Preparation: To be completed before launch day

Have I updated all my bio and most recent headshot on retailer sites:

             Amazon

             Bookbub

             Goodreads

             Social Media Sites

             My website

Have I updated all Author Central elements?

Have I added the ebook to my Bookbub profile for New Release alerts?

Have I posted a teaser on my social media? (“I’ve got some pretty big news to share tomorrow…”)

Have I created my celebration plan (cake, champagne, party)?

Have I cleared my schedule to be home for publication and any goodies that might arrive on my doorstep from Harpeth Road?

Do I have all devices charged for publication day online activity?

Upload:

Do I have the retailer buy link(s) for my novel?

Do I have the most updated cover and graphics for my novel?

Do I have the new book and buy links uploaded to my website in the relevant places (i.e. front page, books page, blog, etc.) – Be sure to upload after the announcement if you’re doing a cover reveal at the same time.

Invite your friends to join in the celebration online!

You’ll need a graphic and the buy link(s) for your book: Here’s a sample email you can send to all your friends and bookish people you know:

Sample Publication Day Email:

Hello all my wonderful bookish friends!

I hope you all are having a great week so far!

Today my novel [ENTER TITLE OF YOUR NOVEL HERE] is officially out in the world! I couldn’t be more excited. I’d love to have your help in spreading the word. 

I know everyone has varying amounts of time today, so I wanted to give you a nice list of ideas to choose from to create social media posts, add the news to your newsletters (my author friends), or post on your blogs, stories, and pages. I’ve attached a graphic to this email that you can use.

And it would be super helpful if you could share my posts and my publisher’s posts (@harpethroad) to help create online excitement for my book. Since reach comes from people sharing, commenting, and liking. If you do, please tag me!

[INSERT YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES HERE:

FACEBOOK:

X:

THREADS:

INSTAGRAM:

ETC.]

And for those of you who have read or will be reading my book, as soon as you’re done, posting a review on platforms like Amazon, Goodreads, or your favorite book site would be incredibly helpful, since reviews are a big driver in getting the word out about my book.

I can’t wait to party with you online!

Lots of love,

[AUTHOR NAME HERE] 

Sample Captions:

X:

Check it out! My friend @[INSERT HANDLE]’s new novel [INSERT TITLE] is published today! You can learn more about it at the link below!

Shop now: [INSERT AMAZON LINK]

Facebook:

I’m thrilled to share that [INSERT TITLE HERE] by @[INSERT AUTHOR HANDLE], is now available! [INSERT RETAIL DESCRIPTION FROM AMAZON]

Run out today and grab your copy in ebook, paperback, and audiobook!

Shop now: [INCLUDE AMAZON LINK HERE]

Instagram:

I’m thrilled to share that [INSERT TITLE HERE] by @[INSERT AUTHOR HANDLE], is now available! [INSERT RETAIL DESCRIPTION FROM AMAZON]

Run out today and grab your copy in ebook, paperback, and audiobook!

Celebration:

Have I shared the posts on all my social media accounts?

Have I shared, commented, liked, loved all posts and comments from others related to the celebration of my novel?

Have I sent an email to my email list with the news of the launch?

On-Going:

Have I collaborated with other authors or creators in my genre for online cross-promotion opportunities? This could include joint giveaways, guest blogging, or social media shoutouts—see our post on promotion in the Author Portal.

Have I continued to appear in guest posts and interviews with podcasts or online publications as available?

Am I continuing to post content related to my novel as appropriate?

Do I continue to share and engage with posts by others about my novel?