10 Steps to Launch your Book Into the Top 30

Yesterday, launch day for Scythe of Darkness, my book skyrocketed to the Top 30 in two Amazon categories. One of the steps that’s not listed below is the video ad that I created for my book. I posted this ad on my Facebook profile and page, and it got numerous shares. From there, accompanied with the 10 steps, my book had a great launch. 

Below are the 10 steps that I took to launch my book.

This morning, I sent a press release to three local news stations. Will they do anything with the PR? I don’t know, but it couldn’t hurt. To view this release, click here. Maybe it’ll help you with yours. 

10 Steps

1:  Once you've written your book, begin searching for bloggers that may be intersted in reading it. Look on Twitter and Facebook for this information. Collect a list of 10-15 a week, prior to the launch.
 
2: Send your manuscript to a good editor. I can't stress enough how important this step it. Also find a cover designer. Make sure your cover targets the correct audience of readers.
 
3: After your manuscript has been edited, and all the changes are completed, send it to at least 2 proofreaders. 
 
4: If you haven't yet, create an ePub and Mobi format of your ARC. I uploaded my Word.doc to Calibre for conversion.
 
5: 6 weeks prior to launch, I uploaded my book as a pre-order on Amazon and Kobo. I also uploaded to CreateSpace, ordered a proof, and then made changes and approved the copy. When uploading my book to KDP, I placed it in specific sub-categories with the correct keywords that correlated with my sub-categories. You can always change the category later if you want. Then I made sure that my CS book and Kindle copy were linked on Amazon. 
 
6: Create a Rafflecopter, This will be important later when readers enter the contest by sharing your book on their social media. You can also create a point system for readers that want more points (for example: readers can sign up for my newsletter and follow me on Facebook). 
 
7: Add book to Goodreads and host a Giveaway to create exposure.
 
8: 4-6 weeks prior, email 75ish book bloggers (the ones you've been collecting) personally in efforts to get reviews prior to launch day. This takes a long time to do. 
 
9: Send newsletters to fans with updates about your book, as well as what you're currently reading. In the newsletter, add a link to your Facebook Event, letting them know about giveaways and other authors that will be participating. 
 
10: Launch takeover Party.  Take part in someone else's Takeover launch.
*The Takeover events may seem unneeded, but it helped build buzz and enabled me to reach more potential ARC readers/reviewers.
 
For more in depth information about the steps, plus 3 MORE steps that I took after the initial launch, watch the video below. You can also listen to the video on iTunes and Stitcher; the show is called Indie Tidbits.