Seeking ARC Readers for Live for Me, Nkem (Available on NetGalley) > Likes and Comments

Hello everyone!

I'm the author of the upcoming novel Live for Me, Nkem, publishing with Koehler Books on September 9, and I'm looking for honest ARC readers.
If you enjoy emotionally rich fiction that explores depression, marriage, family, culture, and the immigrant experience, I'd love for you to consider reading it.
A few excerpts:

"What I love most of all is cooking with my family.
Lately, though, I've been doing less of it. Just like I've been doing less gardening. Overall, I've been doing less of the things I once enjoyed."
Page 15

"They won't even notice if you were gone."
Page 15

"Planning your own death is exhausting."
Page 172

"Depression for me didn't arrive in a thunderclap.
There was no aha moment. It was more like a slow trickle, seeping into every part of my subconscious until it was all I knew."
Page 324

Request your free digital ARC here:
https://www.netgalley.com/widget/1115...

You can also learn more about the book and me at:
https://www.nnekaoluoha.com

If you decide to read Live for Me, Nkem and the story resonates with you, I'd be truly grateful for your honest review and star rating on NetGalley.

Reviews help other readers discover books they might otherwise miss.

Thank you, and I look forward to connecting with fellow readers!

Nneka wrote: "Hello everyone!

I'm the author of the upcoming novel Live for Me, Nkem, publishing with Koehler Books on September 9, and I'm looking for honest ARC readers.
If you enjoy emotionally rich fiction ..."
Hi Nneka — welcome! I’m the moderator of The 10K Author Community. With your September launch approaching, I’d love to hear what you have planned for the book beyond the ARC campaign.

I’m also the Marketing Lead behind a recent Amazon Bestseller and Hot New Release, so I’d be happy to look at your plans and share some practical guidance on visibility, positioning and reaching the right readers before launch.

Feel free to message me — happy to help.

Syed wrote: "Nneka wrote: "Hello everyone!

I'm the author of the upcoming novel Live for Me, Nkem, publishing with Koehler Books on September 9, and I'm looking for honest ARC readers.
If you enjoy emotionally..." Hi Syed,

Thank you for the warm welcome and for offering to share your guidance.

Beyond the ARC campaign, my launch strategy includes outreach to libraries, independent bookstores, book clubs, mental health organizations, Nigerian and African diaspora communities, podcasts, and media outlets whose audiences connect with the novel’s themes. I am also working with my publisher on social media content, promotional features, a Goodreads giveaway, and other reader focused initiatives.

The novel has already received coverage in:

KevinMD: “The Signs of Depression a Husband Almost Missed”
https://kevinmd.com/2026/08/the-signs...

Life & Times News: “Nneka Oluoha Explores Mental Health”
https://lifeandtimesnews.com/nneka-ol...

I also have a KevinMD podcast appearance scheduled, with additional podcast interviews and conversations being arranged through PodMatch around the September 9 publication date.

My goal is not simply to create visibility during launch week, but to connect Live for Me, Nkem with readers who appreciate emotionally rich fiction about depression, marriage, motherhood, culture, and the immigrant experience.

I would be happy to message you and hear your thoughts, particularly on positioning and reaching the right readers during these final weeks before publication. Thank you again for offering to help.

Nneka wrote: "Syed wrote: "Nneka wrote: "Hello everyone!

I'm the author of the upcoming novel Live for Me, Nkem, publishing with Koehler Books on September 9, and I'm looking for honest ARC readers.
If you enjo..."

Nneka, you’ve actually covered most of the traditional launch channels very well, and it sounds like you already have a strong foundation going into September 9.

There are two areas I’d be curious about.

First, you’ve described a strong strategy for *reaching* readers through NetGalley, Goodreads, podcasts, media, bookstores, libraries and different communities — but what happens after those readers discover the book? Do you have a strategy for turning some of that attention into an active reader community that continues discussing, reviewing and recommending the book after launch?

Second, are all these activities being coordinated around a defined launch sequence — particularly ARC/reviewer outreach, Goodreads activity, podcast and media appearances, social activity and reader communities — or are the different channels largely operating independently?

I ask because we’ve found that the **timing and coordination of these activities, and what happens to readers after discovery, can be just as important as the individual promotions themselves.**

If you already have both covered, then I think you’re in a very strong position. If not, that may be the one area worth looking at before September 9.

Syed

Syed wrote: "Nneka wrote: "Syed wrote: "Nneka wrote: "Hello everyone!

I'm the author of the upcoming novel Live for Me, Nkem, publishing with Koehler Books on September 9, and I'm looking for honest ARC reader..."

Thank you, Syed. These are excellent questions. I have elements of both strategies in place, although your comment has shown me that I could coordinate them more intentionally.

My current sequence is focused on securing ARC reviews and building awareness before publication, followed by coordinated social content, podcast and media appearances, Goodreads activity, and direct invitations to purchase and review during launch week. After launch, I plan to continue outreach through libraries, book clubs, reader events, mental health organizations, and Nigerian and African diaspora communities.

For ongoing engagement, I hope to encourage conversations through Goodreads, social media, virtual book club discussions, and reader events centered on the novel’s themes. I also want early readers to remain involved by sharing reviews and recommending the book after publication.

