Romance Your Launch - Danika Bloom

ROMANCE
YOUR LAUNCH
A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE PACKED
WITH STRATEGIES, TACTICS,
CHECKLISTS & SPREADSHEETS
TO HELP YOU ACHIEVE
YOUR BOOK LAUNCH GOALS.
with love from Danika Bloom
www.AuthorEverAfter.com
congratulations!
AUTHOR
Welcome to "Romance Your Launch: An Indie
Author's Guide to a Successful Book Launch,"
where passion meets strategy in the exciting
world of indie publishing.
This step-by-step guide is your trusty

companion, filled with invaluable advice,
practical checklists, and handy spreadsheets, all
designed to empower you on your journey
toward achieving your book launch goals.
Get ready to charm readers as you embark

on this (sometimes) nail-biting adventure
of publishing your (first) book.
IMPORTANT NOTE
LAUNCH GOAL REALITY CHECK
TWO LAUNCH CHECKLISTS
AD STRATEGY
ARC TEAM
AUTHOR ASSETS
AUTHOR BUSINESS
AUTHOR PRESENCE
BOOK COVER
BOOK FORMATTING
contents
BOOK METADATA
EDITING PLAN
EMAIL PLAN
LAUNCH STRATEGY
LAUNCH TEAM
ODDBALL TASKS
PROMOTION STRATEGY (PAID)
PROMOTION STRATEGY(FREE)
PUBLISHING TASKS
SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY
RESOURCES I SUGGEST
TABLE OF
important note
Congratulations! You’ have a book (almost) ready to send into the world!
Please celebrate the fact that you’ve accomplished something most
people only talk about doing. You’ve already won!
I imagine you have an image in your mind’s eye about how your book
launch will feel and the concrete results you’ll get to celebrate—the
number of books you’ll sell, the money you’ll make in royalties, the calls
you’ll get from talk shows ...
One thing I’ve learned through hard trial and error (so many errors) is
that, in the same way we see our beautiful stories in our mind’s eye
before we write a word, odds are high that the way you picture your
perfect book launch is not the way it’s actually going to happen.
Planning is great, integral even, but you might still be whacked by an

“Oh, shit, where did that come from?” event. They happen. A lot.
Feeling better? Worse?
Stop it! Now is not the time for feeling!
It’s the time to breathe. It’s the time to consider all your options. It’s the
time to read more information than you’ll be able to process in one
sitting. And, it's the time to trust that your book launch is in good hands
—your good and caring hands—and even an imperfect launch is still
celebration-worthy.
important note
Because you know what? You’ve got more launches coming! Possibly
dozens more. How exciting!
First off, although there are some natural connections between your
book launch goals and the type of launch you do, this is not a
mathematical equation where A + B = your vision of success.
The equation here involves some science (you won’t hit the Top 100 on
Amazon with a soft launch) but even with a well-planned and perfectly
executed hard launch, if this isn’t your tenth+ title, you likely won’t hit
the Top 100, no matter how much time and energy you put behind
pushing that book into the world. Sure, you can invest tens of
thousands of dollars in ads—and some very successful, established
authors do—but that’s not the focus of this guide.
With that caveat, that things will no doubt happen that are out of our
control or that we just did not see coming, it’s still important to have a
launch goal. And not just any launch goal, but one that matches where
you are in your author career and where you are in your life.
Post-launch burn-out is very real. It’s common.
I’ve seen dozens of authors experience post-launch depression. I’ve

experienced it myself. That typically happens when our launch goals are
either unclear or out of proportion to the size of your existing audience.
important note ... the definitions
TYPES OF LAUNCHES MEDIUM LAUNCH

