If you’ve ever wondered how book-launching strategies apply to your specific book, I’ve got two pieces of great news for you.

First, back by popular demand, Book Launch Blueprint course is open for registration. We only offer this course once each year. You’ll receive video instruction, worksheets to help customize your strategy, and personal, specific feedback from James L. Rubart, your fellow classmates, and me. If you’re launching a book in the next year, be sure to register.

Second, I recently coached an indie author through the process of mapping a plan for her upcoming book launch. We recorded our session, and it first aired her show, The Proffitt Podcast, with Krystal Proffitt.

When I met Krystal at the Spark Christian Podcasting Conference, she had questions about the best way to launch her new book about podcasting, so we scheduled a coaching session.

If a book launch is in your future, you can walk through the same steps to position yourself for a successful book launch. Though every author’s situation is different, the steps to launch are the same. As you listen or read along, consider how you can apply each step and principle to your book launch.

START HERE: Determine your SMART Goal

I always begin my coaching session with an assessment of the client’s current situation and where they are headed by helping them articulate their SMART goal. 

SMART is an acronym that will help you articulate a Specific, Measurable, Ambitious, Realistic, and Time-based goal. You’ll have a clear vision of where you’re headed, and your decision-making along the way will be simplified.

Krystal’s SMART goal: Launch my self-published book about podcasting for podcasters by the end of 2020.

Your Turn: Write a smart goal for your book launch plan. Where are you headed? For more guidance on articulating your SMART goal, listen to SMART Goals: The Key to Marketing Success.

Step 1: Inventory Your Tangible Marketing Assets

Marketing assets are the avenues available to you for spreading the word about your book. 

Sometimes you have marketing assets at your disposal that you’re not aware of yet. Take an inventory of your current marketing assets. Consider which of the following you can count as assets.

* Email list: People you can email directly * YouTube Subscribers* Podcast Listeners: Number of downloads after 30 days.* Social Media Followings: Engaged followers.* Website: The asset that can generate other assets. * Blog* Previously Published Books* Cash: Only do what only you can do. Hire out the rest.* Smartphone* Reliable Laptop/Computer

Most authors don’t have all of these, but most have a few. As Krystal and I talked, we compiled her list of tangible assets. 

The following were her most valuable marketing assets:

* Email list: 1,000 subscribers * Podcast Listeners: 300 downloads after 30 days* Website: She can collect email address by offering a reader magnet * YouTube: 200 subscribers* Social Media Followings: 1,200 on Instagram (her largest platform)

Krystal’s email list is her most valuable marketing asset.