WRITING AND PRE-RELEASE DAY CHECKLIST

/ D.L. Finn, Author

Hi SEers! Denise here to talk about an exciting and stressful time, getting a book ready for release.

After you receive your book back from beta readers, if you do that, made your final revisions, and checked it over just one more time—it’s ready to go to your editor. An editor is the one step I recommend you never skip. Even though there are many programs to run it through, they still miss things.

What should you do while you wait for your book to be edited? Here are a few suggestions.

TO DO LIST
  • If you have not done so, now is the time to create a cover or have it done.
  • Do you have a blurb?
  • Want to do a preorder? You can once you have a cover, blurb, and doable date for release. Here are a few place you can get started: Kindle Publishing (Amazon), Smashwords, or IngramSparks.
  • In the US, register the book with the copyright office. The online cost is $65. I am not sure about the process in other countries, but highly recommend you protect your work. I also apply for a Preassigned Control Number from the Library of Congress. This is free and the only thing you have to do after you get the number is to send them a copy of your book once it’s published.
  • Time to make the copyright page. Here you need the year published and copyright notice, publisher, ISBN, Library of Congress number, credit for cover and formatting, a statement about what is allowed regarding the book, or permissions notice, and any disclaimers.
  •  Other pages to work on are Also by Author, About the Author, Author Notes and add in any dedications or thanks.
  • Next, it’s time to think about blog tours. It’s nice when each post is different for the people following along on the tour. I like to put in a paragraph or two relating to the book, an excerpt, a blurb, a purchase link, and author information. Then set up a schedule with the hosts. There are companies that do this part for authors too.
  • This is a great time to work on any promotional information, including book banners and new media posts.
  • Make a book trailer. I’m still experimenting to see which way is the best to make them, but many options are out there. I used Canva for my last book trailer and found it easy to use.

Finally, the book comes back from the editor, and you make all the needed corrections. It’s time to format! You can send it out to have that done, or do it yourself. I recently got a used Mac and learned how to use Vellum for formatting. That made my life so much easier. Changes can be made anytime needed.

Everything is done. It’s time to upload your new book. Congrats!

What do you do when your book is being edited?

98 thoughts on “WRITING AND PRE-RELEASE DAY CHECKLIST”

  4. Pingback: July Writer’s Tips – Pre Booklaunch List, Internet Trolls and the Kindle Mobi is Dead – DGKayewriter.com

  7. I love your checklist, Denise! It’s helpful and handy.
    I’m normally writing blog posts while the book is being edited. Like you, I try to make each one different and that takes a lot of time. It’s helps to be focused on that while I’m waiting on edits.
    Great post!

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    • Thank you, Mae 🙂 It is the perfect time to write those posts, they do keep you busy. I usually start feel those pre-release nerves so busy helps.

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    • I read a lot and besides enjoying it, I learn a lot. Thank you and I hope this is useful for you in the near future, Michael!

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  11. Your post came at good timing, Denise. I got the cover, blurb, and other things on your list done a while back because I’ve been working on my memoir for six years. I still have a lot to do before the final editing comes back. I just applied for the LCCN. It’s nice to have a checklist.

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    • Thanks, Miriam 🙂 It is a busy time right before we publish, isn’t it? A checklist can help temind us of those last minute details. Congrats on your upcoming release!

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      • I always want to apply for a LCCN, but it slipped my mind. By the time I remembered, it was too close to my publishing dates. It’s good to have a checklist. Than you again, Denise.😊

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    • That’s a hard one that blurb! I use Chimpmail for the newsletters and the basic email. Thank you, have a great weekend and 4th too!

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  19. Thank you, Sara 🙂 I love Vellum too. I will have to watch the video. I just jumped in and looked around. Definitely worth every penny.
    How lucky you are that your hubby is a graphic designer and illustrator! I usually take a moment to enjoy I’m done and about to publish, and then I will get busy on the release. If I have something I’m already working on I will do that but otherwise I don’t seem able to start anything during that time frame.

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  20. Great post Denise. I love Vellum! I used to layout in InDesign. Oh my! What a learning curve. But Vellum is soooo easy. And the 20 minute video tutorial really does teach you everything. It’s totally worth the investment.
    When I’m waiting on edits – I start on the next book while badgering my husband for a pretty cover. LOL! (My hubby is a graphic designer and illustrator. Very convenient.)
    What do you do when you’re waiting on edits?

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  21. Thanks for this great checklist, Denise! I hadn’t thought about registering my work with the Library of Congress. I’ll definitely do that from now on. The older I get, the more I rely on checklists for any complex task, and publishing certainly qualifies as complex. Checking off the tasks only increases the satisfaction of having written and published a book. I’ll be sharing this! Thank you!

