How to launch a book so the media notices

How to organize a book launch in seven steps

1. 1

   Decide what makes you news

   Start with a conversation about your expertise, strengths, media experience, and goals. That is how C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists begins every campaign. Your angle is what lets a producer say, "This author can explain that story."

2. 2

   Get the basics right

   Finish your metadata, publish an author website, and set up clean store and preorder links. Media and readers who hear about you need somewhere reliable to land.

3. 3

   Build a media kit

   Give producers, journalists, editors, and bloggers background material, reviews, story ideas, interview topics, and article ideas they can use without extra work.

4. 4

   Send books, then follow up

   Distribute books and media kits to the contacts that matter, then follow up to secure interviews, features, reviews, op-eds, and bylined articles.

5. 5

   Pitch with timely angles

   Offer story ideas matched to each outlet's audience, and align pitches with breaking news as it happens. Being first to respond is often what lands the interview.

6. 6

   Run launch week like an event

   Remind early reviewers, ask for reviews in the first 3 days, message your closest readers personally, and share every piece of coverage as it appears.

7. 7

   Keep going after launch

   Keep pitching, place op-eds, and turn media appearances into speaking engagements and new clients. Publication is the starting line, not the finish line.

How do you launch a book?

You launch a book by preparing months ahead: finish metadata and store links, build a media kit, send review copies, pitch media with timely angles, line up interviews, and keep following up after release day. The how to launch a book chapter of this guide lays these steps out as a numbered plan you can follow.

How do I promote a book launch?

Promote a book launch through earned media, your own channels, and direct outreach to readers. Earned media means print, radio, television, podcasts, and online outlets, which C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists combines in multi-pronged campaigns. Your own channels are your website, email list, and one or two social platforms you use consistently.

How do I launch a book on social media?

Pick one or two platforms and post consistently instead of spreading thin. Reedsy notes that spending 30 minutes one day a week to pre-plan content can give you plenty of posts. Reach is limited: BookSpace says an Instagram post reaches 5 to 15% of followers, so pair social posts with media coverage and email.

How do I organize a book launch campaign?

Organize it around a calendar. Set the publication date, count back to set deadlines for the media kit, review copies, and pitches, then plan launch week and the months after. Decide who owns each task. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists works with publishers' publicity teams so the two efforts complement each other.

How much does it cost to publish a first book?

With a traditional publisher, the publisher pays to produce the book and the author typically pays nothing upfront. Self-publishing costs vary widely with editing, cover design, formatting, and printing choices. Publicity is a separate budget line on either path, so plan for it alongside production rather than after the book is finished.

How much does an author make on a $25 book?

It depends on the contract. Traditional hardcover royalties are commonly quoted at around 10 to 15% of list price, which works out to roughly $2.50 to $3.75 on a $25 book, before any agent commission. Self-published royalties are calculated differently. Check your own contract or distributor terms for the exact rate.

What is the 90/10 rule for authors?

There is no single official 90/10 rule for authors; the phrase is used in different ways online. A common reading is that a small share of effort produces most of the results. For a launch, that argues for focusing on the few actions that move books: media coverage, reviews, and direct outreach to readers.

Does JK Rowling self-publish?

No. J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter novels were traditionally published, first by Bloomsbury in the UK. She later sold the Harry Potter ebooks directly through her own Pottermore site, a form of direct publishing for digital editions. For most authors the useful lesson is that publicity planning matters on either path.