Chapter 02: The checklist

Book launch checklist: every publicity task, in order

Last updated March 2026. Published by C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists.

A book launch checklist is a phase-by-phase list of the tasks that get a book noticed, from setting your news angle six months out to following up on coverage three months after publication.

C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists built this book launch checklist around the same six stops as the book launch publicity timeline. Authors can work through it alone, and publishers can use it to see where an outside publicist could add follow-up and media outreach.

What should be on a book launch checklist?

A book launch checklist should cover metadata, an author website, clean store links, a media kit, review copies, a media pitch list, interview prep, launch week reminders, and months of follow-up. Most lists stop at launch day; this one keeps going, because publicity tied to breaking news can return an author to the headlines long after release.

Stop 16 months out

Find the news angle

Write one sentence on why you are newsworthy right now
Write down your professional goals for the book: sales, clients, speaking
Finalize metadata: title, subtitle, categories, keywords, and description
List long-lead magazines, trade journals, and outlets in your subject
If you have a publisher, ask what its publicity team will and will not do

Stop 24 months out

Build the media kit

Build a media kit: background, reviews, story ideas, interview topics
Write a short author bio and get a current author photo
Send advance copies and media kits to long-lead reviewers
Draft three or four bylined article or op-ed ideas based on the book
Consider media coaching if television or radio makes you nervous

Stop 310 to 12 weeks out

Open the channels

Publish an author website with clean store and preorder links
Choose one or two social platforms you will use consistently
Start or warm up an email list with a short launch note
Connect with other authors in your genre
Plan a launch event, in person or virtual

Stop 48 weeks out

Pitch and book

Pitch radio, television, podcasts, print, and online outlets
Follow up on every book and media kit sent
Match interviews and signings to any travel plans
Prepare short answers to the questions hosts are likely to ask
Line up early readers willing to post reviews at launch

Stop 5Launch week

Make the first days count

Send a "launching in 7 days" reminder to early reviewers with store links
Ask reviewers to post on launch day or within the first 3 days
Message your most engaged readers personally in the first 24 hours
Announce the launch to your email list with a working buy link
Share every interview and review as it goes live

Stop 61 to 3 months after

Stay in the news

Pitch angles that tie your expertise to breaking news, the same day if you can
Place op-eds and bylined articles in newspapers, magazines, and trade journals
Collect coverage into a media page on your website
Use coverage to pursue speaking engagements
Thank every host, reviewer, and reader who helped

Launch week reminders and the 3-day review window follow the approach in publishing.co.uk, "Book Launch Checklist". Need a book launch checklist PDF? Use your browser's print dialog and choose “Save as PDF.”

Panel 01

Book launch party checklist

Book a bookstore, library, or venue that fits your audience
Pick a date that does not clash with big local events
Order enough copies to sell and sign, plus a way to take payment
Plan a short reading and a few minutes of questions
Send invitations weeks ahead and a reminder the day before
Invite local press, since an event gives a reporter a reason to cover you
Arrange photos for your website and later posts

Panel 02

Virtual book launch checklist

Choose a streaming platform you have tested end to end
Check your microphone, camera, lighting, and internet connection
Set up a registration link and send reminder emails
Ask a moderator to read audience questions
Put a clear buy link on screen and in the chat
Record the session and share short clips afterward

Panel 03

The checklist item most authors skip

Follow-up. Sending a book and a press release is only the start. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicistsnotes that, for most titles at large publishers, the most an author can expect is a mailing to reviewers with little or no follow-up. The firm's own campaigns pair distribution of books and media kits with an intensive follow-up process to secure interviews, features, mentions, reviews, op-eds, and bylined articles. If your checklist has one line for “send review copies,” add three more for following up on them.

Book launch checklist questions

Read all book launch FAQs

What should be on a book launch checklist?: A good book launch checklist covers metadata, an author website, clean store links, a media kit, review copies, a pitch list, interview prep, launch week reminders, and follow-up after release. The book launch checklist in this guide groups each task by phase so authors and publishers can see what is due and when.
What goes on a book launch party checklist?: A book launch party checklist covers the venue or bookstore, a date that avoids clashing local events, enough copies to sell and sign, a short reading, invitations sent weeks ahead, a way to take payment, and photos for later posts. Invite local press too, because a launch event gives a reporter a reason to cover the book.
What is different about a virtual book launch checklist?: A virtual book launch checklist swaps the venue for a reliable streaming platform, a tested microphone and camera, a registration link, reminder emails, and a moderator to read audience questions. Put a clear buy link in the chat and on screen. Record the session so you can share short clips after the event.
Is there a book launch checklist PDF?: This guide keeps the book launch checklist as a web page so it stays current and loads quickly on a phone. You can save it as a PDF with your browser's print dialog and choose "Save as PDF." Each phase is labeled, so the printed version works as a desk reference during the launch.
What is a media kit for a book?: A media kit is the background package producers, journalists, editors, and bloggers use when deciding whether to cover an author. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists describes its media kits as including background material, reviews, story ideas, interview topics, and material for bylined articles. A strong kit makes it easy for busy media to say yes.
How early should I send review copies?: Send review copies months before publication when you can, because many print outlets plan issues well in advance. Reedsy's book marketing guide advises pursuing some opportunities at least 8 weeks out. Then follow up: C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists pairs book and media kit distribution with an intensive follow-up process to secure coverage.

Want a publicist to run the checklist with you?

C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists builds customized media campaigns for authors and publishers across print, radio, television, and internet media. Share your publication date and goals, and the firm will tell you what a campaign could look like.

Contact C.S. Lewis & Co.