So how did these two compare, you may ask? The outcomes were very similar - something I am obviously grateful for and quite excited about. As far as the actual preparation, however, there were a number of differences. To start with, I found about 50 people to help with the launch of 'Man-eater'. For launch number two of PLAY IT AGAIN, I had a solid 75 participants with several others emailing me after the fact to say that they had joined in the promotional efforts when they saw it on the John3:16MN listserv. There were also those who retweeted or shared links, so the actual number of those helping was probably closer to 90.
Beyond the numbers, the biggest difference for me was the fact that I was much more relaxed for launch number two. I knew what to expect and the day progressed quite smoothly. I also found that the preparation was much easier to do. I knew how to keep myself organized ( a MAJOR component, believe me!), how to approach and support potential participants, and how to create my landing and gift pages. All of these factors are key components to a successful book launch. You need to make it as painless as possible for those who are willing to help. Don't expect them to do the leg work or to even remember the date! It's up to you, the author, to look after the details and provide timely reminders without bombarding anyone.
The long and the short of it is, if you put in the time and the effort, this form of marketing and book promotion really works. Thanks again to all of my online friends who helped make PLAY IT AGAIN a best seller. I especially want to thank Lorilyn Roberts for her vision and tirelessness, as well as all the members of the John3:16MN community. We really have something special here, and I'm sure this is just the beginning of good things to come.
I'd love to hear any comments, questions, or observations about your own launches.
ReplyDeleteTracy, thanks for the comparison. I was glad to be a part of your second launch and am very happy for the positive results.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Tom Blubaugh, Author
Night of the Cossack
http://nightofthecossack.com
Congrats on a successful launch, Tracy! It's interesting to see how the two experiences compared. Glad I could be a small part of it. :-)
ReplyDeleteI, too, appreciate the effort that went into this, and your comparison. Kudos!
ReplyDeleteI found this post quite instructive. For me, everything blew by quickly, but at the same time, I was in awe at both the amount of work Tracy had done and the quick, enthusiastic responses of the network. I was pretty much a spectator here, except for Facebook and Tweets. I am trying to wrap my head around this whole process. I have to confess that it makes me very nervous to contemplate doing it myself. However, I am going to grit my teeth and bite my tongue and hold my mouth right, as my grandmother always advised, and I will do what it takes. I believe God has given me a book to write, and I believe there are people in the reading public who need this book, and I believe that if you experienced folk can do this, I must be able to do it, too.
ReplyDeleteNothing ventured nothing gained. My advice is to start preparing early - about two months in advance.
DeleteThanks for sharing this, Tracy. It was a pleasure helping with both your launches, Tracy.
ReplyDeleteMy third book is now being edited and when it's released (probably late Spring) then I'll be doing MY second launch with the John 3:16 Network ...I can hardly wait!!
I also noticed that when I launched "Heal the Wounded" (my 2nd book), my first book, "Shoot the Wounded" got just as much attention especially on Amazon.ca (glad our fellow Canadians came through for both of us I guess!) That is another side benefit to the launches. I ended up with not one but two best-sellers after my launch! Looking forward to seeing what happens to them when my third book "Love the Wounded" is launched.
Blessings,
Lynn
This is a very pleasant side effect, indeed!
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