My Second Book Release:
Did the cover change three times. Yes, it did. Am I happy with it now? At the moment, yes. This is why I can’t do cover reveals. Mine change!
By Thio Isobel Moss
The days leading up to a book launch are a great time for reflection, in between endless tasks that must be accomplished instantly. This is only my second time through the process, but one thing stands out to me: I am much more relaxed.
Maybe even too relaxed.
Don’t get me wrong. I can and will freak out from time to time, but I formatted my Kindle paperback edition of Bump in one evening, accomplishing three things I failed at with Blind Spot. I even made my full cover wrap the same night. It was a long night, but only one!
With the excess of energy I have (since I’m not in a constant state of freak-out), I’ve decided to make the covers for the IngramSpark and Draft2Digital editions unique. I’m not sure how, yet, but it will be so nice to be able to tell them apart without looking up the ISBNs!
The first proof has been ordered and should arrive today! I’ve already updated it, but it will still be useful and so exciting. I doubt I’ll walk around the house for hours, blissfully smoothing the cover and murmuring endearments to it, as I did with Blind Spot, but it will certainly know it’s loved!
The reason I say that I may be too relaxed is because I’m procrastinating. I’m finishing up one final read of Bump to make sure it’s perfect (it wasn’t), before updating the Kindle paperback’s files again. Yes, I formatted in one night, but I perfected it over a few. Then, I’ll jump on the IngramSpark edition. There is a plan, but somehow, I don’t feel rushed and it scares me. But not enough to rush.
I made my launch budget today. I tried to yesterday, got overwhelmed, and took a break. It was a good thing I did. More money came in and made the impossible possible. The budget is complete and a few new items appeared on the list. This time around, I’ll be visiting libraries (to see if they accept gifted books from local authors) and bookshops to see if they sell on consignment. I absolutely should have already done this with Blind Spot, but you don’t know what you don’t know.
I’ll also be investing in equipment to experiment with recording my own audiobooks. I’m excited by this. A new format to excorcise my internal drama! I’ve been practicing the voices from my books, but this will take a long, long time because I’ve never done it and have very little idea how to do it. I’ll learn!
I’ve also ordered custom bookmarks in lieu of business cards! They will arrive soon and yes, I did order them before the budget was complete. Some things just won’t wait!
This last one may seem a bit boring, but I am thrilled about it: I am going to invest in 100 ISBNs (identification numbers attached to books). Yes, Amazon and other platforms provide them for free. No, you cannot take them with you should you ever leave. And each platform needs its own ISBN, so I used five on Blind Spot alone! And I’ll be using five on Bump, as well. A hundred ISBNs will not last me as long as it feels like it ought, making it all the more exciting. Hopefully, by the time I get through them, I’ll be able to buy an even bigger bundle!
Ooohohhoo! Feel that? I’m shivering with excitement!
This time around, my marketing plan is completely different, too! I will not be using my five free Kindle Select days right at the beginning. I won’t be doing a Kindle Countdown, either. This is an almost frightening risk, but my book is priced well and I don’t want to just spike up the ranks, but reach a level I can then maintain. After the excitement of my launch and the influence of my promos wears off, I’ll have those options still available.
I’m still nervous, still learning and adapting, but underneath all of that, I’m calm. I wrote a good book. Objects in the Mirror is well underway. I’m trying new things and holding on to what worked before. Life is good!
But now, I need to get back to work. Those editions aren’t going to format themselves!
