Reading Time: 5 minutes

When it comes to releasing a book the phrase “go big or go home” couldn’t be more applicable.

You put in a lot of time and effort to write it and get it published, why would you stop short at the promotion?

An upcoming release is a prime opportunity to get creative with your book marketing, get personal with your fan base, and ramp up pre-orders and early sales.

Speaking of pre-order, you’ve set that up on Amazon right? If not, you need to. You can read this post, and check out this infographic checklist, to help you get started.

So what are some creative ways to promote your upcoming release?

1. Social Media Header Graphics

Header graphics on social media make a big, bold statement and as a bonus they keep your accounts looking current. Sites like Canva make it really easy to get the sizing right and find images, even with a free account. Check out Canva here. Or here are some great ideas for social media tools, as well as how to create picture perfect graphics.

2. Author Q&A Events on Facebook

Events on Facebook are a great option because you can ask people to RSVP, which is some great insight into your tribe. You can also ask them to share the event and invite friends, to expand on your network. As a bonus you get to do this all from the comfort of your own home or office! Find out more here. And here are more ideas for harvesting the epic marketing power of Facebook.

3. Snapchat Shorts

Snapchat may have a rep of being just for young people, but it’s growing in popularity across the board and it’s primary benefit from a book marketing standpoint is that it lets you share short videos is a super simple way. Video is HOT right now and it’s leading the pack in regards to breaking through all the white noise. So if you’re ready to break into video this is a great place to start. You can download the app and start exploring here.

4. Giveaways

Giveaways are a really great way to promote an upcoming release while also building your mailing list, it’s a win-win! And because there are so many ways to run them, and so many different swag ideas, the creativity is through the roof! You can do them weekly or monthly; give away book prizes or gift card prizes, or a combination of the two. Just keep them exciting and try to be unique. If you’re not in a position to configure your website for giveaways you can try third party sites like Rafflecopter.

5. Book Excerpts & Bonus Content

Tease excerpts of your upcoming release or bonus content to really get people excited! You can release cliffhanger paragraphs, entire chapters; this author did an interview with her lead character. Whatever you choose they’ll be sure to want more, and that’s the point! You can share on your website, in your newsletter or on social media.

6. Behind the Scenes Sneak Peeks

Your fans want to get to know you, so be mindful of sharing insights into your day-to-day life. The more connected they feel to you the more likely they are to continue following you and share your work with their friends. This author shared an image of a stack of letters he’s sending off to fans!

7. Goodreads Giveaways

Goodreads giveaways are currently open to every author listed on their site for print books. So if you have galley copies of your upcoming release – those count! Set up a giveaway and be sure to let potential entrants know they’re actually getting early access to a yet-to-be-released title! This is also a great way to start drumming up potential early reviews. Check out the Goodreads Giveaway dashboard here.

8. Goodreads Events

Create an event for your new release on Goodreads and be sure to take advantage of the option to invite everyone in your network, and of course ask them to share and invite people in their networks! This is also a great place to promote any giveaways you’re doing for the release as well! When you’re ready to add an event just head to your Goodreads author profile and scroll down the page, there’s an events section automatically included as part of your profile. Getting started on Goodreads? Here’s how you can really rock out!

9. Character Profiles

This author opts to share her character profiles directly on her site, but you can do the same thing on social media or in your newsletter as a way to get fans and followers excited to meet the new people in your upcoming release!

10. Book Trailers

Having a book trailer made can sound daunting, and expensive, but what better time to do one than to tease an upcoming release? They make a huge impact and are an excellent way to hook people that may never have given your work a second thought in the first place. This indie author has garnered over 67,000 views! A simple search will provide you with tons of companies and individuals to go through, get some quotes, watch some examples of their previous work, and narrow down a few you’d like to work with.

When it comes to ensuring success for your book, remember it really starts before your book is available for purchase.

So while you don’t have to take on all of these recommendations, really put in the effort to do something, and do it in a big way. If you don’t you’ll never know if putting in that extra effort was your path to a bestseller!

And now that you know how to make the most of your upcoming release, would you benefit from some personalized coaching or book marketing guidance? I can help you:

• Make the right publishing decisions
• Determine what you can do to better promote your current book
• Develop a social media plan
• Analyze your current Amazon keywords
• Prep for your next book release the right way

And many other publishing and promotion related issues! So get started here!