If you ask ten authors how to Think of this launch as the Hard
strategically launch a book, odds are Launch with life balance. You'll use
you'll get ten answers. One might give many, if not all of the same strategies,
you a detailed roadmap with 100 but fewer of them. For instance,
different tasks. Another might tell you instead of contacting 250
that it's as easy as hitting 'publish' on Bookstagrammers to offer your ARC,
Amazon and any other book retailers you'll reach out to 50.
you're using.
SOFT LAUNCH
Both are right. But what is implied in
You'll set your launch date, let your
their strategies is the type of launch
list know, post a few graphics, and
they do.
make sure your book is ready on D-
Elana Johnson has written an day.
excellent book that defines launches
and launch strategies based on HOW TO CHOOSE
launch tiers: The type of launch that will work for
you is based largely on your launch
Hard, medium, soft. goal. You can have more than one.
Here are the quick differences

between the three:
what is your
HARD LAUNCH
A big investment of time, energy and
money. It starts long before your pub
date and carries on for weeks after. book launch goal?
You will be tired before, during and
after this launch..
launch goal reality check
JUST TO BE PUBLISHED
Is your primary goal the accomplishment of publishing a book to
fulfill a personal ambition, a creative outlet, or a dream?
BREAK EVEN ON YOUR COSTS

Is your goal to earn back the money you’ve invested in editing, your
cover deign, tools you’ve bought, coaching you got? If so, keep in
mind that even traditionally published books can take years to earn
out their expenses so don’t expect to earn it all back in the first week.
RECOGNITION
Are you seeking critical acclaim and positive reviews from readers or
professional critics? Is your goal to gain a large number of reviews on
platforms like Amazon, Goodreads, or BookBub? Is it your dream to
win awards or other forms of recognition?
AUDIENCE GROWTH
Are you hoping this book will help you grow and cultivate a
dedicated reader base, gain followers on social media, or establish an
active email list?
COMMERCIAL SUCCESS
Are you aiming for a five-figure launch? Is this the book that you hope
will let you quit your day job and become a full-time author?
A SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT COMMERCIAL SUCCESS
I suspect 99 / 100 authors would love to set the goal of earning five
figures on every book launch. Heck, consistent four figures would be
nice. If a four- or five-figure launch is your goal, then your launch
success will have started before you even put pen to paper for your
story.
Yes, there are exceptions, but it's disheartening to set goal

expectations based on being the unicorn example.
So, before you decide that you're going to invest hundreds (or more
likely, thousands) of dollars in a hard launch, you need to make sure
you have a book that will deliver—at least, as best you can.
How?
Write what the market is looking for.
Write in a romance sub-genre that has voracious readers. Include

tropes that romance readers adore. Include lots of what Theodora
Taylor calls "butter" in her stellar book and companion course, 7
Figure Fiction: How to Use Universal Fantasy to Sell your Books to
Anyone.
And then, once you've written the book that the market is
demanding, have it professionally edited, get beta readers to give you
early feedback to make it even better.
Have a professionally designed cover made that matches the trends

for your sub-genre right now, not six months ago. Test your cover to
ensure it's clicky (a term Skye Warren uses to indicate that it will
perform well in ads, having people stop their scroll to look more
closely and click through to your sales page).
Basically, be prepared to spend many months making this book the

absolute best it can be to appeal to the greatest number of readers.
Your commercial success will be dependent on factors like these,
that precede your actual launch.
And, a hard truth, even if you do everything “right” there’s still no

guarantee you’ll hit the big time, big money, high rank.
All that to say, be realistic and modest with your expectations for
your first few books. Becoming an earning romance author is a long
game and requires a community of support. It all starts with your first
book! So launch with joy, enthusiasm, and confidence—then write
and publish your next book!
launch goal worksheet
JOURNAL ... MEDITATE ... (DRINK?) BEFORE YOU PLAN

