Hey Reader,

Longtime readers might remember when I used to do the 3@3. New readers, welcome to the explanation: a few years back, I used to go live once a week at 3pm and answer 3 questions that had been pre-submitted. It was all live, no editing, just raw talk. Turns out, I've got a pile of those clips sitting around, and honestly, most of the advice hasn't aged a day. Would I add some information or say it a bit different? Maybe. But these are still so solid, I decided to resurrect them and share them with you again!

The question this time:

How important is the launch to a book's success? Is it possible to completely screw up a launch and still get noticed with lots of sales over time?

Yes. Completely possible. In fact, I think a lot of authors put so much weight on the first day and first week of release that they forget the long tail even exists.

You've probably heard people in publishing say backlist is everything. That only makes sense if books can succeed well after launch, and they absolutely can. A launch gets your book out there and lets people know it exists, but it doesn't end your book's life a week later. Readers keep discovering you through a newer release and then going back to buy everything else you've written. That's the backlist doing its job.

We've seen authors hit bestseller lists with books that had been out for years already. Ruby Dixon, Lauren Dane, Jaci Burton, all past examples of exactly that I mention in the video, but it still happens now as well. A rough launch is not a verdict on whether anyone will ever want to read your book.

This can be even more true if you're a debut author. Do debut authors sometimes do well? OF COURSE they do. I have an author, Caty Rogan, who’s a great example of this because she busted her ass to market pre-launch.

But for most of you, that’s not going to be the case and readers don’t know yet to pay attention to your launch day, because nobody knows you yet. Because you’ve been focused on just getting that book out the door.

For you, ongoing marketing and steadily building readership are what will actually move the needle, far more than that first week ever could.

Your early books are your future backlist, and readers will find their way to them as they discover you through whatever comes next. There's also fresh opportunity built in: a new format (print, audio, boxsets) can revitalize an older title, and publishing book two in a series often sends readers straight back to book one.

Take 5: My full answer on how important book launches actually are is in this new 4-minute video!​

If launch week didn't go the way you hoped and you want somewhere to talk it through, Just Keep Writing is free and open 24/7.

And still asking: would you want live 3@3 back, or something like it, so you could bring your own questions?

Happy writing!

~Angela
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