Your Publication Date

What's that mean?

Your Publication Date is your Grand Opening, your Coming Out Party, the day people line up around the block to be the first to get your new book, the day you finally open the champagne. It's the 'official' date your book is available to the public. It's the date that will be shown in catalogs and lists of forthcoming books.

One of the most common confusions is: Why isn't the publication date (or pub date) the same day the books are printed? Why shouldn't I just publish it next week?

For a full pre-publication promotion, the publication date is usually set far enough ahead to allow the publisher to market the book to distributors and bookstores. Book production, or printing, usually occurs at least a month or two before, to allow for distribution and order fulfillment to wholesalers and bookstores.

Do all books need a Publication Date far in advance?

No. If you simply want to get your work published and are planning to do all your marketing post- publication, your pub date can be as soon as you can get the books back from the printer. But it will make a difference in how you market your book, and where you look for reviews.

Setting the Publication Date for a full marketing effort.

If you're planning to publish first and promote later, most of this information won't apply to you, but there are several good things to know here. It will at least tell you what competition you're facing in getting your book noticed.

Setting your publication date six months in advance is the minimum we'd suggest for a strong marketing campaign. You can cut it down to four, but you will be reducing your chances of getting reviews back before you go to print.

With a publication date set six months out, you'll have a better chance to get some good reviews and blurbs to include on your cover, on the front pages of your book, and on any marketing materials you send to distributors, booksellers and anyone who might carry, sell, or review your book later.

If you publish too soon, you lose the chance of getting positive reviews in time for book industry buyers to pay attention. It's impossible to get pre-publication reviews from major media outlets after your publication date. The earlier your pub date, the more you will have to rely on post-publication reviews. Those reviews won't be printed in the first edition of your book, but they can be used in media kits and releases.

When setting your publication date, consider whether you can tie your book in to an upcoming event or holiday. A book on the military could be tied to Veteran's Day, Memorial Day or the Fourth of July. A love story (or anything involving chocolate) might be good for Valentine's Day. Finding an angle will give you an extra shot at some media coverage prior to, or during, those events.

Most books are published in the fall to take advantage of the Christmas Holiday buying season. This is a good selling season – but you face a lot of competition and run the risk of being overlooked in all the big-house hoopla. Many small presses publish in the spring for this reason. Books about vacations, or that travelers might be interested in, summer sports, lots of children's; books and things to do with kids can sell well in the spring as well.

NOTE: Like fashions, production of books targeted for a particular season starts months before the holiday. You can't decide in January to print a Valentine's Day book and expect a lot of sales.

What happens on my Publication Date?

That depends on you. If you are choosing an aggressive promotional campaign, you may have lined up radio stations for phone interviews; you may be starting an author's tour, or be speaking to a group on that date. You may have set up an event or publication party. Or you may be celebrating your day with your family.

Publication Date is generally a marker for the industry; the day all the work is leading up to. We suggest you mark it as a special day in a way that suits you.

VI. Distribution
& Fulfillment
VIII. Continue
Marketing