Take your time to seriously consider what will bring you joy with your book
launch. What will leave you feeling disappointed? What are all the resources you
have at your disposal? What resources do you need? It’s great to strive for big
goals, but don’t expect unicorn results. That will just end in tears.
My #1 launch goal for this book is My #2 launch goal for this book is
Specifically, I'd like X results ... Specifically, I'd like X results ...
These are the resources I have in place to support me
Dollars to spend ... Hours each day/week ... Email list—size, open & click rate ...
Other books of mine ... Bookstagram / Booktok contacts ... Author friends with
lists ... Ads experience—Facebook, Amazon, BookBub ... Other resources
launch checklists
This document has every single action I could think of that can be done before a
book launch.
You do not need to do all of these things! That said …
Some items are critical—like, ensure you have accurate metadata in your book.
Those items are marked with this icon:
Some are important—like, have an ARC team (even a small one).
And some are valuable but optional—like, do a social media blast.
Your launch goals will help you identify which tasks to focus on and which ones
to leave for your next book.
Not sure which tasks you should do? Asking your same sub-genre, published
friends what worked for them is a good starting place.
These checklists are grouped by type of task or project, not by date. I find most
launch lists that tell me I should do “x” by a certain date frustrating since the
reality is that the timing depends largely on the type of launch you’re doing. And,
many of the tasks won’t be applicable if you decide to do a soft launch.
launch checklists
As a special bonus, I’ve created the Romance Your Launch: Companion Checklist
which is editable and interactive. It contains all of the tasks in this PDF. Just click
the image and you’ll be taken to a page to download your own copy.
If you find value in these documents and want to share them with your romance author
friends, please direct them to the PDF version of this checklist, Romance Your Launch so I can
introduce myself to them via email. Thanks for respecting my intellectual property. I appreciate
you!
ad strategy
AD STRATEGY
Ads are not easy! Creating them and giving the advertiser your credit card
details? That part’s easy! But making ads profitable is hard. Very hard.
If you plan to run ads for your launch, I highly recommend you take a course
from a reputable author coach.
Learning the technical side of setting up an ad account and launching ads is not
worth paying for, in my opinion. What you want is strategic support from a
person who works with romance authors, and has been active in the last few
months. A course published two years ago? Not worth the money ... in my
opinion. The landscape has changed too much.
When I asked if my AMS ads mentor was looking for new clients, she said, “I’m
only working with romance authors who have series of at least five books now,
otherwise the ads aren’t profitable.” Keep that in mind as you develop your ads
launch strategy.
Ad strategy considered—Facebook, Amazon, BookBub, Goodreads
Ad budget determined
Ad strategy locked down
Ad creative created for Facebook, BookBub
Comp authors / ASINs for Amazon ads (100 or so)
Ads tested (headline, main copy, image, CTA, link for Facebook)
Ads launched
ARC team strategy
ARC TEAM STRATEGY
The purpose of an ARC team is to have reviews for your book as soon as it
launches—or before if you decide to publish a paperback and do so before your
ebook publication date.
There’s no law that says you have to send out Advance Review Copies, so you
can skip this step if you’re not interested in building the social proof for your
book relatively quickly.
Some coaches suggest that having ten reviews is enough social proof when a
book launches. Others say that until a book has at least 500 reviews, potential
buyers will swipe past it. I believe the truth is somewhere in the vast middle. If
you have the budget, I highly recommend using one, two or three of the ARC
services, since DIYing it is very time consuming and the services automate it all
for you. That said, if DIY is where you‘re at, Swipe my ARC Reviewer Application
Form and use it to form your own ARC team.
ARC team strategy considered
ARC team strategy determined
BookFunnel set up
BookSirens scheduled?
NetGalley scheduled?
BookSprout scheduled?
HiddenGems scheduled?
author assets
AUTHOR ASSETS
In the digital age, your online presence is your calling card. Every touchpoint,
from your email signature to your social media headers, should reflect your
latest work and achievements. It's not just about promotion; it's about
professionalism and consistency.
Ensuring that all your platforms are updated with your new release info not only
boosts visibility, but also establishes your credibility as an author. Whether it's
your website, Facebook page, or even your Pinterest, each platform is an
opportunity to reach a new-to-you reader.
Email signature updated with book title
Website updated with book image, description, reviews, buy links, etc.
Author bios on all platforms updated with new release info and link
Author Facebook page header updated
Author Facebook group header updated
X (formerly Twitter) header updated
Instagram LinkInBio (or alternative) updated
Pinterest page updated
YouTube header updated
author business
AUTHOR BUSINESS
Long before I indie published my first novel, I was a self-employed ghost writer,
adult educator and small business coach. Make no mistake that once you
publish your first book, you are running business. The good news is that you can
write off many of the expenses related to publishing your book—courses,
editing, website hosting, software subscriptions, and dozens of other costs of
doing business. So keep all your receipts. And talk to an accountant!
You’ll also be expected to report and pay taxes on the income you earn from
selling your books. For your first book—and possibly your next few—expenses
will likely be higher than your royalties.
The overhead of a writer is low by comparison to most businesses, but like any
business, you should plan for it to take a couple of years to become profitable.
Bank account set up for royalties
Business-specific credit card for expenses
Budget for business set-up and launch (Book Launch Budget Planner)
ISBN strategy decided
ISBN purchased (if applicable)
Publishing imprint name for your books (if desired)
Protect your copyright
In the USA, send a paperback copy to the Library of Congress

