Book Launch Planning Template
A 90-day launch plan with tasks, timelines, and milestones to keep your book launch organized and on track.
How to Use This Template
A successful book launch doesn't happen in launch week — it's built over the 90 days before your publication date. This template gives you a week-by-week framework for the tasks that matter most, organized into three phases: Foundation (weeks 1–4), Build (weeks 5–8), and Launch (weeks 9–12).
Adapt this template to your specific book, genre, and community. Not every task will apply to every author — use what's relevant and skip what isn't. The goal is a plan you'll actually follow, not a perfect plan you'll abandon.
Phase 1: Foundation
Weeks 1–4 (12 weeks before launch)
Finalize your publication date and lock in your production timeline (editing, cover, formatting).
Set up or refresh your author website with a book page and email signup.
Recruit your launch team — 20–50 readers who will receive an advance copy and post reviews on launch day.
Write your book description (back cover copy) and get feedback from your launch team.
Set up pre-order listings on your distribution platforms if using pre-orders.
Identify 20–30 book bloggers, bookstagrammers, and BookTok creators in your genre for outreach.
Send advance review copies (ARCs) to your launch team and media contacts.
Draft your launch week email sequence (announcement, reminder, launch day, thank you).
Phase 2: Build
Weeks 5–8 (8 weeks before launch)
Cover reveal — share your cover on social media and with your email list. Coordinate with your launch team to amplify.
Begin posting regular content about your book — themes, inspiration, character insights, writing process.
Reach out to podcasts, local bookstores, and community organizations for interviews or events.
Submit to book award programs relevant to your genre and identity (BIPOC-focused awards, genre awards).
Share an excerpt from your book — a compelling opening scene or pivotal moment.
Follow up with ARC readers who haven't confirmed receipt or reading.
Finalize your launch week schedule — what you'll post, when, and on which platforms.
Prepare your launch day social media posts and email in advance so you're not writing them under pressure.
Phase 3: Launch
Weeks 9–12 (launch week and beyond)
Final countdown content — "1 week until launch" posts, reader testimonials from ARC readers.
Remind your launch team to have their reviews ready to post on launch day.
Launch day: send your announcement email, post across all platforms, thank your launch team publicly.
Engage actively with every comment, share, and review. Respond to readers personally.
Monitor your sales rankings and adjust any paid promotion if applicable.
Post-launch thank you to your community. Share any early reviews or reader responses.
Pitch any remaining media contacts who haven't responded yet.
Review your launch metrics — sales, email signups, social reach, reviews. Document what worked for your next launch.
Launch Tips for BIPOC Authors
Lean into your community. BIPOC literary communities — on social media, in local bookstores, through organizations like We Need Diverse Books — are your most powerful marketing channel. They want to see you succeed.
Don't wait for mainstream media. Pitch BIPOC-focused publications, podcasts, and platforms first. They have audiences who are actively looking for books like yours.
Reviews matter more than ads. For most indie authors, early reviews on Amazon and Goodreads drive more sales than paid advertising. Prioritize getting your launch team to post reviews on day one.
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