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E-book Marketing

First Chapter: Debut novel launch campaign

A twelve-week launch built around honest advance readers, retailer ads and an email list the author owns.

Sector
Publishing
Typical client
Independent debut author in commercial fiction
Typical timeline
12 weeks
Typical team
1 strategist, 1 ads specialist
Launch advertising across retailers with spend, read-through and creative tests
Launch funnel tracking reader magnets, list growth and first-week sales
Author site with launch offer and first-chapter download

About this project

A debut novel has no existing audience, and most launches depend on a single burst of attention. Without reviews and readers lined up in advance, a book quickly disappears.

The campaign builds an audience eight weeks before publication through a free first chapter, a newsletter and advance readers. Advertising starts once the book page is ready to convert.

Objectives

  • Build a meaningful audience before launch day
  • Earn genuine reader reviews within retailer rules
  • Run retailer ads to a defined royalty return

What’s delivered

  • Comparable-title and category research
  • Advance reader programme with disclosure
  • Amazon Ads and promotion-site calendar
  • Author website and automated email sequence

Target outcomes

2,000

reader list goal

50+

honest reviews target

1.3×

ad royalty return goal

Top 100

category rank objective

Technology

  • Amazon Ads
  • BookBub
  • BookFunnel
  • MailerLite
  • Publisher Rocket

Services involved

Have a similar challenge?

Book a free consultation. We’ll scope your project, pressure-test the plan and give you an honest estimate, with no commitment required.