Media-Savvy Author: Keeping Media Momentum Beyond the Book Launch

There is so much pressure and excitement built up around the launch of a book. And that’s for a good reason—the book launch is how your book gets into the hands of readers for the first time. But you also need to be thinking about the long game: how you keep media momentum going beyond the book launch. 

Let’s go back to why you’re writing the book to begin with. This varies for every author. Maybe you’re writing a nonfiction book to bring clients to your business. Maybe you’re a psychologist and you want to share your knowledge and attract more patients to your practice. Maybe you’re a fiction writer and you have a story you think will really connect—a story that shines a light on issues that will move your readers and is relevant right now.  

This is your why—and it will inform everything that comes next. It’s key to tune into your why because you’re going to be talking about it a lot. I published my first book in 2015, and I’m still doing media about it. That’s because Listful Thinking is all about a message I’m still passionate about: using lists and productivity tools to be less stressed and achieve your goals. My why keeps me engaged and it helps me come up with fresh pitches to keep my books in the media.   

Your why is the fire that drives you. Emphasis on you—because you are your own best advocate. If you are working with a traditional publisher, ​​​​they’ll help you launch the book. That level of support will depend by title and by publisher. Some authors will get lots of publicity and marketing help like pitches to media outlets and coordinating book events. Others might get a few media emails and some promotional graphics to help their efforts. It all depends. But once the launch wraps up, that’s where the relationship changes. The publisher will start putting their efforts into new books, and you’ll be in charge of keeping the ball rolling. And if you’re self-publishing, you’rein charge from the beginning. It’s up to you.  

There’s so much emphasis on writing, publishing, and launching. But what happens afterward? I’ve been working with authors for many years as a media trainer and I hear the same thing over and over again. Authors often tell me that they felt totally unprepared for the phase after their book launch wraps. That’s not talked about. And it can leave you unsure of yourself when it comes time to keep interest peaked for your book. It’s essential to have a plan in place. Think about how you will continue to promote the book. Will you create content and do media interviews or host events? Thinking through it ahead of time will help you pace yourself.  

There are so many things you can do to keep readers interested in your book. You’ll want to decide which of these strategies and opportunities you pursue based on what kind of book you wrote and who your audience is. Here are some of the best ways to keep your engagement up:  

Podcasts are a great way to connect with readers. This works for fiction as well as nonfiction authors. For fiction authors, interviewing fellow authors about their work, their writing habits, and their sources of inspiration is a common format. There are also existing podcasts that you can pitch as a guest.  

For nonfiction authors, you might center your podcast on the topic that you’re an expert in. You can invite other experts to come on to be interviewed or look to see what podcasts are out there already in your field. 

Just because your book launch is over doesn’t mean you should stop pitching. Look for timely tie-ins to your areas of expertise for nonfiction authors. If something is in the news related to your field, chances are editors and producers are looking for experts. And for fiction authors, think about the themes in your book that might tie into ongoing events or topics of conversation. You can also pitch being a contributor and writing pieces for a publication as well.  

This goes for fiction as well as nonfiction authors. Create an editorial calendar for yourself and plug in blog posts and video content. You might share a nugget of information, discuss a character arc, or talk about your writing process. ​​​​Consistency is key. That’s because you want to show your audience that you will continue to show up and also it’s helpful to develop that content building muscle for yourself. Including video is one of the best ways to get (and keep) people engaged. But you can also use written posts or graphics with quotes too.  

​​​​​Similar to a podcast, a livestream show will help you build an audience. However, with a livestream show you will literally broadcast live via video to multiple platforms if you choose to do that. So, you can be live on YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn all at the same time if that’s where your audience hangs out. You can structure each episode around a conversation with another writer, a behind-the-scenes about your area of expertise, or key insights from your book. I’ve been hosting a livestream show for five years, and it’s one of my favorite ways to connect with my audience. I invite guests to share their knowledge, or sometimes I host a solo episode. You can tailor a livestream show to your needs and what your audience is interested in.  

This is especially pertinent to nonfiction authors. Use your book to develop an online course. It’s a great way to turn your book into an avenue for connecting with readers and sharing your expertise. I’ve also seen fiction writers do this, helping other aspiring writers through the stages of developing a manuscript. 

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There are so many ways to keep the media momentum going beyond your book launch. And the key is using a variety of strategies to cover your bases and keep things fresh and relevant for your audience.