Inside Six Real Book Launches: A Peek Behind the Curtain
Here's a little of what I'm working on with my clients right now.
I thought I’d try an audio version of my newsletter. Click below to listen! ~Lynn
This week, I thought I’d give you a peek behind the curtain and share a little about what I’m working on with some of my my coaching and done-for-you clients. Three are pre launch and three are post… and all still deep in launch activities.
Everyone is on schedule. But that didn’t happen by accident—and that’s what I want to talk about.
Why Your Book Needs a Launch Plan (Even If It’s Not Your First Rodeo)
Authors love to say, “I just want to get it out into the world.”
And I get that. You’ve spent months—maybe years—birthing this book. You are done with this part of the process and you’re ready for it to fly.
But if you publish without a plan, your book won’t soar. It’ll splat.
A good launch plan does three things:
Creates momentum before the book is available
Builds urgency and attention the week it releases
Extends your visibility for weeks (or months) after launch
And none of that happens by accident.
The goal of all this planning might surprise you. It’s not about sales. It’s about reviews.
Here’s The Secret Sauce
One of my favorite benefits of a well-planned book launch is the opportunity to collect reviews. Book reviews are very hard to get. Sales and rankings are bonuses—especially if you're able to hit a #1 New Release—but it's the reviews that help sell books. They build trust and influence buying decisions.
Rushing to release without a launch means you lose that golden window to gather them.
Once the launch window closes, it’s notoriously difficult to get reviews. During launch, readers are more willing to engage, more likely to follow through when you ask, and more excited to talk about your book while it’s still fresh. That’s when the momentum is real—and when reviews are most likely to stick.
Real Talk: Here’s What Happens 4–8 Weeks Before Launch
Three of my clients are here and this is what’s happening right now:
ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies) are going out to a curated list of early reviewers and launch team members.
We’re building email sequences, updating websites, and creating social media content.
They’re gathering endorsements, prepping bonus materials, and finalizing book files.
I’m nudging them for follow ups, bio updates, and podcast prep.
There are a lot of moving parts, and when you're working solo, it’s hard to stay organized and remember everything that needs to happen. That’s where I come in.
You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know
If you’ve never planned a book launch, there’s a lot that can slip between the cracks like…
How and when to send ARCs
What a launch team actually does (and how to build one)
How to pitch yourself for podcasts
Whether you should send a press release (and if so, where)
This is why it feels overwhelming. Because you don’t know what you don’t know.
And that’s why so many authors skip it entirely and try to play catch-up post-launch.
But here’s the truth: It isn’t easy to come back from a weak launch.
Let Me Help You Launch Like a Pro
You don’t need to do it all yourself.
You just need someone who’s done it before, who knows what to expect, and who can help you anticipate (and avoid) the most common mistakes.
That’s what I do for my coaching, consulting and done-for-you marketing clients. No two author’s are the same. Together, we look at you, your book, your goals, your audience, your network, and more. Then we map out a custom launch strategy, build the pieces together, and make sure everything is timed, tested, and ready to go.
Want to see what that looks like for you?
Book a free 30-minute UnStuck call.
P.S. If your book is already out and your launch was more of a “soft sigh into the void,” don’t worry. I see that all the time! There are smart ways to re-engage your audience. But that’s a post for another day.
Lynn brings her more than 30-years experience in small business marketing, publishing, and multiple best-selling author campaigns to her Substack newsletter. She helps authors build and grow their platforms to reach their unique marketing goals through private coaching, non-fiction consulting, and done-for-you marketing programs. And all this, through her computer, in her little lake house in rural Pennsylvania which she shares with her husband, son, and two fluffy companions, Kaiju and Bella.