It is now three days before the release of The Natural Order!! I started working on this project two months ago, and the time since then has gone by unerringly fast.
Once the book has come out, I’ll change modes: I’ll begin to report what has worked and what hasn’t worked in the realm of marketing. You’ll hear about the book launch party, the book tour, whether I’ve been able to get the book into any local bookstores, and how my other attention-getting pursuits have panned out.
Oh, and I’ll let you know how many crocheted animals I end up making! 
Remember, if you comment before August 31st, you could win a stuffed animal of your choice. (1 in every 5 comments wins)
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And the process…
For all of you who are curious, this is what the lead-up to a book release looks like:
- Ordering copies of the book. I’ve ordered 200 copies, which will hopefully be enough for the book launch party and a subsequent book tour. I would be thrilled if they sold out, though! Shipping to New Zealand is extremely expensive, especially when they add the customs tax, so I’ll be planning very carefully before I order another shipment of books.
- Planning the book launch party. The party is now listed on Eventfinda, and I’ve printed out a set of party-invite cards that I’m giving out to absolutely everyone. I’ve been inviting my coworkers (from the cafe where the party will be hosted), the regulars
from the cafe, and the staff at the local bookstore (I also left a stack of invites next to their till, for customers who are interested). I’m hoping to visit a couple more bookstores and the farmers’ market before the date of the launch party
- Submitting the book to bloggers. There are 238 bloggers who read and post reviews of self-published books, so I’ve been going through the list and submitting mine to everyone who accepts YA fantasy. Unfortunately some of the most popular and well-suited sites are closed for submissions, given a backlog of TBR (to-be-read) books, but it’s still an exciting chance to get the word out.
- Requesting reviews. I’m hoping to have 10 reviews up on Amazon before June 1st, though this seems unlikely (I’m currently at 3 reviews).
- Submitting the book to local bookstores. Christchurch has one local bookstore, Scorpio Books, and the owners are very friendly and willing to check out The Natural Order. As soon as the shipment of books arrives, I’ll bring one straight over to them so they can read it and make their decision. I’ll also be trying for a spot at Boulder Bookstore, my favorite local bookstore ever (in my hometown), though this one is a bit trickier since I can’t present the book myself.
Now I’m just crossing my fingers that the books arrive in one piece! It will be a very exciting journey from here on…
Book Marketing: Extreme Edition 