Fiery Publishing – home to books by KJ Matthews & Jayne Thornber

We’ve got to admit, that since we started publishing, we’ve done soft book launches. That is, we’ve left it up to KJ Matthews and Jayne Thornber, and neither of them did too much to launch their books.

A soft launch is if you don’t mark the occasion with anything formal.

This time, we’re being proactive. KJ Matthews has her first novella of her second series due for release May 20th, 2024. Our strategy is to make use of a growing social media following and targeted newsletter discounts. This is what we are setting up.

1. Preorders are up now.
2. Pricing Book 1 at 0.99c for e-book and $5.99 (USD) for paperback
3. Book readings on TikTok and posted to Facebook Reels (KJ’s preference) on Books 1 and 2 of Series One.
4. Book readings on TikTok and posted to Facebook Reels of book due for release.
5. Facebook Live – once per week between now and three weeks post Book 1 release.
6. Stacking book promos. For example IASFA (International Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Authors), Fussy Library, Hello Books, Bargain Booksy.
7. Building Newsletter list.
8. Scheduling book release events (such as author talks/readings at local libraries – be aware, these need to be set up months in advance in some locations).

KJ requested we keep things manageable for her, so this is our list. Other ideas include releasing books to BookTok influencers, developing a large ARC review team so books get reviews on the date of launch, utilizing Goodreads. The list can be as long as your imagination and budget.

We are looking forward to seeing the impact these events will have on the first book, and subsequent book launches for the remainder of the series.

If you are planning your book launch, here are our recommendations.

1. Set a budget.
2. Have a well established timeline and schedule your events for a couple of days after the book goes live.
3. Do not overcommit, there are sites such as Written Word Media that will stack promos for you.
4. Launch in places that are a good fit for your brand.
5. Terry Pratchett, Stephen King, and Neil Gaiman all had in person book launches where no one showed.

We’ll keep you updated on what activities worked for KJ and what ones did not.

If you have any questions, you can email us at Kerry@fierypublishing.com