In Canada, submit the form to the Canadian Intellectual Property Office
author presence
AUTHOR PRESENCE
Your digital footprint as an author is more than just a presence; it's your brand,
your voice, and your connection to readers worldwide. Platforms like Amazon
Author Central, Goodreads, and BookBub are essential in establishing and
maintaining that connection.
But it doesn't stop there. As a romance author, we’re lucky since there are lots of
places romance readers go to find their next read. Making yourself visible on
those sites is quick and an easy way to build your author presence where
readers hang out.
Author profile created/updated on Amazon Author Central
Author profile created/updated on Goodreads
Author profile created/updated onBookBub
Author profile created/updated LibraryThing
Author profile created/updated for secondary sites like romance.io,
booksweeps.com, allauthor.com
book cover
BOOK COVER
The cover of your book is the first promise you make to your readers. It's what
draws them in. Getting your cover right—meaning meeting reader expectations
about what they’ll find inside—is critical.
While I don’t recommend you design your own book cover, many authors do.
And tools like Canva can be very helpful if your budget won’t allow for hiring a
professional cover designer. Custom covers range in price from about $100 to
many thousand dollars. But the “you get what you pay for” motto is not
necessarily true with cover designs. There are excellent designers at the low end
(like 100Covers.com which I’ve used many times) and sometimes even if you pay
for a custom photo shoot, the resulting cover can still miss the mark.
If you plan to DIY your cover, I highly suggest you invest in doing a lot of
research into cover trends in your specific sub-genre and follow them!
Book designer contracted—or decision to DIY it made
Ebook cover draft
Ebook cover tested
Ebook cover final file
Paperback, hardcover & audiobook covers designed, as needed
book formatting
BOOK FORMATTING
If you’ve been a romance reader for a few years, no doubt you’ve downloaded an
ebook that was formatted so poorly you had to stop reading, perhaps even
return it. Don’t let yourself be that book’s author.
There is one standard output required for all ebooks—.epub. Some self-
publishing service companies charge several hundred dollars to format book
interiors. For genre fiction with typical chapter and scene breaks and no
graphics, that is, quite frankly, a rip-off. A reasonable amount to pay is no more
than $150. But you can do it yourself for free using tools available online.
I personally invested in a software called Vellum since it has more design

options and I knew I’d be publishing a dozen books in a short time span. I love it.
But there are other options, like Atticus and AuthorLab Layout.
Book formatting strategy (DIY or hire it out)
Book formatter identified (if required)
Software purchased (if required)
Ebook formatted
Ebook sent to android & iPhones, tablets & iPads, and ereaders to test
formatting
Paperback formatted
Paperback proofs ordered from Amazon and IngramSpark
book metadata
BOOK METADATA
Behind every successful book launch is the invisible but powerful force of
metadata. Think of it as the DNA of your book in the digital realm. Crafting a
compelling book description is an art in itself, one that requires drafting, testing,
and refining. But it doesn't stop there. Choosing the right categories,
researching keywords, and ensuring every link in your back matter works
flawlessly are all essential steps in making sure your book reaches its intended
audience.
That’s why every item on this list is highlighted as critical. None of these actions
are difficult, per se. They simply require you spend time doing research and
some testing to make sure you get each element as good as possible—for now!
—since you’ll want to review and update some of this data once you understand
your book sales and how you might improve them. Metadata is a starting place.
I’ve created a step-by-step worksheet with some swipe copy to make this
process a little more straight-forward. It will save you hours of researching “how
to’s” and best practices. Swipe my Metadata for Romance Writers.
Book description drafted, tested, finalized
Book categories decided (best 3)
Keywords & phrases researched & finalized
Copyright page nailed down
Back matter and CTA drafted, linked to external sites & tested
editing plan
EDITING PLAN
The journey from a manuscript to a polished book is a collaborative dance of

