Sean Kachmarski's Blog
September 5, 2025
Building Buzz for My Book Launch October 13th?
I’m working hard to build some real excitement for my book launch on October 13th! 🚀
So far, I’ve set up Amazon Ads and a Goodreads Giveaway (open to US readers only, unfortunately). I’ve also created some countdown posts ready to go when the time is right, and I’ve been joining some great running and triathlon groups to lay the groundwork so I can share my book in a way that adds value instead of just dropping links.
Now I’m on the lookout for more creative, low-cost (or no-cost) ways to create a buzz. Have you tried anything that worked well? I’d love to hear your thoughts and suggestions.
So far, I’ve set up Amazon Ads and a Goodreads Giveaway (open to US readers only, unfortunately). I’ve also created some countdown posts ready to go when the time is right, and I’ve been joining some great running and triathlon groups to lay the groundwork so I can share my book in a way that adds value instead of just dropping links.
Now I’m on the lookout for more creative, low-cost (or no-cost) ways to create a buzz. Have you tried anything that worked well? I’d love to hear your thoughts and suggestions.
September 3, 2025
Building a Community
With my new book being my final one, I want to give it the best chance to reach readers who will connect with its story. I plan to update my Goodreads Profile Blog regularly and invite people to join my new Goodreads group, Book Launch Lab: Promotional Exchange. My hope is to create more than just promotion—I want to build connections, share experiences, and learn from others. By leaning into the writing community, I can turn this journey into something truly positive and inspiring, not only for myself but for anyone chasing their own publishing dreams.
I am also looking for places to promote my group so that more authors and supporters can join, share their insights, and help make it a valuable resource for everyone.
I am also looking for places to promote my group so that more authors and supporters can join, share their insights, and help make it a valuable resource for everyone.
Launching Unlikely Finisher
When I started running, I never imagined it would lead me here. At first, I was just a middle-aged dad trying to get off the couch and reclaim a little fitness. But step by step, mile by mile, my life began to change. Running gave me more than health, it gave me stories. Stories about fear, resilience, and finding out what you are capable of when you stop saying “I could never” and start asking “What if I tried?”
Those stories became my first book, Just Finish, a memoir that followed my journey from couch to marathon to ultra. Writing it was a way to look back and make sense of everything I had learned.
Now my second book, Unlikely Finisher, is about to launch. This one is different. I wrote it in real time, capturing the highs and lows as I chased the biggest challenge of my life: an Ironman. Unlike my first book, I had no idea how this one would end. It is raw, funny, sometimes painful, and always honest. It is about what happens when you fail, when you try again, and when you discover that medals matter less than resilience.
Self publishing has never been easy. With my first book I fell for scams, shouted into the echo chamber, and learned the hard way what does not work. But I also found an audience, and the encouragement of readers showed me that my words mattered. This time around I am doing things differently, using Amazon Ads, running a Goodreads Giveaway, and returning to podcasts that gave me a platform before. Most importantly, I am leaning into community, because books are meant to be shared, not shouted into the void.
Unlikely Finisher is not just the end of a project, it is the close of a chapter in my life. Two books feel like my limit, but together they tell the story I needed to tell. From couch to ultra to Ironman, from self doubt to stubborn determination, from “I could never” to “I did.”
Thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way. I hope this new book inspires you to take on your own “impossible” challenge, whatever it looks like.Unlikely Finisher; Continuing the JUST FINISH JourneyUnlikely Finisher; Continuing the JUST FINISH Journey
Those stories became my first book, Just Finish, a memoir that followed my journey from couch to marathon to ultra. Writing it was a way to look back and make sense of everything I had learned.
Now my second book, Unlikely Finisher, is about to launch. This one is different. I wrote it in real time, capturing the highs and lows as I chased the biggest challenge of my life: an Ironman. Unlike my first book, I had no idea how this one would end. It is raw, funny, sometimes painful, and always honest. It is about what happens when you fail, when you try again, and when you discover that medals matter less than resilience.
Self publishing has never been easy. With my first book I fell for scams, shouted into the echo chamber, and learned the hard way what does not work. But I also found an audience, and the encouragement of readers showed me that my words mattered. This time around I am doing things differently, using Amazon Ads, running a Goodreads Giveaway, and returning to podcasts that gave me a platform before. Most importantly, I am leaning into community, because books are meant to be shared, not shouted into the void.
Unlikely Finisher is not just the end of a project, it is the close of a chapter in my life. Two books feel like my limit, but together they tell the story I needed to tell. From couch to ultra to Ironman, from self doubt to stubborn determination, from “I could never” to “I did.”
Thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way. I hope this new book inspires you to take on your own “impossible” challenge, whatever it looks like.Unlikely Finisher; Continuing the JUST FINISH JourneyUnlikely Finisher; Continuing the JUST FINISH Journey
(I CREATED A NEW GROUP) Introducing Book Launch Lab: Promotional Exchange
Publishing a book is only half the journey. The other half—getting it noticed—is often even harder. As an indie author, I learned this the hard way. With my first book, I wasted money on scammy promotion sites, shouted into the echo chamber, and discovered that link dumping does little to reach real readers.
That experience is exactly why I created a new Goodreads group called Book Launch Lab: Promotional Exchange. This group is for first-time and indie authors who want to share honest experiences about book promotion. It is not about endless self-promotion, but about pooling knowledge. What works, what doesn’t, which sites or podcasts are worth it, and where to avoid wasting your energy.
Even if you are not an author, your perspective as a reader, reviewer, or supporter is incredibly valuable. The more insights we share, the stronger the group will become. If you are interested in learning, sharing, and helping others navigate the challenges of book promotion, I would love for you to join us.
Together, we can turn the noise of self-promotion into something useful, practical, and encouraging.
That experience is exactly why I created a new Goodreads group called Book Launch Lab: Promotional Exchange. This group is for first-time and indie authors who want to share honest experiences about book promotion. It is not about endless self-promotion, but about pooling knowledge. What works, what doesn’t, which sites or podcasts are worth it, and where to avoid wasting your energy.
Even if you are not an author, your perspective as a reader, reviewer, or supporter is incredibly valuable. The more insights we share, the stronger the group will become. If you are interested in learning, sharing, and helping others navigate the challenges of book promotion, I would love for you to join us.
Together, we can turn the noise of self-promotion into something useful, practical, and encouraging.
