Hello Readers!

You might have read or seen online that there’s a current shipping crisis happening in the publishing industry right now. Nearly all of our current projects at ABPR have been postponed 1-3 months or more due to shipping delays and paper shortages. Naturally, we are super bummed for our authors. But luckily, this newfound waiting time can be turned into valuable productive time that will support the release of their book! 

Here are a few ways you can turn lemons into lemonade while waiting for your book to arrive:

Get Busy Writing

Write listicles based on content from your book.

Listicles are short, digestible blog posts structured around — you guessed it — a list. They are great bite-sized introductions to the content of your book and a good way to pique your audience’s interest.

Write blog posts.

A regular blog post is longer than a listicle — somewhere between 750-1000 words — but the more of these you’ve published around relevant topics, the better things go for your release.

Write OpEds.

Opinion pieces are great to have in your toolkit as well. They’re interesting, creative, and a good way to draw readers in on topics that diverge from your book’s content.

All of the above will help your publicity and marketing team in making your book launch the best it can be. They’re also great for you to have in your back pocket so you can pitch them to the media at the drop of a hat. A word to the wise: make sure all this writing is organized in a comprehensive Google or Dropbox folder for quick and easy access.

You can also take this opportunity to start working on your next book proposal! We know, it seems like you just got done with the book you’re launching, but since you have the momentum going already, why not start jotting down your next book ideas and get a head start?

Make New Friends

We’ve already talked about the importance of LinkedIn for authors , so it probably comes as no surprise that we recommend you spend an hour every day reaching out to people on social media and LinkedIn. Introduce yourself and say you have a book coming out and that you’d love to keep them in the loop. 

Follow people in your genre on Instagram, Twitter, Tik Tok, and other social media platforms. If you wrote a cookbook, for example, follow cookbook authors, culinary influencers, and food editors.

Follow people in your genre.

Follow people in your genre on Instagram, Twitter, Tik Tok, and other social media platforms. If you wrote a cookbook, for example, follow cookbook authors, culinary influencers, and food editors. 

Lights, Camera, Action!

Take a Public Speaking Course 

There are dozens of online courses you can explore to hone and practice your presentation skills. When your book launches, you’ll be camera-ready and confident!

Take a Video Production Class 

You can take a class or watch online tutorials about video production. This may seem a bit strange for some writers, but these basic videography skills will allow you to create short social-media friendly videos to market your book.

Take a Video Production Class 

Make sure you have a good lighting setup, know the best angles for your camera, and have a go-to background. Here’s a good video on this.

Get a new headshot. 

Maybe your hair has changed color, grown, or been cut, or maybe it’s been 10 years since you had a new headshot (raising my hand on this one!). Now’s the time.

Be a Marketing Maven

Design a Postcard or Bookmark

Design a postcard or bookmark that you can use until your books arrive. They’re great to hand out and always carry in your car or purse and hand out or leave behind.

Host a contest or giveaway on your social media accounts

It’s always a plus to do promos or giveaways on your social media accounts to inspire pre-sales. No worries: you don’t need to have the books in hand to do this. The books can be sent to your winners once they’ve arrived.

Continue to Reach Out to Likeminded Influencers on Social Media 

The key here is a balance in your approach. Don’t just hawk your book; compliment them on their work too!

Want to learn more about what you can do to promote your book or how we can help?
Email aburnettpr@gmail.com. We’d be happy to connect!