feedback, revisions, and fine-tuning. It starts with the invaluable insights of
critique partners, those trusted voices who see the potential in your story. Then
come the beta readers, offering a fresh perspective and helping you see your
work through the eyes of your audience.
I highly recommend you use at least one level of professional editorial support,
but if that’s outside of your budget, you can DIY the editing by using free
software to read your book aloud to you (one of the easiest ways to find double
and missing words), using lots of beta readers (who will point out typos), and
other self-editing tricks.
Critique partners identified & engaged
Critique partners feedback considered
Beta readers identified & engaged
Beta readers feedback considered
Self-edits done
Developmental, copy or line editors researched
Developmental, copy or line editor booked
Revisions made based on developmental, copy or line editor notes
Proofreader(s) identified
Feedback from proofreader(s) considered
email plan
EMAIL PLAN
In the bustling world of social media, the power of a personal email can't be
underestimated. It's your direct line to your readers, a chance to share news and
updates about your latest work-in-progress.
Starting with a simple update to your email signature, every step in your email
plan is a building block towards creating buzz for your book launch. Whether it's
crafting the perfect announcement, scheduling timely reminders, or
collaborating with fellow authors through swaps and takeovers, each email is an
opportunity to connect and engage.
Of course, you need a list to send email to, which is why I strongly encourage
new authors to write a novella and use it as a free lead magnet in group swaps
like those you can join via BookFunnel and StoryOrigin, two excellent services.
Update email signature with new book
mail announcement strategy determined —> Swipe my Book Launch
Marketing Blueprint
Write emails to your personal author list
Schedule emails to personal author list to send on specific dates
Email swaps with like sub-genre authors —> Swipe my Newsletter Swap
Sign-up Form
Email take-overs with like sub-genre authors? —> Create take-over
spreadsheet
launch strategy
LAUNCH STRATEGY
If you skipped reading what I wrote at the beginning of this document about
decisions you’ll need to make about your launch strategy—go back and do that
now! Truly. You can’t make strategic launch decisions without understanding
the impact and expected results of choosing one option over another.
Release date decided —>Not sure? Swipe my Edit to Launch Calculator
Pre-order vs live release ebook? How many days, weeks, or months?
Kindle Unlimited or wide?
Soft, medium or hard launch decided
Pricing strategy for pre-order, launch week, normal days
Paperback? Audiobook?
Timing for paperback launch—before, with or after ebook launches?
Have previous books?
Update back matter with the new book link
Schedule free days to boost launch of new book
Choose your Universal Book Link (UBL) provider and create one
Compulsively check your rank & reviews on release day
Screenshot #1 New Release or Bestseller tags you earn
launch team
LAUNCH TEAM
Behind every bestseller is a dedicated team rallying behind the scenes of the
book launch. Your launch team is that group of cheerleaders, amplifying your
voice and spreading the word. (Though even with a launch team, hitting
bestseller status is not a given—nor should it be a goal for your first book).
A reasonable goal for your first book launch would be to get five author friends
who already have readers in your sub-genre to support your launch by sharing
news about your new release.
Personally, even after a dozen releases, I still don’t have a launch team since
being a good team leader requires skills I don’t naturally have. Valerie Pepper
(an Author Ever After alumni) had a reader of her first book volunteer to lead her
launch team for her second and achieved amazing results. If you take her lead,
use your first launch to develop strong relationships with readers and then kick
launch ass for your second book using volunteers.
Create a launch team strategy and budget
Create application form for launch team
Request launch team members from your email list
Create task list for launch team members
Finalize launch team members
Engage launch team
Check in with launch team weekly
oddball tasks
ODDBALL TASKS
None of the tasks on this list are critical to your success, nor are they even
necessary, but since they are tasks many authors undertake with their launches,
I’ve included them.
You may know of more ...
Create a QR code for bookmarks, website, etcetera. Dave Chesson provides
free QR codes on his website.
Design and order swag for launch team and prizes
Make a book trailer to share on socials, YouTube, email …
promotion strategy (paid)
PROMOTION STRATEGY (PAID)
Investing in your book's promotion is like adding rocket fuel to your launch. But
where to start? Setting a clear budget is step one since it’s way too easy to
spend more than you expect by layering small ticket spends. And then there
are platforms like BookBub and Goodreads, which offer a range of promotional
opportunities, from feature deals to new release announcements—but are
spendy.
There are no end of promotional sites willing to take your money with the
promise that your book will reach thousands of new-to-you readers. Once
you’ve published your first book, you’ll become a target for them. My biggest
advice? Stick to the promo sites that have a proven track record of sending
readers to your specific romance sub-genre. There is no point in paying to put
your book in front of people who aren’t interested in your sub-genre. You will
not convert them to buyers, no matter how good your blurb and cover are.
Promotions budget determined
BookBub new release announcement? (Requires at least 1,000 followers)
BookBub New Release for Less? (pretty expensive)
Goodreads Giveaway?
KingSumo or Rafflecopter promo?
Other promotional sites researched
Other promotional sites that have a solid track record with your romance
sub-genre applied to
promotion strategy (free)
PROMOTION STRATEGY (FREE)
While investing in strategic paid promotions can be effective, there's a world of

