How soon is too soon to start spreading 'the word"?

I'm not a marketer either, so my advice is probably useless...

But to me it seems like it'd be best to start marketing around the time people can actually buy the book. If it comes out in a month or even two months one can wait for it... but a year later? Will anyone even remember it?

Of course, like I said, I don't really know how it works either. But that's my guess.

There's a book I want to read that comes out in June. I just found about it, and I'm already annoyed that I have to wait 6 months. If I ere you, I might mention that my book is coming out and do a bit of early promotion a year before, but nothing heavy. Waiting for books is not my forte.

A year in advance sounds about right - I'm definitely aware of some 2016 debuts that I'm looking forward to reading right now. At the same time, I'll need to be reminded of them much closer to the release date, even as close to a handful of weeks out. But if I hear about two books coming out in the next month, the one that I'm hearing about for the first time will be less of a priority for me than one I've been anticipating for a year. Start mentioning it far out, mention it consistently, and ramp up the intensity as the release date approaches.

A year in advance is an advice that I read a lot about out there. In my opinion, it makes sense if you're going to do something "big". And by that I mean being able to keep the people you attract now regularly interested during 12 months until the book is released.

That's extremely difficult. In any case, if you start now I'd advise to start creating a marketing plan. First, identify the websites where you think you'd be able to find your target audience. For a YA novel, there are lots of YA fan blogs and forums out there. Now, you have 12 months to get those people interested, so don't just go there to announce your book: they won't really care because 1. it's 'hard' promotion, and 2. they'll have to wait 12 months to read it…

Instead, you can use your blog to create engaging content. It can be around your book, or around something else. It's all about getting the right audience for your book interested in your blog. Make sure to add a button for readers to subscribe to blog newsletters. You'll then use those emails to announce your book when it's available.

Anyhow, this is just an idea. The key points I think are: devise a strategy, don't do hard selling, and, more importantly, be creative! Think from a reader perspective: "where do I learn about cool new YA books I should read", and build an email list.

I don't know how it works either, but haven't your publishers allocated a marketing person (or given pointers) to help you or given you any leads to explore? It can't all be down to you, surely?

My first question is: what exactly do you mean by 'coming out in 2016'? Who is publishing it? Large house, small house, self? Is it a hardcover that people will buy in a bookstore (if they are any left by then)? Is it an e-book? Audible? Do you have an agent?

Unless you're self-publishing this and doing it all on your own, there should be someone around on the publishing side to help you out - or at least point you to good resources.

It's never too early to start building a platform. How you do that is a subject that has a million different opinions, most of them quite lengthy, and is an industry unto itself. It's good that you're thinking about this, but we need more information to provide you with anything useful.

BBBurke said:

My first question is: what exactly do you mean by 'coming out in 2016'? Who is publishing it? Large house, small house, self? Is it a hardcover that people will buy in a bookstore (if they are any left by then)? Is it an e-book? Audible? Do you have an agent?

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I had this same question. If you aren't self-publishing, you can leverage the marketing or PR team at your house to point you in the right direction.

However, I'll give you some general thoughts, anyway.

First, a year is pretty accurate. The goal at 12 months out is not to say "hey my book comes out in a year!" and repeat that over and over. The idea is to start getting your name out there, so people recognize it when it comes book-buying time. That means engaging with fans.

You've asked about how you're supposed to find your potential audience to market to them. Go where they are. Post on YA lit or YA fantasy forums/blogs/subreddits/etc. Become a part of that community. You can keep info about your book in your bios/signatures there. This lets you share the information, but not be "actively" promoting.

As you get closer to the release date you'll be able to share more information about your book, etc. and push it more directly when it's time for readers to take action (buy it, etc.).

Yes, what CAMueller said. How early to start with promo depends on how you look at it. The advice is generally to not even worry about book-specific marketing until you have a cover and a preorder link--so that's around six months out. Even then, start slow. It's very easy for people to get tired of your book or to go, "Oh, is that not out yet?"

What you want to do at this point (at any point--you can't start early enough) is build a network. Just be active on social media, make friends, learn the ropes. Yes, mention your book in your bio/signature/website, bring it up when relevant, but don't bother about actual promo, ie. recommending it to people, giveaways, guest posts, interviews, etc., until much later in the game.

