You’ve been working hard promoting your book in the months leading up to publication, and now the day is finally here! In this post, you’ll learn some essential tips for writing an effective and enticing pub day email to all your contacts.
Authors eagerly await the exciting moment of their publication day—but we know this part of the process can also be scary and anxiety-inducing. If you’re wondering what more you can do to support your book on launch day, consider writing an announcement email.
The pub day email is just that—an email you send on pub day to everyone you know, telling them about the release in hopes of some nice grassroots support. One of the most effective things an author can do to is round up email addresses of personal contacts—friends, family, colleagues, professional contacts, fellow writers, your book club members, your mom’s book club members, your kid’s piano teacher, that former classmate who’s now Instagram famous, etc.
Here are some tips for writing an effective pub day email:
1. Think about your audience and your approach. If you are a nonfiction writer, for example, with a lot of professional contacts in a specific industry, it might make sense to send two separate emails: a more casual email to friends/family and a more professional email to colleagues.
2. Establish your timeline and consider the pre-pub email. We’re all increasingly busy these days and sometimes an email or two will slip through the cracks. If you can, send two emails: the pre-pub email and the pub day email.
The pre-pub email can be used to let your network know that you have a book coming out soon and to drive preorders. You can include a short description and any blurbs or early reviews that may have come in. Ideal timing is four to six weeks before your pub date.
3. What to put in your pub day email. You want to make it as easy as possible for your network to support you. Write a friendly intro and then list the ways people can help if they are willing. Here are some suggestions you can make:
- “Pick up a copy of my book.” Include links to retailers where they can buy the book (your local indie bookstore, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or PRH.com).
- “Help spread the word.” Ask them to post about the book on their social media channels and tell their friends. If you have any designed assets created for the book, include them. If you don’t have assets, that’s totally fine—include an image of the book jacket. And ask them to tag you or include #TheTitleOfYourBook so you can see what they post!
- “Post a review.” Every single positive consumer review on Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes & Noble, and other review-based sites helps.
- “Come to my event.” Let your contacts know if you have events scheduled, whether virtual or in-person.
4. Be gracious. This might go without saying, but remember that you are asking a favor of your contacts—gratitude is key! Tell these people how much their support means to you and say thank you. Above all, a personal and heartfelt message goes a long way and will draw more attention from your contacts.
5. Make sure your contacts are in the BCC field. This will ensure that everyone’s info remains private and that no one gets trapped in an endless “Reply All” situation.
Whether you’re a debut author or a seasoned book veteran, a pub day email is a fantastic way to spread the word about your brand new book. Feel free to run a draft of your email by your Penguin Random House marketing contact or someone from your publishing team, as they can probably offer edits and pointers about your specific title and help cater to your audience. Happy Pub Day!
Taylor Noel is Senior Marketing Manager, Random House Publishing Group at Penguin Random House.