free promotional opportunities that can be just as impactful, if not more.
Create a one-sheet with your book details: links, blurb, tropes, sub-genres —>
Swipe my Book Launch One-sheet
Ask romance author friends to post (advance) reviews on BookBub —> Swipe
my BookBub Review Team Planner
Identify where readers of books like yours hang out online. Join those
groups.
Facebook group take-overs? —> Create FB group spreadsheet
Email swaps with like sub-genre authors —> Swipe my Newsletter Swap
Sign-up Form
Email take-overs with like sub-genre authors? —> Create take-over
spreadsheet
Blog tours? —> Create guest blog spreadsheet (find 100 to start here)
Podcasts? —> Create podcast spreadsheet (find a few to start here)
Launch party? Where?
Press release for local media?
publishing tasks
PUBLISHING TASKS
Alright, it's crunch time! Publishing tasks are the final steps in your journey,
turning your manuscript into a live book available for readers worldwide.
Uploading your book files to platforms like Amazon and other retailers is the
culmination of all your hard work.
After you‘ve had a chance to catch your breath—and a few zzz‘s since even
having a soft launch of your first book will likely tire you out—make space in
your schedule to optimize your Amazon book page by creating A+ content (not
just on Amazon.com, but all the Amazons!), adding editorial reviews, and
making sure the Look Inside feature ends on a cliffhanger so readers are
compelled to buy your book so they can know what happens next!
Upload book files uploaded to Amazon
Upload book files to other retailers or aggregator
Set up or update your Author Central account
Create A+ content on Amazon
Consider increasing the Look Inside percentage on Amazon
social media strategy
SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY
Having a strategy for how you’ll use social media with your book launch is
important since without one, odds are you’ll waste time doing scattergun posts
that don’t result in anything of note. If anyone tells you that you have to be
active on all the platforms, nod and walk away. You do not. I promise you.
Certain platforms are more or less effective depending on your romance sub-
genre since different types of readers hang out in different places. So for your
first launch, if you use social media at all, use the one you love the most since
you’ll be more likely to show up with energy and authenticity.
Social media strategy decided
Social media graphics created
Social media hashtags figured out (your name, your book title, what else?)
Cold contact to influencers? —> If you write contemporary romance or rom-
com, Swipe my ARC Social Contacts which has over 400 romance reviewers
who were active on Instagram with a few bloggers and YouTubers. (All
activen August 2023).).
Determine your
priorities and
focus on those ...
because you can’t
do it all (and be
joyful!).
~DANIKA BLOOM
resources I suggest
INVEST IN THESE BOOKS

Writing and Launching a Bestseller by Elana
Johnson (The entire Indie Inspiration series is
great)
7 Figure Fiction by T. Taylor
The Creative Academy Guides for Writers by "Write with passion.

