In July, I ran Amber Schamel's book trailer for The Healer's Touch on my personal blog. The traffic that came from it blew me away. When I asked about it, she said she'd put the word out to her book launch team. So of course, I asked Amber to share her experience with launch teams on this blog.--Sandy
Amber: Several months ago I assembled my very first launch team. My
team has become an invaluable asset to me and Sandra has asked me to share a
little about what I'm learning. There is
a lot to cover on this topic, so we're splitting it up into two posts. Be sure
to catch part 2 on October 23.
What is a
"Launch Team?"
This was my question several months ago when I first heard
the term. I did some searching and interviewing and was able to glean a lot of
information that I'll attempt to share with you.
A Launch Team is basically a special group of people who
support you and your work and are willing to talk about it, give you a review,
host you on their blog, follow you around to all your media appearances (and
sometimes book signings and whatnot), and share social media posts with their
friends. A Launch Team can consist of family, friends, readers or fans, and
yes, even other writers. However writers do tend to have less time, so the best
Launch Team members are usually just friends and readers, however writers do
have bigger blogs which can also be a benefit.
How big is a Launch
Team?
Your team can be any size you want. Mine consists of about
20 people, but not all those people are active all the time. I have talked to
some writers whose teams are as large as 100-200 people.
How do you gather a
Launch Team?
Just ask! I sent out an email/facebook message to some
select friends asking them specifically if they'd like to be a part. I also put
a post on my facebook page letting my friends know I was looking for people to
help me. The response was tremendous. The key is to keep the invitation casual
and easy-going. Don't make people feel like they can't be your friend if they
don't help you. ;)
What are the benefits
of having a Launch Team?
So many! Here's a few:
·
A loyal group of people to post positive reviews
on Amazon, Goodreads, etc.
·
A group to go along to all of your media
appearances. This is HUGE. Basically, they make sure you never show up to a
party by yourself. There's nothing more lonely than guesting or interviewing on
a blog and there's no one there but you and your host. A launch team will drop
by and leave comments, initiate conversation and make things fun.
·
A team that will share about you and your book
on their social media and/or blogs to create a buzz around you and your book.
In the next post we'll be discussing the mechanics of a
Launch Team and some tips on making it successful.
Do you have any questions you'd like me to answer in the next post?
~~~
Amber Schamel was born in Littleton, CO and has traveled extensively throughout the United States, Europe, and the Holy Land. She was raised in a family of 11 children, homeschooled through her education and currently works with their 10 family businesses as bookkeeper and marketing director. She volunteers half of the summer helping and ministering to young girls and Christian families. Amber loves history, culture, reading and music. She has a musical ministry and travels throughout the United States ministering thru song. During her spare time she enjoys crafting Christ-honoring stories that will inspire and encourage her readers. Amber currently lives with her family outside of Colorado Springs, CO.
