Bang out Your Book Launch: How to Get 50+ Reviews Out of the Gates

After much anxiety and oodles of pre-launch jitters, I made it to the finish line and launched my second book Claim Your Inner Badass on November 17th, 2019. As much as I felt like I was stumbling and fumbling through the launch process, what I was clear about was that I wanted lots of reviews and I wanted them quick in the first week.

As a result of this commitment, I approached the launch process with a forward focus and was determined to attain this goal by hook or by crook, no matter how bleary-eyed and overwhelmed I felt. I am sure many of the readers can relate!

Below, I will outline the five points that made my initial launch week a success with over 80 5-Star reviews, best seller status and much kudos from the Self Publishing School family.

Here we go:

Commit to staying positive and enthusiastic through your launch. I totally get how stressful and confusing launching a book can be—the level of detail required to make it to the finish line can be totally overwhelming for most of us. However, I think it is important to remember that the people around us are watching, and even though you may not see it or even believe it, you are an inspiration, by the sheer fact that you are actually publishing a book, a dream so many desire, yet fail to realize. Yes, YOU are an inspiration! Remember that as you plow through the last details. Lean on your support team and or coach for support. (I cannot count the times I apologized to my coach Scott Allan for my being such a royal pain in the butt! 😉 Thanks for putting up with me, Coach.) Remember your WHY! You are writing your book for a particular reason, a reason uniquely personal to YOU. Remind yourself of that daily, even moment by moment, if need be, as you approach launch day. You can do it!
Create a Launch Team of Fans. As the author, you are in charge of the tone you set for your team. Decide on what adjectives you want to use to set the mood for your launch and again, be enthusiastic with your team about your book and the process. Publishing a book is a super big deal for most people and those that love you are honored to support you. Your launch team is also living the process vicariously with you, so let them into your life with short videos, pictures and snippets from your book. I made the Claim Your Inner Badass Facebook page like a living journal of the days leading up to and following the book launch. People really loved my silly videos, and I felt really happy to share my success and nervousness with them. But I always presented that I felt confident that the book was going to do great and they picked up on that too. Even though sometimes you may need to fake it til you make it, it is totally worth it in the end. Have fun, stay humble and real. People dig real. You are good enough just as you are.
Provide an Abbreviated Version of Your Book. I know that some people hand out rough copies as previews, but I felt it was important that the copy I provided looked polished and presentable and labeled specifically LAUNCH TEAM COPY. People are in general so tapped out, so make it easy on them to get a tidbit of your book and tease them with some good content. Then when it gets to launch day, they are ready to roll with an enthusiastic review.
Keep All Your Communities in the Know. Sit down with a piece of paper and pen,
an Excel spreadsheet,or a list app on your phone and write out all the communities and the individuals you have been a part of from preschool to college, clubs, sports, play groups, professional service providers, hair stylist, grocery store clerks, your kids friends parents, your neighbors, that business card you have in your wallet, your contact list, your work buddies, your crowd from the bar, the gym, that volunteer activity, church, temple, ex-boyfriend and girlfriends (yep, some great reviews here ;-)), your kids, friends, your author tribe, old teachers, EVERYONE that rings your chime that you believe could support you. Then contact them. As many as you can possibly muster, then reach out to five more, ten more. Most people will be thrilled to hear from you! Give them a quick summary on your book and then ask them for their support. I texted so many people, my fingertips were calloused. I copied and pasted the same message many times and added personal touches as appropriate and I always remained positive and enthusiastic. Out of all the people I texted (and text them three times, if you haven’t heard back.) Only two people sent back irritated responses. I apologized profusely and then moved on. Remember: your enthusiasm and passion about your book and your subject is contagious! Feel confident to share it!
Say Thank You. Alot. Over and over. Thank you. Grateful. Thankful. Thank you. I must have typed and spoken those words a thousand times, and every single time I meant it. I truly believe that this was the key point in my success of my book launch—my continual state of gratitude for all of the people in my life who I have had the ability and good fortune to touch, and that includes all of you, so thank you too!