Tales from Substack
Tales from Substack comprise extracts from my newsletter - today tips on launching a book and joining a blog tour.
Since January, I’ve been writing a monthly newsletter. You can subscribe for free to receive roundups of how I’m getting my writing done, shoutouts for great books I’ve read, and tips for emerging writers.
Every so often, I’ll post extracts here on my blog.
Tip Seven: Launching the Book
Her Rising Star, the third book in my Gloucestershire Crime Series, was published recently. I’ve been planning the publication for weeks and sought advice from other authors on how they launched their books. Here are their thoughts on launching a new book.
· Establish a social media presence long before you have a book to sell
Get to know bloggers, readers and authors who read/write in your genre. Be active in the community by responding to their posts and reviewing books in that genre. Shine a spotlight on their work. They will likely do the same for you when the time comes.
For example, Penny Batchelor’s launch party for her debut Her Perfect Sister was cancelled due to Covid-19. “My setback pales into infinitesimal insignificance compared to the people who lost loved ones,” she says. “The flipside was Polly Crosby’s D20 Facebook group for 2020 debut authors. We clubbed together to do online events and championed each other. A bunch of us are still a tight-knit group.”
Julie Anderson faced similar issues for her book Plague which was due to launch during the Covid-19 pandemic. “It was published as planned, to little fanfare, although it gained a following through virtual events and I met other writers online who are still friends.”
· Get to know your independent bookshop before you have a book to sell
Penny Batchelor, author of 4 psychological thrillers: “Introduce yourself to the staff at local bookshops and BUY SOMETHING. If you’re a regular customer, they’re much more likely to support you and stock your book than if you go in expecting them to help you but offer nothing back. Be friendly but not pushy and volunteer to chair panels or join in author signing days.
“My local bookshop Kenilworth Books is very supportive in having me in near to publication day to sign books and chat to readers. A top tip I was given for those is to bring a tub of sweets. Amazing how the power of a free chocolate will entice shoppers to come and talk to you! Even if they don’t buy, they’ll hopefully have a favourable impression of you and remember you and your books for the future. If they say they’re interested but can’t afford to buy at the moment, then remind them quietly that your book is available at the local library...”
· Spread the word locally
Brian Price, author of the Mel Cotton Crime Series: “Sending a press release a couple of weeks ahead of publication is always worth doing, as local media sometimes use it almost verbatim. You may also get a radio interview. The subject line should be ‘Local author’s new detective thriller’ or similar. Introduce the book briefly in the first paragraph, expand in the second and describe yourself in the third - with contact details. Quoting yourself often works. Keep it crisp and lively - you’re selling it to the journalist and the readers.”
Penny Batchelor has a tip for a simple promotional activity: “Rachael’s Kitchen do amazing cupcakes with your book jacket on the top - delicious and very Instagramable.”
· If you’re holding a launch event, fix a date that allows enough time after publication for copies to arrive
Jennie Ensor, thriller, crime and humour writer: “One year I arranged a launch event at the local Waterstones for my women’s midlife comedy, Not Having It All. The title was unintentionally apt given that the books had not arrived by the morning of the event, which I’d spent months organising with the help of the manager. Happily, after picking up the cake, I found my books had turned up from Gardners and the evening went brilliantly - a full house, sparkling wit, fun had by all and lots of paperbacks sold.” (Rachel adds: Thanks to Jennie for the photo of her launch cake for Not Having It All © Jennie Ensor.)
Launch cake for Jennie Ensor's Not Having It All © Jennie Ensor
Anne Coates, author of the Hannah Weybridge series. “For my second book, Death’s Silent Judgement, I was holding the launch in the crypt of St John the Evangelist at Waterloo, where the first murder takes place. At the last moment my publisher contacted me to say she wouldn’t be able to attend and I hastily had to buy wine and nibbles. When I arrived the bookings person told me that when she’d checked the schedule that afternoon, she realised copies of the books hadn’t arrived. She rang the publisher who said they were on their way. She rang the courier who reported they didn’t have them, so she contacted the publisher again. I don’t know how she managed to work her magic, but the books did arrive on time. She truly was my guardian angel.”
· If you’re planning a launch event, have realistic expectations and, even then, don’t be surprised by unforeseen circumstances:
Penny Batchelor: “It’s a myth that your publisher organises and pays for a party. Usually it’s supermarket boxes of wine and bottles of lemonade and sparkling water you’ve bought yourself along with nibbles and a celebration cake that, you’ve guessed it, you’ve also paid for yourself. Turnout can depend on the weather and whether there’s a football match on the telly that night.”
Brian Price: A formal book launch with wine and nibbles hasn’t worked for me - it cost much more than I earned. I do a signing in my local pub, with posters and notifications in the social and legacy media beforehand. It’s a nice evening and I sell a few books, mainly to ‘regulars’.
Julie Anderson, who writes historical mysteries and political thrillers: “In 2020, Plague, the first of my Whitehall trilogy, was published on 15th September. This date was chosen, well in advance, because it was after the Parliamentary Summer recess, but before the Houses rose for the Party Conference season. My publishers planned to hand out extracts from the book, which is set in the Palace of Westminster and its immediate surroundings, outside the Houses of Parliament and on Whitehall, plus to have a display in the House of Commons bookshop. Then, in spring, COVID struck. Who would take a leaflet which could transmit the disease? By autumn, Whitehall and Parliament Square was an empty ghost-town. As the date approached and the death toll mounted around the world, a more important question was - should we change the title of the book?
