When to contact reviewers, pitch podcasts and tell readers your book is coming—and what to do if it is already published.
Start preparing publicity three to six months before publication if you want to pursue reviews or interviews around your book’s release. Tell your readers once the publication date, cover and ordering information are dependable. These activities serve different purposes and do not need to begin together. The timing depends on what you are asking people to do: buying a book, reviewing it and interviewing its author involve different decisions.
For a first-time author, it is easy to treat publication day as the moment everything starts. You upload the files, share the cover and begin contacting podcasts and magazines. But someone who needs to read your book or schedule an interview may already be working weeks or months ahead. Preparing earlier gives those people time to consider your work.
Three to six months before publication: find the right people
Begin by researching reviewers, publications and podcasts that cover your subject. Reedsy’s book publicity planning guide recommends preparing months before launch. Use that as a planning framework, then check the requirements of each outlet you want to approach. Look for a close connection between your book and its audience. A meditation teacher writing about grief could approach a podcast about bereavement, while a coach exploring burnout among self-employed professionals might find a suitable audience in a small business publication.
Read recent articles or listen to an episode before making contact. Notice the questions being discussed, the guests being interviewed and what the audience appears to need. This will help you explain why your subject belongs there. A short approach that demonstrates a relevant connection gives the recipient more to consider than a general announcement sent to everyone.
You can research contacts while editing continues, but review copies require a more complete book. An advance review copy should allow someone to assess the work fairly, even if final proofreading or production changes remain. Label it clearly so the recipient understands its status. IngramSpark’s guide to advance review copies explains how these copies support consideration by reviewers, potential endorsers and other contacts before release. Before sending one, check whether the reviewer accepts self-published titles, which formats they consider and how much notice they require. Some have specific submission windows; others may not accept unsolicited copies.
Four to eight weeks before publication: announce it to readers
For an independent author planning a straightforward launch, this can be a useful window for a public announcement. It is a planning suggestion rather than a deadline that suits every book. The essential condition is that the information you share is reliable. Make sure the cover, publication date, description and ordering details agree across your website, newsletter and sales pages. If you invite preorders, confirm what your platform supports. Amazon KDP, for example, offers preorders for eligible Kindle ebooks, but not for paperbacks or hardcovers. Readers should know which format they are ordering.
Explain what the book explores in language a potential reader can recognise. “A guide to personal transformation” gives little indication of its contents. If accurate, “a book about why familiar emotional reactions can persist even after we understand them” gives someone a clearer basis for deciding whether to read it. A short excerpt can strengthen the announcement by letting readers experience your writing and see how you approach the subject. Choose a passage that represents the book’s substance and voice.
When pitching the media, offer a conversation
Your readers may be interested because they know you. An unfamiliar editor or podcast host needs a reason connected to their audience. Compare “Yoga teacher publishes a book about burnout” with a proposed discussion about why people who teach relaxation sometimes struggle to rest themselves. The first reports a publication; the second identifies a question that could sustain an interview.
State that you have written a book, explain its relevance and show what you can contribute to the proposed conversation. Perhaps you interviewed teachers, examined published research or explored the issue through your professional experience. Be specific about the basis of your perspective. For authors in mindfulness, personal development and spirituality, this also helps keep claims credible. Personal experience can support a thoughtful discussion, but it does not establish that a practice produces the same result for everyone.
Before sending a pitch, ask whether the proposed conversation would still interest the audience if they never bought the book. If the answer is yes, you have a stronger starting point. Transform Wire Media’s guide to writing stronger press release headlines explores how to identify the information that deserves attention.
Publication week: make the book easy to find
When the book becomes available, share a clear announcement with working purchase links and accurate information about formats. Check those details yourself, including the edition and availability shown on the sales page. If interviews or reviews appear, share them with a short explanation of what they cover. Give readers a reason to open the link beyond the fact that you are featured.
Allow room for publicity after launch. A podcast may have a suitable opening later, and a reviewer may need more time. Publication day is an important date for your own communication, but other people’s coverage will follow their schedules. Plan what you can control while remaining flexible about when outside coverage might appear.
Already published? Start with what you can contribute now
If your book came out months ago, you can still approach relevant outlets. Be clear about the publication date and focus on a worthwhile subject for their audience. A book about boundaries could support a conversation about family expectations during the holidays. A meditation book might provide material for an interview about difficulties beginners rarely hear discussed. Neither requires pretending the book has just been released.
A new edition, translation, event or award may provide a separate news opportunity, but an interview about the book’s ideas can stand on the usefulness of the conversation itself. The next step depends on where you are now. If publication is months away, research suitable contacts and prepare review material. If release is approaching, give readers dependable information and pitch specific conversations. If the book is already available, look for an audience whose questions you can help answer.
Planning to announce your book? Explore Transform Wire Media’s paid book news submission service for authors in personal development, mindfulness and spirituality.
