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The Book Launch Playbook

From idea to audience: How to Write, Publish, and Launch a Book That Sells

One idea in. Readers out. Every step between, in order.

Daniel Mercer, consultant and writer

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The Book Launch Playbook by Daniel Mercer, book cover: the title in white and yellow on teal beside a tall stack of hardback books.

You have the idea. Maybe half a draft.

Then every choice at once: agent or self-publish, editor, cover, price.

And a launch that goes quiet after the first week.

From idea to audience, in order

A book that keeps selling.

  1. Test the idea
  2. Write a draft you finish
  3. Traditional or self-published
  4. Get the edit right
  5. Cover and interior
  6. Pre-orders
  7. Early reviews
  8. Your newsletter
  9. Launch week
  10. After the first month
Skip past the playbook

Inside the playbook

  1. Test the idea

    Find out if readers want it before you write it.

  2. Write a draft that gets finished

    A way through from the first page to the last.

  3. Traditional or self-publishing: how to choose

    What each path asks of you, so you can pick yours.

  4. The edit

    Getting the words right before readers see them.

  5. Cover and interior

    The outside that gets a book picked up, and the pages inside it.

  6. Pre-orders

    Opening sales before launch day.

  7. Early reviews

    Getting the book to early readers before it launches.

  8. A newsletter that sells the next book too

    Building the list you launch to.

  9. Launch week, and the months after it

    A launch that keeps selling after the first month.

Checklists and timelines, not theory.

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Daniel Mercer

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Daniel Mercer is a consultant and writer. He is also the author of Busy Isn't the Job.

Busy Isn't the Job by Daniel Mercer, book cover

Also by Daniel MercerBusy Isn't the Job

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Launch checklist

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Format

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This is a sample page for a concept book. It is not published or on sale.

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For writing groups and courses

Bulk copies for writing groups and classes

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Questions

Is this for me if I haven't written the book yet?

Yes. The book starts at testing the idea, before the first draft.

Does it cover traditional publishing too?

Yes. It covers how to choose between traditional and self-publishing.

I've already published. Is it too late?

The launch parts still apply: pre-orders, early reviews, a newsletter, launch week, and what comes after the first month.

What formats is it in?

None yet. This is a sample page for a concept book, so nothing is on sale.

Can I order copies for a group?

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