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    • Thank you, Patty 🙂 I like the idea of being in a library and the possibilities of others. Never know. I agree publishing is complex. Always something new to learn but definitely satisfaction in doing it. Xo

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  25. Great post, Denise! I never knew about the preassigned control number from the Library of Congress. Do you have to send them a physical copy, or will a digital copy suffice? I’m thinking more about short stories. 🙂

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  26. Pingback: Stop by and say hi! WRITING AND PRE-RELEASE DAY CHECKLIST, #StoryEmpire #indieauthors #bookrelease #authorinformation #writingcommunity – Author D.L. Finn

    • I wish I could have the cover done earlier but I have to have it all done to have ideas. It can be a good time to work on othe projects too. I like a small break to regroup and focus on the release. Its when I can think about a new project though. It’s fun to read how we all spend this period. Thanks, Robbie 🙂

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    • Lol! Thank you for adding that, Jacquie. I’ve never tried the preorder on Bookbub and will look into it, and I do put that into my newsletters, so good to include that.

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    • Thanks, Jill 🙂 Yes, time to think about the next project too. I’m still thinking which is unusual. Yes, it can feel like that hamster running and running.

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  32. All good info. I use Animoto for my book trailers and find it very easy. The other thing I would add is to organize book store, library and school visits etc. if you do that sort of thing. I’m in the middle of doing that right now. A bit of work but so worth it.

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    • Thank you, Darlene 🙂 I haven’t tried Animoto. I will check it out. Good idea to add visits into your release. I wasn’t doing that until recently. Thanks for the reminder!

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  34. I have a novella in the final stages and so this advice couldn’t have come at a better time! I’ll have a look at a trailer but I think I may well be in over my head there as I seem to struggle with the stuff everyone else finds straightforward… I haven’t organised a blog tour and I suppose I should give serious consideration to that sooner rather than later (too much later!). The technical stuff I’m happy with but the blurbs are agonising – particularly the personal one. My husband suggested when I finished my first book that I buy a block of ISBNS and I’m glad I did as they’re much cheaper that way, and I now have a copyright statement that seems to cover everything. I’m bookmarking this, Denise, so that I can use it as my checklist – many, many thanks!

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    • Glad it was good timing! Canva has been the easiest to work with. I just click on things and see what they do 😉 I like that everything needed is right there. Blog tours are exhausting but also fun to get to chat with everyone too. Blurbs are such a challenge! I buy my ISBNs in blocks too. So much cheaper. Thanks, Alex. I hope it all goes smoothly for you and look forward to your release.

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  35. Wonderful checklist, Denise. You’ve mastered this process and helped all of us along the way. Thank you for sharing your insights and wisdom today. 😊

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    • Thank you, Gwen. I think back to having someone do all this for me, to slowly learning and doing it for myself now. I’m glad I did it and could share it.

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  36. This is a great checklist, Denise! Following a set plan will make release day SO much easier. I am making my new book trailer in Canva and am loving it! I think it will be my go-to from here on. Thank you for sharing this list!! Very helpful!

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    • Thanks, Jan 🙂 I usually google things to do in case I forget something, now I have a list posted to check and not lose. I’m loving making trailers in Canva too. So much easier than how I used to do it. Still learning all the little tricks but more options than I thought. I look forward to seeing your new trailer!

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  37. I wrote a checklist after my third book (I think). I’m ashamed to admit I never look at it (I’m not even sure where I saved it) and then scramble to remember everything and get it all done. So nice of you to provide another for us. Maybe I’ll actually use this one! Great post, Denise.

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    • That’s always my problem, where I save things and did they make it from old computer to the new one. I hope posting it, I will now use it too. Thank you, Staci 🙂

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  40. Pingback: WRITING AND PRE-RELEASE DAY CHECKLIST | Legends of Windemere

    • Thank you, Harmony for sharing information for how you do your copyright! Nice there is no charge. It helped me putting this list together, and happy to share it.

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  43. D.L how very thorough this post is. The checklist is valuable indeed.
    It is a very busy time and quite hard to fulfill. The formatting makes one want to pull hair. I experienced that once and then gave up, defeated.
    All the best. Your generosity will boomerang back to you. Thanks. Xoxo. I bless you.

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    • Thank you, Selma. It is a very busy time and easy to forget to do something. I followed along with what I was doing for the post, which helped me remember everything, Selma 🙂 I’m still learning all the formatting tricks so lots of do overs. Thank you xo Blessings back.

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  45. A helpful checklist, Denise. Especially the details for the copyright page and extras such as About the Author and maybe an Afterword. For print books especially, it’s worth designing a title page with special fonts and maybe an image or ornament.

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