Q – 

Angela,

I haven’t finished writing my book yet, but I want to start letting all of my friends and colleagues know about it. I’m very excited! Can you tell???

I think it’ll be ready in about six months, but I can’t wait to start promoting it! What’s the best way to do that? 

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A – 

It always comes with a risk of offending authors, but I’m always very honest. I would be doing authors a disservice if I wasn’t. This might upset you, but it’s the truth.

I see authors discussing this topic a LOT on social media.

Back in the day, publishing companies would run ads in newspapers, magazines, and on TV announcing the “release date” of a celebrity author’s book. Of course, fans of that author would then call their local bookstores and place a pre-order for the book, knowing they could pick up their copy at that bookstore on the date of the book’s official release.

Other fans would simply form lines outside of bookstores in the early morning hours on release day, so they could try to get one of the copies that particular bookstore had ordered and received.

That’s now how things work anymore.

1. The vast majority of people buy books online now. You can set up a book for pre-order on Amazon. We do that for our BookLocker authors on request. However, we will NOT do that if the author hasn’t finished the book yet. I explain why below.

2. Lots of authors start books and never finish them. If you start promoting your book now, and promise it will be on the market in six months…what if it’s not? What if you get writer’s block, or something happens in your life to delay the book being finished? That could be very bad for your reputation. That’s why publishers (even traditional ones) don’t post release dates until AFTER a book has been written. Publishers won’t put their own reputations at risk just to generate buzz if the author hasn’t even submitted the final manuscript yet. And, authors shouldn’t be promoting their books before they’re finished, either. 

3. If your book is in the publishing process, it’s fine to tell your friends it’ll be ready in a month or so. However, doing heavy publicity (think daily or almost-daily posts to your social media accounts) will create ad fatigue. On the Internet, it’s called Banner Blindness. Think about that. How many times have you seen the exact same ad (or similar ads) on Facebook over and over for the same product/service, and now you just don’t “see” the ads anymore? Your brain makes your eyeballs just gloss right past them. It’s a real thing!

4. If somebody really wants your book, but they can’t buy it yet, and then they keep seeing it advertised, but still can’t purchase a copy for weeks or months, they’re going to start getting upset. (Those months-long delays can also make the would-be author look very unprofessional.) By the time the book is available, potential readers might have become so frustrated that they won’t buy it in the end anyway.

5. Why would you risk ad fatigue/banner blindness instead of waiting a few weeks to promote it, when the book actually goes up for sale, and getting sales right then – the moment you start promoting it?

6. You said you expect the book to be ready in about six months. Why aren’t you spending your time finishing your book, instead of wasting time promoting a non-existent book that people can’t yet buy? I’ve written those exact same words to sooooo many authors over the years! Pre-publicity for new or non-celebrity authors does not work and, in fact, can have the opposite effect.

7. All authors need to keep their egos in check in these situations. I know it feels GREAT when you release a book, and emails start pouring in about how great it is. However, if you just continually “tease” people about a book that will be published some time in the future, honestly, it’s just annoying to your friends, family and colleagues. And, to be completely honest, it will look like you’re begging for accolades each time you mention  your future book. That’s embarrassing.

Spend your time finishing your book and getting it published. Only after it’s all finished should you start tooting your “buy my book!” horn online. You definitely don’t want to miss the first article below!

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• How Setting a Daily Earning Goal Increased My Income – by Elizabeth Yetter

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Angela is not only the publisher of WritersWeekly.com. She is President & CEO of BookLocker.com,
a self-publishing services company that has been in business since 1998. Ask her anything.

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