Create events for both in-person and online events.Don’t expect too many questions from readers yet, but decide when you’ll answer questions. Answer at least three of the pre-seeded questions from Goodreads to provide some content for this section.

Read some tips for running a giveaway on Goodreads.

Schedule another giveaway for advance reader copies.

(check out Khaled Hosseini’s profile for an example of this kind of post.)

Create an editorial calendar for your blog, or post an “evergreen” message to make use of the space on your profile.

Join the ones that genuinely interest you and participate in the conversations. Galleys don’t need to be typeset or have the final cover, but the content should not change.

Schedule a giveaway for galleys. The more that books are circulating, the more likely you’ll get reviews, and the sooner you do this, the better.

Give readers a taste of what’s to come! You can also use your blog or writing section for this.

Upload an excerpt from your new title to the book page.

Begin to build relationships with the people you meet. Start reading the conversations, and feel free to chime in.

Suggest books for “Further Reading” about the topics in your book.

Browse the list of best books of the 20th Century and add the ones you’ve read.

Create a bookshelf of the books that you used for researching your book.

Log books you’ve read in the past-including the ones on your physical bookshelves!-so that readers can get a sense of who you are based on what you read. Keep the content fresh and relevant to cultivate your personal brand.

Review the information on each of your book pages, and email us if anything needs to be corrected.

If you see books on the list that you didn’t write, contact our support team and we’ll fix it.

Make sure you have a current author profile picture and that your bio is complete. This plan should supplement your other activities, such as building a website, printing galleys, doing media outreach, scheduling readings, and all the other exciting parts of a book launch. Here is a suggested marketing timeline to help you schedule your promotions on Goodreads.

Planning your activities ahead of time will pay dividends in the long run. For example, you wouldn’t be able to offer a giveaway before you have printed galleys in hand, and you wouldn’t want to run advertisements before your book is available for pre-order. When planning a marketing campaign, take the time to devise a strategy. Don’t worry: Finding readers is the fun part! You are the linchpin! Nobody knows your books as well as you do, which makes you the best person to identify, reach, and connect with your audience. Whether you’re traditionally published or self-published, as an author today you’re expected to participate in your book marketing campaigns.

A taste of gold and iron goodreads