Typical Book Promotion Campaign Timeline for garnering trade and consumer media coverage

Before you decide to publish a book

  • Decide who is most likely to buy the book. Honestly consider if there are enough people in your target market so that selling to 1% would make the book successful.
  • Determine where these people are most likely to read, see or hear about the book. This will be the target of all the promotional efforts.
  • Determine if there is a specific time of year when the book would get more attention from the media. Carefully review the time it takes to get a book into the stores and get it properly promoted. Remember, national magazines are finalizing their Christmas issues in July and August, and the summer travel issues are being put together in January and February. Daily and weekly media and Web-based outlets, of course, work on a more immediate time frame.
  • Map out all of your promotion plans and determine dates when material is needed.
  • Spend significant time online to identify key web sites, blogs, ezines, etc. that will find the information in the book of interest. This will be an ongoing project throughout the life of the book.
  • Set up appropriate Google Alerts to see who is writing what about the key topic and related topics. Decide how best to use these leads.

When you have a fully edited manuscript and are about to have it designed and typeset

  • Consider hiring a book publicist to help you promote the book, if you don’t feel you have the time, skills or media contacts to do it all yourself.
  • Decide if advance comments and reviews will help sales. If the answer is yes, then decide which experts or well-known writers would be most appropriate and determine if you can reach them. Allow two to three months from the time you have a clean manuscript or bound galleys to send to the experts to the time catalog and/or cover copy needs to be written.
  • Some of the national magazines will look at a clean manuscript if this is the only form that lets them see it to meet their editorial deadlines.
  • Write back cover copy, your initial press release, an author’s bio, and a strong 25 word or less description to be used in emails, on the phone, and anytime you are asked about the book. As you begin using this information, if the response is strong, you know you have a good description. If the response is weak or nonexistent, rework the material and try again.
  • Continue to “mine” information from incoming Google Alerts.
  • Begin to respond to journalists who post queries on ProfNet and HARO.
  • Review your promotion plans and adjust as needed.

When you have a firm date as to when the book will be off-press and moving in the stores

  • Send information in correct form for the appropriate announcement issues of Publishers Weekly and ForeWord magazines. For Publishers Weekly, books being published between February and June are listed in "Spring" announcement issues; information for this issue generally has to be submitted in early November. Books being published between June and January are listed in "Fall" announcement issues. Information for this issue generally has to be submitted in April. There are separate deadlines for adult and children’s books. ForeWord magazine currently has an ongoing list of forthcoming titles online and submissions can be made per their guidelines.
  • Publishers Weekly and ForeWord magazines also have special feature articles and listings of forthcoming books in various categories such as Business, Gardening, Travel, Religion, Fiction, etc. Check their editorial calendars and deadlines so that material can be submitted for consideration for these special articles.
  • Get a web site established (if you do not already have one). Also decide if blogging will be a good outreach for you and your book and begin if appropriate.

When you have bound galleys or ARCs (Advanced Reading Copies) — ideally 12 - 16 weeks prior to publication

Note: For all-color children's books and for other titles where the cost of galleys or ARCs is prohibitive, the finished book can be used instead of a formal galley or ARC as long as the publication date is set far enough ahead. The book must be clearly marked “In Lieu of Galley/ARC”. Review guidelines can generally be found on a publication’s web site; make sure these are followed exactly.
  • Send galleys to experts for advance comments if not done with the edited manuscript. See above.
  • Contact major magazine editors to offer them a chance to see an early manuscript or galley/ARC. Remember, national magazines work four to six months or more in advance. They will often not even look at a book once it is available in the stores!
  • Send galleys to appropriate trade and other review media that require copies twelve to sixteen weeks prior to publication date.
  • Review your promotion plans again and adjust as needed.
  • Continue to receive information from incoming Google Alerts.
  • Continue to respond to journalists who post queries on ProfNet and HARO.

While your book is at the printer

  • Review overall promotion plans.
  • Polish your general press release and any supplemental releases that may be appropriate (e.g. "Did You Know," recipes, "Praise For" recap of quotes of a previous book, author bio, etc.)
  • Get your media room established on your web site with appropriate materials.
  • Build a database of appropriate media to receive releases, press kits, and/or review copies or buy appropriate media lists from a list broker. If you are working with a publicist, this is an aspect that they will probably handle.
  • Send releases via email or snail mail to magazine editors and key newspaper editors not previously contacted.
  • Approach long-lead radio and TV shows.
  • Schedule autographings/events at bookstores, other retail locations, schools, libraries, etc.
  • Continue to receive information from incoming Google Alerts and add author's name and variations plus the book title to your Alerts.
  • Continue to respond to journalists who post queries on ProfNet and HARO.

When you have finished books

  • Send out press releases via email or snail mail to newspaper, online, radio and TV media.
  • Send out review copies to appropriate media.
  • Plan select follow-up for two weeks after material has been sent. This is usually a combination of emails and phone calls.
  • Continue contacting appropriate media.
  • Continue scheduling autographings/events at bookstores, other retail locations, schools, libraries, etc.
  • Continue blogging and exploring the Web for sites to link to or send information to, etc.
  • Continue to “mine” information from incoming Google Alerts.
  • Continue to respond to journalists who post queries on ProfNet and HARO.

    • Three months after publication

  • Review coverage to date. If it has been strong, consider the next level of promotion to build on the momentum. If has been weak, try to determine the cause. Is it due to the book itself? the topic? the approach you have been using? Do you need the help of a professional publicist?
  • As long as a book is available, publicity is an ongoing project.