Sales and Marketing Timeline

Return to Author Sales & Marketing Toolkit

As your book moves through the publication process, there are different tasks that the sales and marketing teams at Arcadia perform and that we recommend you perform, too. The following is not an exhaustive list, as your book’s unique qualities might prompt us to consider additional or different plans.

Pre-Publication: What's Going on Behind the Scenes

Author

Publisher

Claim your Amazon Author Central page. 

Attend other author events way in advance of your book publishing to become familiar with them.  

Become a customer of your local stores if you aren't already. If you support them, they're more likely to support you, too.

Start talking about your book!  Tell your friends, colleagues, and anyone else you encounter. Build an audience via social media, personal blogs, and personal/professional contacts. 

Compile email lists for email blasts. Think of both professional and personal contacts who would be interested in your book.  

Have an author photo taken.

Suggest retail accounts and media outreach for Arcadia; you're on the ground and probably know some people/places we don't!

See the Sales & Marketing timeline at the bottom of this page to see when these activities begin.

Create a unique product page for your book on our website.

Mail and email promotional materials to existing retail & potential retail accounts.

Schedule events for the launch of your book.

Create a media list and send review copies to media outlets.

Write & distribute press release

Send Author posters, postcards, autographed copy stickers and bookmarks.

Ship complimentary author copies (ETA  shortly before publication date.)

Pitch National Sales outlets for placement in big box stores, national parks, airport stores, and more. 

 

 

Publication Week & Beyond

Author

Publisher

Promote release and any events / signings on social media and to your email list, colleagues, and friends

Promptly respond to media requests and include publicist on correspondence. 

Attend signings and launch events to promote your book’s publication. Pro-Tip: send a thank-you card to hosts. We can send samples upon request.

Send any photos taken during events to publicist. 

Accept or decline user-generated content requests from Arcadia (iphone users)


Accept or decline user-generate content requests from Arcadia (Android Users)

 

Follow-up with local accounts to re-sell book now that it is available

Confirm book signings & mail posters to event sites

Follow-up attempts to media outlets

Direct Email Marketing of your book to 75k+ email subscribers & social media marketing  to our 20k Facebook and 3,500 Instagram followers

Possible Affiliate marketing opportunities with the Shopify network of social media influencers

Onsite-header Promotions on ArcadiaPublishing.com

For True Crime and Spooky things: potential features on our award-winning podcast, Crime Capsule 

 

Request any User Generated Content on Facebook and Instagram to feature in Direct-to-Consumer Shop. 

Sales & Marketing Timeline

A bird's eye view of the sales and marketing activities and milestones going on at Arcadia before your book is published

6 Months Pre-Pub

5 Months Pre-Pub

 

2-3 Months Pre-Pub

8-9 Weeks Pre-Pub

Publication finalized; authors notified,  trade industry and retailers sent publication information.

Pre-order links available on major third-party online retailers.

National sales accounts are pitched title to carr

Cover image finalized and authors are approved to do public cover reveals. 
Book(s) sent to print.
Note: your book will be visible on ArcadiaPublishing.com by this point, but we are unable to offer pre-orders at this time. 
Publicist and authors connect and work on marketing plan through a revisit to the Marketing Questionnaire.
Covers are uploaded to the Arcadia Publishing website and other online retailers

7 Weeks Pre-Pub

5-6 Weeks Pre-Pub 

4 Weeks Pre-Pub 

3 Weeks Pre-Pub 

Publicist writes press release

Author receives promotional materials

Publicist pitches stores / locations for  event sites, book signings, and speaking events

Publicist creates media list & distributes press release
Publicist sends media kits targeted select press contacts
Author copies mailed
Postcards mailed to targeted sales leads
Store placement begins: Frontlist marketing emails sent & targeted accounts engaged
Store Placement Continues: Field Sales Rep (FSR) outreach to dormant and prospective accounts 
Inside sales continues placement attempts & follow-ups
Publicist follows up with media outlets and event sites