“In the event, we didn’t. The book wasn’t about a physical sickness, its plague was that of corruption and moral decay, driven by a global class of the criminal super-rich for whom power and money were the only motivations. It was prescient in other ways - it included an anti-science rally in Trafalgar Square, for example and procurement fraud on a massive scale, with billions of pounds of taxpayers money being diverted into the pockets of the already wealthy. I continued writing my trilogy and the third book, Opera, was listed for the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger in 2023.”
· Take a breather on publication day
Maureen Myant, crime fiction writer: “Don’t spend the day endlessly googling Amazon to see where the book is in the charts - too depressing unless you’re Richard Osman.” (Rachel adds: Indifference to publication day hasn’t affected Maureen’s writing. When I spoke to her, she was putting the final touches to book 5 in her Glasgow Southside series.)
Louise Mangos, whose latest thriller The Girl in the Doorway launched last year: “It’s tempting to open the Prosecco at breakfast (as you won’t know whether you can afford Champagne at that stage) while refreshing your sales platform. But try to step away. You’ve done all the preparation and cannot control first day sales. Writing any of your new work-in-progress will be hard because of online distractions but try to do something unrelated to your job as an author and take an hour or two where social media noise doesn’t reach you. Go for a swim, a walk, a cycle ride, and then in the evening treat yourself to that bottle of fizz.”
Penny Batchelor: “On the whole I’d say try not to get wound up about publication day. It feels huge following a long run up to the sale of your book but there is no ‘right’ way to do it. Ultimately sales are out of your control so do as little or as much promotion as feels right for you. The marketing/publicity your publisher does makes much more of a difference. I tend to do an online launch chat with the lovely Sam at UK Crime Book Club on Facebook, then enjoy a bottle of bubbly with my husband at home.”
Anita Faulkner, whose fourth romantic comedy, Meet Me at Apple Blossom Lane, was published in April: “Most of my publication day is spent on social media – replying to lovely messages, sharing promo stuff and trying my best not to get finger cramps or mobile phone neck. (It’s all very glamorous!) Though it’s important to take time away from your screen to celebrate too. If you can take your paperback out for a cake date/photo opportunity – even better! Followers love knowing what you’re up to on the big day so they can cheer you on.”
Georgia Hill, writer of uplifting contemporary fiction and timeslip romances, with over twenty books published: “Writing a book is a gradual letting go. The first draft is mine and mine alone but, from then on, it’s shared with editors, copy editors, proof editors. Publication day is its final release. The book takes on its own life and becomes whatever the reader needs. With over twenty books published, I’ve learned not to be precious. Just like conversations, what’s said isn’t always what’s heard. Once published a book becomes that magical thing – a collaborative happening between creator and consumer. Enjoy your publication day. Sip champagne, pat yourself on the back for all your (considerable) hard work and swallow your nerves as there’s nothing more you can do. Then let the book fly.”
Tip Eight: Joining a Blog Tour
A blog tour is a coordinated sequence of social media posts by different book bloggers about the same book.
The ‘tour’ is often arranged by a publisher. Hobeck Books organised the recent blog tour for Her Rising Star. However, I have also organised tours myself for previous books.
Book bloggers read, review and promote books for a hobby. They don’t get paid. They do it in their spare time for the love of reading. Authors like me, trying to get a presence in a crowded market, are very grateful for the guest slots offered on their websites and platforms. Also, as a reader, I get ideas for what to read next from the book bloggers I follow.
It’s a wonderful and generous service to readers and authors. Not only do book bloggers get involved in blog tours, but many also host extracts and/or reviews of new titles and interviews with authors. All this activity requires both creativity and organisation skills, yet, as I said, they do it in their spare time without payment. Book bloggers are in it for the joy of books and reading.
If you’re a writer and want a blog tour, I’d recommend:
Long before you have a publication date for your book, become part of the reading community on such platforms as Bluesky, Threads and Instagram. Check out the relevant hashtags: #booksky, Book Threads, #bookstagram.
Follow and engage with bloggers who read the kind of books you like and subscribe to some newsletters.
As soon as you know when your book is coming out, contact the bloggers you follow and ask if they’d like to take part in the blog tour. Always check on their websites or social media profiles for the kind of books they will feature and whether they are currently open to requests. Many are booked up for months so give as much notice as you can.
Mostly they offer review posts so would need to be sent a proof copy, either ebook or print copy, depending on their preference.
Some bloggers offer guest post space where they will host a chapter extract or an author Q&A.
If you are a reader and would like to get into blogging:
Start by posting reviews on your website or social media platforms and tag the author and publisher. (Note: positive reviews spread the book love. If your review criticises the book, please don’t tag the author or publisher…)
Follow a selection of publishers on social media in case they post invitations to review. Pellerin Books is currently recruiting volunteer reviewers, and Hobeck Books sometimes invite reviewers, via social media, to join their blog tours.
To find out more about how blogging works, check out the profiles of the bloggers who took part in the Her Rising Star blog tour:
Donna’s Interviews Reviews and Giveaways