Getting Ready to Launch

Writer friends of mine often talk about “the olden days” when literary giants used to scribble out their manuscripts and fairy godmothers known as publishers took care of all that pesky publicity stuff. All Austen, Fitzgerald and Hemingway had to do was show up, sign books and bask in the adulation of their fans.
 
OK, I’ll be the first to admit we might be looking at the past through rather rosy-colors lenses, but, with the rise of print-on-demand platforms, both indie and traditionally published authors are competing for the same audiences and need to employ new tools and techniques to get eyeballs to read your latest masterpiece.
 
This has led to the creation of the Launch Team, a small cadre of loyal fans who read your work in advance and use their personal and social media network to boost interest (and eventual sales) of your work.
 
People make this sound easy, but rest assured it is not. Basically, you need to recruit friends that will act like a literary Navy SEAL team. You want people who like your work and you enough to spread the word but do so for little pay or few rewards (unless you have the budget for that, which you probably don’t). You are, in essence, asking people for a favor with the hope they will help create the all-powerful “buzz” your book requires for success.
 
My first book did fairly well, but, because of some mistakes on my part, book two sold rather poorly. This time around, I’m hoping that a little advanced planning, plus the kindness and generosity of my friends, this book launch will enjoy a bit more success.
 
Next week we’ll find out if this hare-brained scheme actually works.