It doesn’t matter if this is your first release or your fiftieth. You should always plan a marketing budget for your new release, and really try and stay on track, or you might end up spending hundreds or thousands of dollars that you might not make back when all is said and done.
Let’s break it down:
- Marketing
- Advertising
- Events
- Giveaways
Marketing:
Starting with Marketing, as mentioned in my previous blog, you can plan an event with a Tour Company/Publicity Company, or you can Do It Yourself. If you have more time on your hands and a smaller budget, I would consider taking on the task yourself, but remember, it will take a lot of time to search out reviewers/bloggers to host your release, sending structured pitches to the hosts, setting up the materials to be distributed, following up with all the hosts if they do not post, etc. It’s a lot more work than you might want to get involved in, so my advice is, take the majority of your budget, and invest in an event with a touring company and save yourself the hassle.
Another place to invest the most money is an easy to navigate author website. Yes, we have Goodreads, Amazon, Bookbub, Facebook and Twitter to share about new release, but at least for me, I want to be able to have all the info in one place. If you have a larger budget, hire a designer to create the site for you. You will need to purchase a domain and pay them for their work, but again, this is one area that will take up time to create. If you want to set up a site yourself, you can create a free site with blogger or wordpress (but I suggest purchasing a domain name .com .org .net), or sites such as Weebly or Squarespace, that are easy to use and not expensive.
You also want to think about the kind of “Brand” you want to convey to readers. If you are new to the game, you want to create a tagline, and/or theme for your author site that will set a brand for the kind of books your write. Search for authors who you feel are comparable to you in genre and style and see what kind of “brand” they have. You will want to keep your brand consistent throughout your social media sites as well, so you are easily recognizable. Spend a little extra working with a designer on a branding kit, or if you are savvy in design, work your magic and come up with a great brand for yourself!
Advertising:
Now, when it comes to Advertising, things can start to get costly. You will want to set aside a decent amount for Sponsored Ads with Facebook/Twitter/Instagram. I would suggest checking out the help center to get a better idea about how to best use the service.
Another option is to purchase a “side bar” ad or cover slot for your new release. Many blogs offer advertising, you will just have to see which ones have a decent following/readership, and be sure that their blog or site has a readership that would show interest in your genre.
Events:
Events can be fun, but they can also be time consuming. Again, to save on your budget, you can hire a service to help with a Release Party (Facebook/Twitter), or you can get a party together with other authors who are releasing at the same time as you, or ask other author friends to jump on board for a time slot at your party. Joining up with more authors is helpful to keep the party upbeat and creating more ‘Release Day Buzz’.
Giveaways:
When it comes to giveaways, sometimes less is more, giving away one LARGER prize rather than a bunch of smaller giveaways. If you do host a tour, you will want to offer something for a giveaway, such as an e-Gift Card or a set of Print titles (new or backlist). If you are hosting a ‘Release Day’ Party, a bunch of smaller prizes are a better call when you have so many readers attending the event, the more prizes the merrier!
Now this is only skimming the surface on the book launch budget. What works for one release, might not work for another. What works for one author, might not work for you!
“It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something.” - Franklin D. Roosevelt
Please feel free to leave questions or comments, or email me directly at Lisa@TastyBookPR.com