Some activities depend on external schedules, so the channels are not yet as closely coordinated as they could be. I would value your thoughts on the most effective way to connect these efforts and build an active reader community without spreading my attention too thin.

Nneka wrote: "Syed wrote: "Nneka wrote: "Syed wrote: "Nneka wrote: "Hello everyone!

I'm the author of the upcoming novel Live for Me, Nkem, publishing with Koehler Books on September 9, and I'm looking for hone..."

Nneka, this is a very thoughtful plan, and you already have some fantastic media assets — particularly the KevinMD and Life & Times features — working in your favor.

From what you've described, I don't think you need to add many more promotional channels before September 9. The bigger opportunity now is to **connect and sequence what you already have** so that each activity supports the next.

And to avoid spreading yourself too thin, I would use one simple rule:

**Don't try to be equally active everywhere. Give each channel one job.**

For example:

**Podcasts & Media → Discovery**
Introduce the book and its themes to new audiences.

**NetGalley & ARC Readers → Early Reader Response**
Build the initial foundation of honest reviews, ratings and recommendations.

**Goodreads → Discovery + Conversation**
Give interested readers somewhere to continue engaging with the book rather than simply seeing it once and moving on.

**Book Clubs, Diaspora Communities & Mental Health Organizations → Deeper Engagement**
These are places where the themes of the novel can generate meaningful conversations.

**Libraries & Bookstores → Long-Term Discovery**
These can continue creating opportunities for the book well beyond the immediate launch period.

Then I would sequence the campaign in three waves:

**1. The Pre-Launch Wave (Now–Sept. 8)**
Concentrate on your ARC/NetGalley readers, Goodreads activity and upcoming podcast/media appearances. Prepare a few clear calls to action so interested readers always know what the next step is — learn more about the book, add it on Goodreads, join a discussion, purchase it when available, or leave an honest review if they choose.

**2. Launch Week (Sept. 9–15)**
This is where coordination becomes particularly important. Try to concentrate your strongest social content, Goodreads activity, media coverage, podcast appearances and early-reader activity into the same general window.

Rather than each channel creating a separate burst of attention, let them reinforce one another.

**3. The Post-Launch Community Bridge (Mid-September onward)**
This is where I think *Live for Me, Nkem* has particularly strong potential.

You already have several themes around which genuine reader conversations can form — depression and mental health, marriage, motherhood, culture, immigration and the Nigerian/African diaspora experience.

Instead of creating another platform that you then have to maintain, I would develop a simple **Reader Discussion Guide** around those themes and use it across Goodreads, book clubs, virtual discussions and relevant organizations.

That way, you're not constantly inventing new content for every platform. **One strong discussion idea can travel across several communities.**

Ultimately, I would try to create a very simple reader journey:

**Discovery → Conversation → Review → Recommendation**

And I would choose **one primary home for ongoing reader conversation**, rather than trying to maintain conversations everywhere. Everything else can feed into or support that central community.

You've already done much of the difficult groundwork. At this stage, I think **focus and coordination will probably give you more value than adding another five promotional activities.**

If you can build even a relatively small group of readers who continue discussing and recommending the novel after publication, September 9 becomes the beginning of the book's momentum rather than the end of its launch campaign.

And please feel free to share anything here that you think is worth discussing. My life these days seems to revolve around **Books → Marketing → Discovery → Success**, and I genuinely love helping authors wherever I can. If something comes up that we can brainstorm as a community, bring it here.

Wishing you a fantastic launch on September 9, Nneka!

Syed wrote: "Nneka wrote: "Syed wrote: "Nneka wrote: "Syed wrote: "Nneka wrote: "Hello everyone!

I'm the author of the upcoming novel Live for Me, Nkem, publishing with Koehler Books on September 9, and I'm lo..."

Thank you, Syed. This is extremely helpful, particularly the idea of giving each channel one job and thinking of the reader journey as **Discovery → Conversation → Review → Recommendation**.

The Reader Discussion Guide is also something I can implement without creating another platform to maintain. *Live for Me, Nkem* raises questions around depression, marriage, motherhood, culture, immigration, family expectations, and how we recognize hidden struggles in the people closest to us, so there is a lot of material for meaningful discussion.

Your point about making September 9 the beginning of the book’s momentum rather than the end of the launch campaign especially resonates with me.

I am going to focus these next few weeks on better coordinating what is already in motion rather than adding more promotional channels.

Thank you again for taking the time to offer such thoughtful and practical guidance. I truly appreciate it.

Nneka wrote: "Syed wrote: "Nneka wrote: "Syed wrote: "Nneka wrote: "Syed wrote: "Nneka wrote: "Hello everyone!

I'm the author of the upcoming novel Live for Me, Nkem, publishing with Koehler Books on September ..."

Nneka, I’m really glad this was useful.

I think you’ve made the right decision — you already have plenty of good pieces in motion, so now it’s about making them work together rather than adding more noise.

And I particularly like the discussion themes you identified. There’s a lot there that could keep *Live for Me, Nkem* in conversation well beyond launch week.

Please keep us updated as September 9 approaches. I’d genuinely love to see how the launch develops — and if you hit a roadblock along the way, bring it here. We can always brainstorm it together.

Wishing you a strong final few weeks before launch!