Donna Barker, Eileen Cook & Crystal Hunt
Launch with patience.
Rock Your Writing (the whole series) by Cathy Celebrate every
Yardley small win."
Intuitive Editing by Tiffany Yates Martin
Anything written by David Gaughran (lots is

free on his website)
Anything written by David Chesson, the

Kindlepreneur (lots is free on his website)
congratulations!
AUTHOR
Congratulations on preparing to launch your first
romance novel! It’s a huge accomplishment. And
even if you only sell one hundred copies—you’ve
still done something to be incredibly proud of.
If writing and publishing romance books is a

career goal, keep honing your writing and
publishing and marketing skills. It all takes time
and constant learning. You’ve got this!
Need a little more support? Join Romance Your

Launch, a soup to nuts program that will guide
you through every step of setting yourself up as
an authorpreneur and indie publishing your
first romance novel.
Learn about the program!
If small group support or Done With You

mentoring interests you, let’s chat!
Book a call today!

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ROMANCE

with love from Danika Bloom

This step-by-step guide is your trusty

Get ready to charm readers as you embark

Planning is great, integral even, but you might still be whacked by an

Feeling better? Worse?

Stop it! Now is not the time for feeling!

Post-launch burn-out is very real. It’s common.

I’ve seen dozens of authors experience post-launch depression. I’ve

TYPES OF LAUNCHES MEDIUM LAUNCH

Here are the quick differences

BREAK EVEN ON YOUR COSTS

A SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT COMMERCIAL SUCCESS

Yes, there are exceptions, but it's disheartening to set goal

Write what the market is looking for.

Write in a romance sub-genre that has voracious readers. Include

Have a professionally designed cover made that matches the trends

Basically, be prepared to spend many months making this book the

And, a hard truth, even if you do everything “right” there’s still no

JOURNAL ... MEDITATE ... (DRINK?) BEFORE YOU PLAN

These are the resources I have in place to support me

You do not need to do all of these things! That said …

Some are important—like, have an ARC team (even a small one).

And some are valuable but optional—like, do a social media blast.

Ad strategy considered—Facebook, Amazon, BookBub, Goodreads

Ad strategy locked down

Ad creative created for Facebook, BookBub

Comp authors / ASINs for Amazon ads (100 or so)

ARC team strategy considered

ARC team strategy determined

Email signature updated with book title

Author Facebook page header updated

Author Facebook group header updated

X (formerly Twitter) header updated

Instagram LinkInBio (or alternative) updated

Pinterest page updated

YouTube header updated

Bank account set up for royalties

Business-specific credit card for expenses

ISBN strategy decided

ISBN purchased (if applicable)

Publishing imprint name for your books (if desired)

Protect your copyright

In the USA, send a paperback copy to the Library of Congress

Author profile created/updated on Amazon Author Central

Author profile created/updated on Goodreads

Author profile created/updated onBookBub

Author profile created/updated LibraryThing

Author profile created/updated for secondary sites like romance.io,

Book designer contracted—or decision to DIY it made

Ebook cover draft

Ebook cover tested

Ebook cover final file

Paperback, hardcover & audiobook covers designed, as needed

I personally invested in a software called Vellum since it has more design

Book formatting strategy (DIY or hire it out)

Book formatter identified (if required)

Software purchased (if required)

Paperback proofs ordered from Amazon and IngramSpark

Book description drafted, tested, finalized

Book categories decided (best 3)

Keywords & phrases researched & finalized

Copyright page nailed down

Update email signature with new book