Building a network is crucial to you as an author--seriously, I've learned so much from simply being friends with other authors and hearing what's going on behind the scenes--so I'd recommend that even if you didn't have a book coming out. But, yes, it's also useful then, because you'll know the best places to go for promo, you won't be a total stranger just showing up to promo your book, etc.

jkellerford said:

Thanks to all of you that have replied. Some great and valuable information here.

I've had my blog, FB, Twitter, etc up for awhile and I've just popped onto Instagram and Tumblr. Trying to find my niche.

I can't reveal much about the book deal just yet, being bound by contract and all, but the book is set to release in 2016 by Month9Books. It is an epic YA fantasy and I think that is where I'm having a hard time with pinpointing my audience. It's not heavy on the romance. It's just a kick-butt fantasy adventure with dragons and knights and shapeshifters. I guess it's finding a way to be unique, different as well as entice and intrigue that 14 to 18 year old age group. What can I offer that no one else can? That's a difficult question.

I'll check out the Promotions thread here to see if there are YA fans/authors who would like to do blog swaps. I'm thinking of setting up a newsletter, but I don't know what to include. Info out on the net is all over the place. Anyone good at using Mailchimp?

Thank you, all, again for your advice. It is so appreciated.

I'm not going to stress. Not going to stress. *breathe deep*

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First, Congrats!

Second, don't stress just yet!

You've gotten a ton of great advice - and its important to engage with people first, and then once you get the cover, you can worry about starting book specific stuff.

The newsletter is a good idea - I just started one a few months ago. I don't have too many subscribers yet, so I just use the BCC on my email. I'll worry about a distribution method when I get enough people. lol. But what to include? Information about upcoming events (ones you're attending, but I also include bookish things that I would or my readers would find interesting.) Around the holidays, its easy to include a little article about the holiday or somethign related to it. I give reading recommendations in mine, have a section with an excerpt from a WIP, and plan to have some exclusive content for books that are coming out (or are out) in the future.

And because I love to cook, I always include a recipe.

Hope that helps! Good luck!

Congratulations! Very exciting! We have a couple of YA authors here whom I believe are repped by month9books. You should pop over to the OPTWFT forum if you haven't yet (unless you are still a teen then you'd want to hop on over to the TTWFT forum) as I know of 1 or 2 that something hang out there. It's always great to connect with others whom are repped by the same pub to connect and see how they are doing it.

You've already been given lots of great advice. IMHO, I think the best thing you could be doing is making "real" relations/connections with people on your various social medias. Nothing is more annoying to me than when complete strangers friend or follow me BECAUSE they have a book coming out. It feels too disingenuous to me as I'm all, who the heck are you and why should I care about your book as compared to the other fifty people who friended or followed me this week because THEY have a book coming out (though many people may not care or feel differently about this than I do, which is why I started with, IMHO ). I think reaching out to others w/out necessarily mentioning your book as of yet, and just getting to know others in the wrier/author community is the best way to go. I've read many articles and have spoken with many (published) author friends and it would seem that good word of mouth is still one of the best ways to get your book out there. The way you do that (besides having a kick-ass book, which obviously you do), is to interact with them in the various social medias by responding to blog posts, tweets, and all those other good things, and helping them promote their stuff (if you've read and enjoyed it or perhaps they are just so dang nice that you WANT to promote whatever they do).

Anyway, whether you concur with my thoughts on it or not, I wish you the absolute best of luck. You're going to be published!!!!!!!!! Yay!

It's natural that you focus on this one book, but (we hope!) this is just the first of many, each pulling in more readers, many readers eager to read your older books as each new book comes out and they discover you.

So in building your online presence think in the long term as well as the short. Explore what works for you. For some people it might be Facebook, for others Twitter, for others a blog or web site, and so on. Including using two or more forays in each. It takes time to learn what works for YOU, and how to do a good job of it.

I'd suggest less posting about yourself and your works and your working processes. And more about the few interests about which you care a lot. For those interests will show up in your works in ways large and small, and engage people who share those interests.

As time goes by (and it may be many months) you will likely build up a core of fans who are ready for each new book. Those are the ones who are most likely to tell others about those books. Word of mouth is the most powerful selling tool of all. Even publishers who think they have a possible blockbuster ready to come out & will try to put a lot of resources behind publicizing your work can do little more than gain a few seconds of attention from readers. For readers nowadays have an enormous number of works competing for their attention and money.

So quit focusing on this book and start focusing on your career. You have a whole year to get ready to announce this book. Make the best of it.