Months, even years of anticipation have led you to this day- the moment of your big BOOK RELEASE. You’ve been prepping, editing, anxiously waiting for Blurbers to respond and bookstores to give you the okay for book signings. It all culminates in that one brilliant day people in the industry have dubbed your “Book Birthday.”
And then it arrives and you are filled with nervous energy. Tweets are Retweeted. Posts are shared. Friends leave encouraging messages on your timeline, your parents pat you on the back. Your husband promises he will ‘actually’ read it.
And then the day passes… and the real work begins.
I must admit I was a little daunted by this realization. After all, I’d already put SO much time and effort into getting the product finished in time that a part of me wished the Book Launch Fairy would come, wave her magic wand and turn my little Indie with a Heart of Gold story into an overnight bestseller.
And while it was a real rush to see my books climb the charts (reaching as high as 179) I also realized very quickly that publishing a book is more like a marathon than a sprint. I also learned that no amount of preparation can propel a newbie author to the same position a veteran has already established.
I must admit I wanted a shortcut. Everyone does. But building your author brand is as important as- and requires as much attention to detail as- writing the book itself. And it takes patience. And planning. And faith. And ingenuity.
Independent authors have to work harder than most. They don’t have the backing of big publishing houses with zillion dollar budgets, you know- the ones who set up book tours for you where lines stretch out the door and around the block, if that ever happens outside of a Hollywood fantasy. Independent authors have a handful of dedicated people who work like crazy to get their authors noticed, but a lot of the weight rests squarely on the author’s shoulder.
Which is as it should be.
No one will love your book more than you, so the ultimate PR person for your novel is… the person staring at you in the mirror. And the good news is you get their services, their passion and tenacity, for FREE.
Author brand- building takes time, and is not swept away by a wave of the Launch Day Fairy’s wand. In fact, launch day is just the beginning of a long process where you, as an author, make yourself visible to the readers you’ve been courting throughout the pre-launch process.
Be creative. Be brave- you have a product to sell. A damn good product, and you need to be proud of it. I truly believe that if a reader gets my story in their hot little hands, they will love it. And if you don’t believe it, no one else will.
This will help you build your brand fearlessly.
So don’t be sad because the Book Launch Fairy didn’t make your Amazon Bestseller Dreams come true on the first day… it’s not supposed to be that way (unless, of course, you’re Stephen King). Time, effort and little bit of pixie dust will help you make it to the finish line. Brand building takes time… and good things come to those who run marathons.