Q –

Hi Angela,

I will hopefully have my newest book finished in a couple of weeks. That being said, I’m traveling and won’t be able to do preorders or signings. Do you recommend waiting to release (we’ll be traveling for a year or so) or doing something virtual? I’m open for suggestions.

Thank you,

L.

A – 

The world of book sales is completely different than it used to be. Many authors assume that, if they’re not available for appearances, they should wait to release the book until they are. The fact is, getting “appearances” is getting more difficult. Bookstores are going out of business left and right. And, even if you do land an appearance, nobody attending that is going to care if your book was previously published. Nobody really pays attention to the words “new release” unless they’re talking about a celebrity author.

So, no, I definitely do NOT recommend waiting a year to release your book. That will be an entire year of zero sales. You should also know that bookstore signings for unknown authors typically sell no more than a handful of books (one handful, not two!).

Special event signings are far more lucrative but you should not wait to list your book for sale online just because you haven’t lined up any events yet.

For more advice, please download this free book:

55 Dos and Don’t of Book Selling

Also, this book is very popular. It’s free for BookLocker authors but it’s available for purchase by others:

90+ Days of Promoting Your Book Online!

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