Serving on a Book Launch Team
Anthea Kotlan
All Saints Anglican
Conroe, TX
At last count, Christian author Robin Jones Gunn has published over 100 Christian fiction books. Gunn started writing when she discovered that the young women in the youth group she served were desperate to read books reflecting Christian values. Gunn created a new genre in the late 1980s with the Christy Miller book series. Her stories profoundly influenced generations of young Christian women. Some of her audience even came to Christ praying with the main character.
Christian books carrying the good news of Christ continue to go out into the world every day. Whether a book gains a large audience is not necessarily based on the quality of the writing. In the publishing world, it is a matter of who you know and who knows you. Connecting with an audience, building a platform, gaining followers, and getting the message out are vital steps in the journey toward selling books.
In recent years, I have had the privilege of serving on various book launch teams. The teams are often formed on social media and may be managed by the author or a seasoned book launch team leader.
Why do books need to be launched out into the world? Doesn’t the publisher do all the promotional work for an author?
No, many publishers don’t do this work anymore. It is up to the author to create opportunities and build her platform.
Without a strong book launch team, a book may never see many sales. It could be the best book to date on the topic, but it will fail without specific critical support provided by a book launch team.
What are those key components?
Pre-ordering a book from your favorite author gives a fantastic boost to the sales record of the book. A book with solid pre-orders will become more visible when people look for new books to buy.
Writing a review in the first thirty days will also boost visibility and give other readers an idea about whether the book is a good fit for them. Books with multiple good reviews and strong pre-orders will be ranked highly by Amazon. Local bookstores will put books out on display that have achieved these goals. Reviews can be written and shared on various platforms, including Amazon, Goodreads, and book review blogs.
Sharing the book on social media can also help spread the word about a new book. People are looking for books to purchase or get from the library, and seeing something they connect with on social media might cause them to check out a new book. Did you know you can ask your library to order a new book? This is yet another way to support an author.
Serving on a book launch team can be an excellent way to find books you love and a great way to help Gospel-carrying books get into as many hands as possible. If you love to read and enjoy encouraging others, serving on a book launch team might be a great way to serve a world in need as the family of God.
Anthea Kotlan,
All Saints Anglican Church, Conroe, TX
