Have you signed up to be a DIY MFA Radio Insider yet? This is an exciting new monthly newsletter, especially for our podcast listeners. Every month, you’ll get an email from our podcast producer with recaps of the most recent episodes, a curated Listening List of episodes on a particular theme, and other fun goodies we only share via email. Best of all, it’s free to join! The theme for March is Magic, and you can become an insider by signing up with your email at diymfa.com/insiders.

In this episode Jeff Walker and I discuss:

• Why his first launch was the most important and the role his email list played.
• How writers of fiction and memoir can apply his Product Launch Formula to their lists.
• Strategies for determining what your assets are and how to maximize them.

Plus, his #1 tip for writers.

About Jeff Walker

Jeff Walker is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Launch. He teaches people how to launch online courses, products, services, and brands online.

Jeff started his first online business in 1996, and he pioneered the very idea of the online launch. His “Product Launch Formula” transformed the online marketing world from the day it was released in 2005… and Jeff and PLF have never slowed down. Now more than 14 years later, the Product Launch Formula brand is the gold standard in the online entrepreneurial training market. Jeff’s students and clients have done over a BILLION dollars in launches in hundreds of niches and markets… and dozens of countries around the world. 

Jeff lives in Durango, Colorado (because he can live anywhere)… and he loves to get outside for all kinds of adventures. He’s been married to his wife Mary for decades. He’s no longer quite as fast as his kids on skis or mountain bikes… but they still let him come along for the ride.

You can find them on his website or follow him on Facebook, Instagram, or Youtube.

Launch (Updated & Expanded Edition): How to Sell Almost Anything Online, Build a Business You Love, and Live the Life of Your Dreams

The revised and updated edition of the #1 New York Times bestseller Launch will build your business – fast. Whether you’ve already got an online business or you’re itching to start one, this is a recipe for getting more traction and a fast start.

Think about it: What if you could launch like Apple or the big Hollywood studios? What if your prospects eagerly counted down the days until they could buy your product? And you could do it no matter how humble your business or budget?

Since 1996, Jeff Walker has been creating hugely successful online launches. After bootstrapping his first Internet business from his basement, he quickly developed a process for launching new products and businesses with unprecedented success. And once he started teaching his formula to other entrepreneurs, the results were simply breathtaking. Tiny, home-based businesses started doing launches that brought in tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, and even millions of dollars. Whether you have an existing business or you’re starting from scratch, this is how you start fast. This formula is how you engineer massive success.

Now the question is this: Do you want to start slow, and fade away from there? Or are you ready for a launch that will change the future of your business and your life?

If you decide to check out the book, we hope you’ll do so via this Amazon affiliate link, where if you choose to purchase via the link DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

Link to Episode 401

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

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Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 401: Marketing Strategies to Help Launch Your Book – Interview with Jeff Walker appeared first on DIY MFA.

In these times, it’s become harder than ever to hit the pavement and score promotional opportunities—and an increasing amount of those opportunities seem to want to lighten your wallet.

But you can still have a great launch. Start with these four tactics to plan an online book launch.

1. Book Reviews

There are a lot of book review blogs out there. A lot. And they cover every genre and audience that exists—one of the amazing things the internet has enabled is a deep well of passionate, niche communities.

All you have to do is find them, and then ask them to consider your book. You don’t score a review with every site you query, but as long as you approach blogs that review your subgenre, follow the guidelines, and send it out in a timely fashion (2-4 months ahead of publication is a common time frame, depending on the blog), you’re bound to get some to agree.

Then, you’ve got some passionate readers with your book on their radar, and some trusted sources for quotes you can put to work in your marketing.

2. Launch Promos & Exclusives

Find a creative way to give your readers something special if they buy the book during this online book launch period. What might fans of the book enjoy?

For example, for my upcoming science fiction release, I’m creating pins that will feature a creature I made up for the novel’s world. Perhaps you could commission a map of your fantasy world, or the lead characters of your romance.

But your exclusive doesn’t have to cost money to be special. You could share exclusive cut scenes from an earlier draft of the novel, or record an interview that won’t ever run anywhere else. Give your readers a way to get something they can’t get any other way, that will give them greater insight into the novel or you as an author.

3. Digital Tour

There are countless websites out there for readers of all genres—and they all need content! For this reason, many of them are eager to host guest contributors.

You can also look at websites focused on topics related to your book’s content or themes in other ways. For example, my book’s hero has ADHD (like me), so I’ve got my eyes open for opportunities to post on sites about this learning disorder and other neurodiversity topics.

These are not only ways to get great free publicity, but also allows you to share a little about yourself and your work in a creative way. When approaching a website to pitch an article, introduce yourself, explain your goals (briefly), and make sure you suggest a few possible ideas that fit with that specific outlet’s content.

4. Live Events

You don’t have to wait for an outlet to lend you their platform. This is 2021, and you have your own! And so do your author buddies. Why not plan a few live events on Instagram, Facebook, or your social network of choice? It’s a DIY digital book tour.

Here’s how to do it: Ask a few author friends (ideally ones who write complementary stories or share a similar readership) if they’re willing to join you for a chat during your launch week. Then, work with the participating authors to identify a different topic connected to your book as a focus for each conversation. Publicize the schedule well beforehand, and then…go live!

You’ll get to benefit from exposure from your host friend’s following, and they’ll get some crossover from yours. Done right, this should be fun and good for everyone!

Launch Your Book with Flair and Fun

It’s tough times out there to launch a book—still. Even for shops and events that are running in person, there’s a lot of competition. And sure, bookshops, events, and media coverage are nice. But you’re not at the mercy of gatekeepers, and a lack of in-person opportunities doesn’t mean you can’t still have a successful launch. These tactics to help you plan an online book launch are a great way to expand your reach, connect with readers, and celebrate the great accomplishment.

What other online book launch tactics would you recommend?

Be sure to check out E.J. Wenstrom’s column on how to build engagement on your author platform!

By day, E. J. Wenstrom is a digital strategy pro with over 10 years at communications firms. By early-early morning, she’s an award-winning sci-fi and fantasy author of the Chronicles of the Third Realm War novels, starting with Mud. She believes in complicated characters, terrifying monsters, and purple hair dye.

The post Plan an Online Book Launch appeared first on DIY MFA.