We get asked this all the time. “How quickly can I get my book published?” And our response is always the same. You do not automatically publish a book once it is complete.
To sell a book, an author needs to do more than simply publish it. With this in mind, we challenge our authors to consider the following when thinking about and choosing a release date:
• What can they tie the release of the book too? For example, season shopping trends, current events, occasions, reader preferences, movie releases, etc.
The general publishing industry rule of thumb is as follows:
January – April: Romance, Self-help, Business books, Health & Wellness
May – August: Adventure, Fantasy, Travel
Sept – Dec: Academic, Horror, Paranormal, Children’s, Cooking
• When will they actually have the time to dedicate to marketing the book?
Books don’t market themselves. Authors need to make sure that they have the dedicated time and focus necessary to work on promoting their book online.
• Is this the type of book that they would be reading at this time of year?
Timing the release of a book’s publication not only impacts visibility but can have a long term impact on sales.