Top 5 Mistakes Upon Book Launch

Authors, you've come this far. You slaved away at your novel/short story/poems, edited it over and over, and now you're ready to share it with the world.
Whether self-published or through a small press, here are my "Top 5 Mistakes" not to make when the day of book launch arrives (especially, debut works).

1. Not having your "platform" up and ready beforehand. ​

• This includes a blog, social media accounts such as Facebook and Twitter, and setting up a subscription service. I highly emphasize the last one. I failed to set up one when I started and now I'm paying the consequences. If you don't hit the ground running with everything at your arsenal, you will lose vital momentum. Pick and choose how you want to present yourself and remain consistent.

​2. Don't assume things will occur organically.

• Some may roll their eyes at this. Common sense right? But what I mean is, holy cow, NOTHING happens when you do nothing. There are too many books and too much competition out there. Do your research- promote your book through various mediums: interviews, blog tours, even playing Twitter games at the same time.

3. But at the same time, don't get too aggressive.

• This applies mainly to two things:
  • (1) Don't over advertise your book on social media. If you keep posting relentlessly about purchasing your book, people will soon tune your posts out.
  • (2) Reviews: If you see a new book with an astronomical number of reviews, don't get discouraged. Yes, it could be a great book- but unless it falls into the 1 percentile, many people will question the authenticity of it all. Amazon has been cracking down on certain types of reviews too. Point: Pace yourself. Diversify. Don't be overbearing in your hunt for reviews.

4. Be wary of promotional/marketing services that seem too good to be true

• Once you realize your book won't sell itself, promotional companies pop up like weeds. There are a TON of them that promise thousands of viewers by tweeting/hosting your book. There are definitely some reputable sites, just don't be disappointed if something falls through. I've already had a few things blow up in my face and got screwed over by some (not all) marketing/promo sites. Be careful, be selective, keep track of your interactions, and learn from each experience.

5. Not making genuine connections with other fellow authors.

• CONNECTIONS CONNECTIONS CONNECTIONS!!! You can make connections with authors online, especially in writing groups. (Shot out to my JL peeps!) Also, I highly recommend you attend a live event, whether it's a local town fair or a book festival. If you published a book, you're good enough to be there and sign autographs. At these events, you will likely meet other authors- and let me tell you, I've gotten some great advice and friendships from them.
• I stress "genuine" because simply following someone on Twitter doesn't count. Interact with them!