plan and the club itself may help you with publicity.
If you're going to sell copies of your books yourself you may need to obtain a resale license or permit in your city (you may have to collect local sales tax).
Six to Nine Months Before Publication Date
Six to nine months before your book will come out send press releases announcing its release date (which you have obtained from your publisher).
Once you know if the publisher will put you on an author's tour or not, decide how much you will supplement what they are doing. Do you want to speak to writers groups, women's groups, high school groups…..wherever appropriate to help promote your book. Begin developing a mailing list to send press releases and/or press kits.
Start drafting your press releases and press kit material. Start putting the press kits together.
Send out advance review copies of your book to booksellers.
If you're sure of your publication date, begin designing book marks, flyers, novelties and other promotional material depending upon your budget and the type of book.
Talk to other authors in your genre about group mailings (this is where joining a writers group could help). It'll save you money if you can work with several other authors and send flyers or bookmarks to booksellers together.
Five to Six Months Before Publication Date
Order your bookmarks, flyers, novelties etc. Visit bookstores wherever you find them. If you're on vacation, visit bookstores. Tell them about your book. Leave promotional material with them.
Four to Five Months Before Publication Date
Plan your book tour if you plan to do one. Contact booksellers to set dates. Run an ad in a magazine or newspaper about your book. Send press releases and press kits to local media.
Three to Five Months Before Publication Date
Introduce yourself to local booksellers. Take the book editor of the local newspaper to lunch. Prepare a question and answer sheet for interviewers and put it in your press kit to send to interviewers before your interview.
Two to Three Months Before Publication Date
Make postcards of your book covers (request permission to reproduce them). Call bookstores where you're scheduled to do book tours and make sure they've ordered your books.
One to Two Months Before Publication Date
Book transportation and hotel accommodations for your book tour. Plan your book tour wardrobe. If you're going to hand out favors on your tour, begin making them now.
Two Weeks Before Publication Date
Mail out last minute press releases. Touch base with booksellers on your tour (staff may change). Send any last minute publicity to media or fans.
Su Wright is a freelance writer who has worked for public relations agencies as well as in-hour PR departments. In addition, she has worked as a newspaper editor/reporter and magazine editor. She has a B.S. in journalism and teaches press release writing and press kit preparation at Colorado Free University. Someday she will be a multi-published novelist in mysteries and romantic suspense.
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