Publishing your book is the beginning, not the finish line. How you use the tools available to you in the weeks leading up to your launch determines whether your book gets read or gets lost. This guide shows you how to combine Sọna's built-in features into a practical launch strategy.
The Four Tools to Use Together
Sọna gives every author four powerful promotional tools:
- Pre-orders: sell before you launch
- eARC campaigns: build reviews before release day
- Promotional Discounts: spike sales after launch
- Gift Copies: place your book with influencers and press
The authors who get the best results use all four, in sequence, timed around a release date.
Phase 1: Before Upload, Know Your Date
Every good launch starts with a fixed release date. Pick a date at least 6 to 8 weeks away from when you plan to upload your book. This gives you time to:
- Run an eARC campaign before release
- Let pre-orders accumulate
- Build anticipation on social media
- Line up reviews for launch day
Do not upload a book with tomorrow's date. Rushed launches underperform.
Phase 2: Upload and Open Pre-Orders (6 to 8 Weeks Before Release)
When you upload your book, set a publication date and enable pre-orders. Pre-orders require a publication date more than 14 days in the future. More importantly, pre-orders lock 14 days before your release date, meaning no new pre-orders are accepted in that final window. Setting your date 6 to 8 weeks out gives you a full, useful pre-order period before that lock kicks in.
Why Pre-orders Matter
- Readers who pre-order are your most committed audience
- Pre-order sales accumulate in escrow and are released to you on launch day
- Having any pre-order number signals demand: it shows momentum when readers check the page
- It gives you something concrete to promote: "Available to pre-order now"
What to Promote
- Your cover (a cover reveal is an event)
- The blurb and what makes this book different
- The pre-order link: put it everywhere, in every piece of content
Phase 3: Run Your eARC Campaign (4 to 6 Weeks Before Release)
While your pre-order is live, send advance copies to reviewers, bloggers, and early readers via the eARC tool.
How to Build your eARC List
- Your email newsletter subscribers
- BookTok and Bookstagram creators who read your genre
- Goodreads/Storygraph groups relevant to your niche
- Book bloggers who have reviewed similar books
- Your existing readers from previous titles
Set your claim deadline about 2 weeks before release. This gives reviewers time to read and gives you a window to follow up before launch day.
The Goal: have reviews ready to post on or around launch day, so that when new readers discover your book, they can see what others think of it. Social proof converts.
Phase 4: Launch Day
On your release date, pre-order customers automatically get access, and your book goes live to everyone. A few things to do:
- Post on all your channels and announce that the book is live
- Share reader reviews as they come in
- Send a newsletter to your list with a direct link to the book
- Engage with your eARC readers: thank them, share their reviews
Your job on launch day is to drive as much traffic to your book page as possible. Every new visitor who sees positive reviews is more likely to buy.
Phase 5: Post-Launch Discounts (2 to 4 Weeks After Release)
Once the initial launch buzz settles, a well-timed discount can bring in a second wave of readers.
When to Use a Discount
- A few weeks after launch, to pull in fence-sitters
- During a seasonal moment relevant to your genre (Valentine's Day for romance, October for thrillers)
- As part of a campaign you are running on social media ("48-hour sale")
- When you are launching a second book and want to push readers toward your first
How to Set It
Go to your book's detail page in the Publish Dashboard and click Set Promo Discount. Set a discounted price and a start and end date. It activates and deactivates automatically. No reapproval needed.
Tip: A discount with a deadline ("Sale ends Sunday") converts better than an open-ended one.
Phase 6: Gift Copies for Long-Tail Press
A few weeks after launch, when you have reviews and momentum, is a good time to send gift copies to larger outlets: podcast hosts, literary journalists, or community leaders who might mention the book to their audience.
This is a longer game. Not everyone will respond immediately. But a mention from a respected voice in your genre can drive significant discovery weeks or months after your launch.
Building for the Next Book
The most important thing you can do after your first launch is start building your following for the next one.
- Ask readers to follow you on Sọna from your author profile
- Engage with your community
- Be visible: post, share, talk about what you are working on next
When your next book launches, every reader who followed you gets a notification that you have a new release. Your pre-order opens to an audience that already knows and trusts you.
This compounds over time. Each launch builds the foundation for the next one.
All these tools are in your Publish Dashboard. Start with your next upload and put a proper launch plan behind it.
Related Posts
- How eARC Campaigns Work on Sọna: deep dive on setting up and tracking advance reader copies
- How Pre-Orders Work on Sọna: everything about the pre-order and escrow system
- How to Send Gift Copies on Sọna: using gift copies for press, giveaways, and launch support