Grabbing readers’ attention for a new book can be particularly challenging, especially in such a crowded marketplace. Launch day is a great opportunity for authors to announce their new book, generate visibility to new readers, and build excitement for existing fans to dive in.
To help you brainstorm creative methods to announce a book launch, we compiled this list of inventive ways authors have announced and promoted theirs. From social media giveaways to author collaborations, there are many strategies that could help you make a splash on launch day — whether you’re launching a standalone, a first-in-series title, or a sequel. And check out our free flipbook for more ideas on how to promote a book release before, on, and after launch day!
Take readers behind the scenes of your launch
TikTok is an excellent place to share short, spontaneous videos of your experiences with the highly engaged #BookTok community. Try taking readers along on your journey to publishing your latest (or first!) book!
Ayana Gray provides an authentic look into her life as she releases her first book, Beasts of Prey. She shares her excitement about the process by sharing vlog-style updates and reaction videos.
@ayanagray A really big moment in my author journey happened today. 😭#authortok #booktok #books #fyp @penguin_teen #ItsOurHome
Amelia Ives promotes The Wayward Thief by revealing the original sketch for her book cover, then the completed version her cover designer created.
@ameliaivesbooks Check out @coverbookdesigns on instagram. She’s one talented artist ❤️ #bookcover #coverreveal #booktok #bookclub #bookworm #coverart #fantasy #author
Post a Facebook Live video expressing your excitement
Facebook Live can be an attention-grabbing, interactive way to promote a book launch. Expressing excitement and interacting with fans can help generate buzz — not to mention, the comments and reactions they often spark can help make these posts reach farther than others.
Denise Hunter hosted a Facebook Live Q&A session for her fans, talking about her new release and any other topics her fans wanted to speak about.
She responded to questions both in the video and in the comments, which helped to generate strong engagement from her fans.
Peter Sage hosted a Facebook Live on launch day of The Inside Track, letting readers ask him questions about the book and his life.
Run a giveaway on social media
Giveaways can get readers excited about a new release and active on the social media posts where you promote it. Naming the winner and asking them to post about their prize can extend the life of the campaign.
Meghan March promoted the release of Reveling in Sin with a giveaway of signed copies of all three books in the series. She took the opportunity to generate high engagement numbers!
After including links for where to purchase the new release, Meghan also promoted the previous books in the series for any readers who needed to catch up:
Kay Bratt promoted her new novel with a giveaway. When announcing the giveaway on Facebook, she included rave reviews of her new title!
She then explained how to enter to win a signed copy of the new novel and a $25 gift card, and reminded readers that they can follow her on BookBub!
Send a newsletter to your subscribers
Sending a newsletter on launch day is a great way to remind loyal fans about a book’s release. Many authors include links to purchase on each retailer to make it easy for readers to purchase wherever they prefer to buy books.
Marie Force heralded the release of Five Years Gone with a personal note to her fans. She also informed readers that they can sign up for text notifications of releases and sales — a creative way to keep fans in the loop! In this same newsletter, Marie told fans about an upcoming Facebook Live Q&A and hosted a giveaway — you can read the full newsletter here.
Cat Johnson included a preview of Hot Chick for Hire in her newsletter to fans so they wouldn’t be able to resist buying right away! You can read the full newsletter here.
Run a BookBub Ads campaign
Many authors run BookBub Ads for their new books to help drive early sales and buzz. By targeting yourself (or the author of the new release, if you’re running ads on behalf of an author), you can announce the new book to existing fans, and by targeting similar authors, you can spread the word to new readers who might be interested in the launch!
Winter Renshaw used BookBub Ads to promote Exmas on its release day, and drew fans’ attention to its great ebook price!
Sierra Simone had an ad go live on the launch day of Misadventures with a Professor. Similarly, she emphasized its low release week price, encouraging fans to buy it quickly.
Use social media stories to share positive posts about your book
The Stories feature on Instagram and Facebook lets you post additional content without overwhelming fans with too many timeline posts.
Author Brenda Novak reposted two positive reviews of her new book on her Facebook and Instagram stories on launch day.
Crossposting her Instagram Stories to Facebook let Brenda reach readers no matter which platform they prefer.
Cultivate fan discussions about the new release on your website and profiles
Encouraging and cultivating a fan discussion around a new release can further excite core readers.
