How to create a book launch plan you’ll actually use
Why many launch plans fail and what to do instead.
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Previously:
A few years ago, I created the most beautiful productivity plan you’ve ever seen.
It was colour-coded. Meticulously laid out. Perfected down to a tee. I even printed the thing onto real-life paper and stuck it on my real-life wall.
I’d watched enough productivity videos from the gurus by then to know that was all I needed to do: make a plan, make it look pretty, and stick to it.
I was about to become an unstoppable productivity machine. Right? Right?
Of course, in no time at all, that entire plan went out the window. I scrapped it, tried another one, scrapped it too.
Turns out, I was bad at making plans.
And unfortunately, that same inability to prepare well in advance bled through into the pre-launch phase of my first book.
I didn’t reach out to enough ARC readers in advance. I didn’t post enough about it before it was published. Whatever semblance of a plan I did have fell by the wayside pretty quickly, where it lay, broken and defeated, next to my big productivity push from years before.
I’m better at it now, by the way. I’ve mostly learned from my mistakes.
(And now, you can too!)
You see, my previous book launch didn’t go belly-up because I didn’t care. And it wasn’t because the book was bad (right?!).
It was because the plan I made didn’t match the way I actually work.
The overplanning trap
Here’s what I learned the hard way:
You don’t need a launch plan that just looks impressive. You need one that fits your brain, your energy, and your writing style.
Most launch advice comes from people with teams, budgets, and massive mailing lists. That’s fine. But if you’re launching solo, trying to write and promote and eat and sleep in the same week, that kind of plan won’t serve you very well.
Big plans often lead to small follow-through.
You’ll spend so much time trying to get everything "right" that you’ll forget to actually show up and do the stuff that makes a difference.
What does a realistic plan look like?
It isn’t rigid, for one thing. It doesn’t try to do everything, for another. And it definitely doesn’t require you to be constantly active on six social media platforms and commission a blockbuster launch trailer.
A realistic plan has:
A small number of focused actions
A timeline that gives you breathing room
Enough structure to feel confident but not restricted
That’s the kind of plan you might actually stick to.
Let’s break it down.
The 3 timeframes to plan for
You don’t need a 40-day calendar (though having one is fine, if it helps you). You really just need clarity around three stages:
1. The run-up (2–3 weeks before launch)
This is when you warm up your audience and start building anticipation.
What to focus on:
Letting people know the book is coming
Reminding them what it’s about
Talking about why it matters
Some ideas:
A post or email that shares the origin story of the book
Snippets or teasers from your favourite sections
A behind-the-scenes look at what’s been hardest or most surprising about making it
The vibe to go for: open, inviting, and story-driven
You want people to start seeing the book as something they’re part of, not just something you’re trying to sell.
2. Launch week
This is where most people drop the ball.
They either do way too much (and burn out by Tuesday) or way too little (and get discouraged by low traction).
A good launch week plan is sustainable. You don’t need to post everywhere, every day. You just need to show up in your primary place with genuine intention.
Paid subscribers will get a detailed 5-day structure for this in Thursday’s post. For now, just know that you’ll want:
3–5 well-timed pieces of content
1–3 emails
A clear call to action for each
3. The post-launch phase (1–3 weeks after)
This is the forgotten zone.
You post about your book for 5 days straight, then disappear. That’s not ideal.
Post-launch is when the slow build happens. When you keep showing up, and keep the book alive in small, human ways.
What this can look like:
A post about what launch week taught you
A reader review or video you share
A short thread or note reflecting on one chapter
An excerpt reworked into an article
This isn’t about repetition - it’s about rhythm. You’re weaving the book into your regular content cadence, not repeating the same pitch over and over.
Why this works
This approach works because it doesn’t pretend your book is launching on a Jumbotron in Times Square, or to an email list of a million subscribers.
It’s a plan rooted in the way most of us actually work: solo, with a small audience, and a long list of other things demanding our attention.
But small doesn’t mean ineffective. You don’t need a viral moment (those are practically impossible to manufacture). You need a clear, steady presence, and a few thoughtful touchpoints that help readers notice, remember, and care.
That’s enough.
On Thursday...
We’ll get into the practical core of this week:
A 5-day launch plan (with exact post/email ideas)
How to adapt it to your energy and audience size
How to build urgency without sounding like a marketing robot
A copy-and-paste Book Launch Week Planner you can actually use
Paid subscribers will get full access to all of it.
Until then, start thinking about the three phases of your launch. Where are you in the timeline?
If the answer is "I have no idea," don’t worry - I’ve been there. Let’s work it out together.
See you Thursday.
Oh, and if you’re in the process of preparing for a book launch, do share about it in the comments below! 👇
I definitely relate to the distinction between big, fancy plans and smaller, more manageable plans. We want to want to go big, but that often sets up an unreasonably high bar - and then burnout is close behind.
Seemed like you were good at making a plan, just bad at the follow through.