We Published Our eBook - 2 Lessons We’ve Learned
Launch week for AJ’s book, “Can You Guess Where I Am,” was a triumph. Within 24 hours of publishing his eBook on Amazon, it had earned the:
#1 ranking in the Elementary School category for books on Amazon;
#4 in the Children’s Nonfiction Explore the World category; and
#10 in the Children’s Explore the World Books (Kindle Store).
Watching AJ’s book be received so warmly by readers and their families will forever be a loving and proud milestone for our family! Although this journey is just beginning for us, we have learned 2 valuable lessons early-on that may be insightful if you’re considering self-publishing your own book one day:
Build Excitement for Your Book Ahead of the Release
Since September of this year, we have been building excitement about the then upcoming release of AJ’s self-published book, “Can You Guess Where I Am.” Get your copy of the eBook here! We created a social media account on Instagram just to begin developing community and have a touchpoint for supporters to get the latest and greatest about the book. Creating this social media account was also very helpful in driving readers to AJ’s website (www.ajsworldmap.com) ahead of the release. The use of our personal social media accounts was also helpful in telling the good news with friends and family, building interest in the book, and driving traffic to the site.
If You Want Your Book Available for Christmas, There is Never a Time Too Early to Get Started
Andrew’s eBook was made available just in time for Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping holidays. This was strategically done because we had set (2) launch goals at the outset of creating the book; position the book to trend during launch and at least have the eBook available in time for Christmas. In addition to the work we did in spreading the news about the new release, it was a +1 that the release of the magical film #Moana2 came out the same week of his release. Both AJ’s book and #Moana2 are stories that are based upon life and culture in the Polynesian Islands, so I do believe that the increased visibility of this Disney film did help AJ’s book trend. The second goal was to have the book ready for Christmas so that families could gift it to their to young readers for the holiday.
There is no world in which I would recommend a self-publishing author release a book without any build-up or marketing - unless you’re Taylor Swift or Beyonce. Otherwise, if you want to catch the Christmas season, I’d recommend you finish your book the summer before and establish your supply chain and distribution channels before November.
The common thread between these two approaches is intentionality. Self-publishing a book is hard work, but it’s so worth it in the end. If you found these tips helpful, we invite you to subscribe to this blog (at the bottom of this page) for more helpful tips and some cool giveaways.
Paperback copies for AJ’s book, “Can You Guess Where I Am,” are available for pre-order! Secure your copy here
Warm Regards,
-Shaelan