Nora Roberts opened a discussion section on her blog so readers could discuss her latest release, Of Blood and Bone.
Don’t have a comments section available on your website? No problem. Encouraging discussions, especially with specific questions and prompts, in Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok comments or Twitter threads are good alternatives. Nora let Facebook fans know about the blog discussion, and many fans participated on this Facebook post as well.
Use crowdfunding platforms to reward your fans
Crowdfunding is an increasingly popular way for authors to finance their projects while engaging their fans. In addition to helping you fund future works, crowdfunding and subscription platforms like Patreon, Kickstarter, and Unbound can disseminate your new releases to your most devoted fans, who are willing to pay more for early access, exclusive content, or other benefits.
Zoe Adjonyoh’s Unbound campaign below encourages community-building by offering readers the chance either to receive five signed copies of Serving Up to discuss the content with friends, or to participate in a virtual Q&A with the author and other fans.
Anthea Sharp used Kickstarter to create a special hardcover edition of her new fantasy series, Into the Darkwood. To keep the momentum going, she rewarded backers with free stories, raffles, and even a special Irish fiddle performance by the author herself!
Repost #bookstagram pics and other fan art
Fan #bookstagrams and other fan art are free and endearing content. Reposting them is a positive way to interact with popular book pages and your biggest fans. Fans love when authors repost their content — just be sure to use the Repost app or credit the fan in the caption.
J. Daniels celebrated the release day of All We Want by reposting an appealing Instagram from a book lover who posts pictures of many of her favorite books. Keep an eye out for posts like these!
Adam Silvera retweeted a fan’s sketch for the release of What If It’s Us. Pay attention to social media hashtags and mentions of the book on release day!
Promote other authors’ launches
Promoting your peers’ book launches is a great way for authors to reach new readers and show what books they’re excited about. Authors can recommend each other’s books on social media and BookBub. Even if you’re not coordinating efforts, posting about other authors’ books on their launch day can establish a mutually beneficial relationship — the next time you launch a new book, they might return the favor!
Corinne Michaels supported the releases of Love Online, Break My Fall, and other new books on their release day, using the hashtag #Oneclicktime, which other authors also use.
M. Mabie returned the favor when Michaels released Not Until You. The mutual promotions provide both of these authors with free exposure to each other’s fan bases.
Helen Hoang promoted her own release, along with other authors’ new releases on the launch day of her novel The Kiss Quotient.
Collaborate with authors to co-promote a book launch
Similarly, collaborating with fellow authors to promote new books together lets you share audiences, reach new readers, and drive sales. Interviewing another author about a new release is an increasingly popular method. Authors can also often run joint giveaways, publish posts on each other’s blogs, or establish plans to promote each other’s books in frequent posts. These strategies provide more extensive exposure than single social media timeline posts, and are often free.
Jojo Moyes published a video on Facebook in which fellow author Sophie Kinsella interviews her to promote After You. This was a great cross-promotional strategy since each author got exposure to the others’ fan base.
Similarly, Libby Fischer Hellmann interviewed Julie Hyzy on Facebook Live the day after she launched Virtual Sabotage, giving them free exposure to each other’s fan bases.
Release and share a book trailer
Posting book trailers or short animations can catch readers’ eyes when they’re scrolling through their feeds. This type of exciting content also provides readers with something they can easily share.
Crystal Hana Kim released a preview video of If You Leave Me on its release day, containing positive blurbs and appealing graphics.
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Lauren Palphreyman also spotlights reviews in the trailer for her novella The Yule Prince, which she serialized for a limited time on Radish. The caption includes details on the offer and clear directions on how to redeem it.
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Make an announcement on your blog or website
Your own communication channels can help you announce a launch to the readers most likely to buy the new book. Many authors update their website’s homepage on launch day to promote their newest book. That way, readers can easily find the synopsis and retailer information!
Brandon Sanderson announced a Kickstarter for four secret novels on his website’s blog. The secret project went on to become the most-funded Kickstarter of all time!
Hank Phillippi Ryan converted the front page of her website into an advertisement for Trust Me. She added blurbs from comparable authors, which is a clever way to build anticipation among readers who might love those authors as well.
Do you have other creative ideas for announcing a book launch? Let us know in the comments below!
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This post was updated with new examples on November 10, 2022.
