Dynamite, Matthew McConaughey, and the 90%: 5 Rules for Avoiding "Failure to Launch"

What does Matthew McConaughey share with 90% of Authors? Easy. Both are stars in their very own “Failure to Launch” movie.  While Matthew’s character, Tripp, managed to enjoy a happy ending, it took a powerful motivator to get him to budge; the most powerful motivator, in fact. If you are trapped in your own “failure to launch” scenario, unwilling to fully invest yourself in your book launch or afraid to go this far out of your comfort zone, you may need to get back to your “why.”

“It’ll take a stick of dynamite to get me to do a book launch!” Sound like you? Let’s face it. Doing a book launch can be terrifying, costly, and time-consuming. There’s a reason only the powerfully motivated are willing to do it, even though a well-executed book launch can mean all the difference in the success of a new book.

The rest of us have to tap in to our mission, that prime motivator that carried us through the painful writing and editing process. We have to remember why we wrote the book, and remind ourselves that it’s not about us, and neither is it about the money. This is Rule #1 in planning your book launch, as it is for every other step in telling your story. What is your “stick of dynamite?” What would it take to motivate you to get over your fear of failure or judgement and start putting yourself out there in the public eye, well outside of your comfort zone?

RULE 1: BEGIN WITH THE MISSION. Use your book’s mission to motivate and shape your launch. Does your mission seek to reach a specific population? Are you using your book to support your speaking career? Is your book issue-driven? Focus your launch efforts there as well. This would affect whom you invite, where you send your press release, and how the evening is planned. You may tie it in to a fund-raiser, for example, or hold it in a location you want to showcase.

TIP – FORGET THE NUMBERS. Launches are NOT about the number of books you sell during the launch. They are golden opportunities to gather free press and photo opportunities, build your base support, get more reviews, practice your public presence in front of a group that already loves you, and raise your credential among potential clients. Videos and photos from a great launch will have a positive effect for years after. The launch is all about MOMENTUM.

RULE 2: PLAN STRATEGICALLY OR PLAN TO WAIT. Don’t waste your one and only launch opportunity by not laying the important groundwork for a successful launch. Better to delay a launch event than force it prematurely. One of the easiest mistakes to make as an author is being in too much of a hurry. Rushed books are easy to spot. They are full of errors, omissions, and inconsistencies, with little or no collateral support material available - and little or no effective buzz to tell the world about their arrival. Even if the general market is not your target, the book launch is a critical opportunity.

TIP – DON’T OVERSPEND. Launches don’t have to be expensive and elaborate. They can take almost any form, as long as you make the most of it. Make a reasonable budget and stick to it.

RULE 3: PREPARE FOR LAUNCH. Your plan should begin with solid pre-launch activities. Set the date for the launch and start working on pre-launch activities as soon as the title is a lock and the manuscript is done, sometimes as much as 6 months out. Get access to ARCs (Advance Reader Copies) or prepare PDFs you can send to reviewers, beta testers, friends and family, anyone who can write a review for you. Get your website and social media set up, or add to your existing platforms, so your followers can begin to get excited. Consider putting some excerpts out to start getting that buzz going. Get posters, graphics and any printed material ready to go, get the press release ready and work on your list – all the contacts who will receive notification of your launch. Limited time? Concentrate on that list and hire someone to help with the rest.

TIP – TAKE CARE OF YOUR FANS. Did you use a fundraiser campaign? Do you have a pre-existing reader list? This is your fan club, so take care of them. Keep them informed, fulfill your promises, offer them deals, and ask them to post honest but quick reviews.

RULE 4:  PRE-SALE—YES; GIVE-AWAY—NO! As soon as you know when you will have books in hand, do a pre-sale, no more than 30 days out from the official launch. Consider a drawing for something other than the book, special discounts for multiple copies, SWAG, free shipping, and of course a personalized autograph for copies ordered by a certain date. But – do NOT give your book away.  PEOPLE VALUE WHAT THEY PAY FOR. Give it away and it’ll be thrown in the trash, given away or sold, and never read. I see it all the time. Never give it away. Never. Discount, yes. Bundle, yes.  Always get something in return – a review, advertising, a booking, something.Doing a wholesale show? Don’t give a book away without getting the information and the right person’s name you need to call back and place an order. Give an incentive for order placement on the spot.  

TIP – CROSS MARKET. If you have other books or services for sale, use the pre-sale as an opportunity to boost and cross-market them. If you have excess stock of an earlier book, it will make an excellent “BOGO” to motivate the pre-sale. Note that Amazon has a pre-sale feature, but you won’t be able to gather contacts or control the product, so proceed with caution! Make the pre-sale work for you.

RULE 5: REMEMBER TO CELEBRATE! You’ve worked hard, put a smile on your face and enjoy launch day! Get a new outfit, have a good breakfast, take along some new Sharpies, and remember everyone is there for you – show your gratitude! Not only will those all-important photos and videos capture your positive vibe, but you’ll be more likely to engage your attendees and they will be more likely to talk up your book with their friends (especially if they’re tagged on social media in one of your photos!)

TIP – DON’T SELL. You’re not at your launch to sell but to shine and show your gratitude. Practice your signature and any quote, but keep your autograph, and your speech, short!  Know where your favorite parts of your own book are and prepare some questions ahead of time to ask your guests one-on-one that will help connect them to your book. Is your book about gardening? Ask, “what did you plant this year?” Business start-up tips?  “Tell me about your latest business idea!” Is yours a Rom-Com fiction? “Who have you been reading lately?” Never lose sight of your “why.” And always, “catch me up on your family,” or, “what’s on the horizon for you this year?” But – work the room. Don’t get stuck on one person. Engage a Wing Man for the evening to help steer you forward.

You’ll notice I didn’t take blog space to walk you through the specific “how-to” of a book launch. Take 5 minutes online and you’ll find all the ideas you need. If you are self-publishing, get a small team together to help you. If you’re signed under a traditional publisher, don’t assume they’re going to do a launch for you. Ask this question up front and understand well ahead of time what you should be doing yourself. For those signed with a hybrid publisher, you also may generally be planning the launch yourself, but may receive some ground support from your publisher, either as part of your package or an add-on option. Don’t assume this is included! Ask.

As always, if you have a project that encourages, informs, or inspires, Encourage Publishing would love to look at it. Contact us and tell us all about your “dynamite!”