Hey friends, the countdown is officially on! We’re just about a month away from the release of The Summer Before, and I couldn’t be more excited. A huge thank you to everyone on my launch team—you’ve been invaluable throughout this journey. As we get closer to publication, I’ll send out a reminder when the 99-cent Ebook becomes available for purchase, and again on October 15th when you can officially leave reviews on Amazon. You can already drop a review on GoodReads if you’ve finished, but unfortunately, Amazon won’t be open for reviews until launch day.
Why Reviews and Pre-orders Matter
I can’t emphasize enough how crucial reviews and purchases are during the first week of launch! Amazon’s algorithm thrives on this data to help promote books like mine. The more pre-orders and reviews we can gather, the more visibility The Summer Before will get. Remember the days when you could just write a book, and word of mouth would help it sell? Now we’ve got algorithms and social media madness to deal with. But hey, I’m trying everything to see what sticks.
Adventures in Social Media & Marketing
I’ve dipped my toes into TikTok, and I’m pretty terrible at it—but maybe that’s the charm? “Awful Author TikToker” could be my new thing. I even tried getting Ben Affleck to notice my last book, The Silence in the Sound, hoping he’d make it into a movie. Because why not, right? With rumors swirling about his breakup with JLo (sad about that, BTW), maybe he’ll have some time to scroll through social media again, so I might give that another shot with The Summer Before.
I’m also diving deep into Amazon ads. I’ve had mild success but let me tell you, this is no easy task. I recently spent $400 on an ad campaign and got one sale. Yep, just one. That one hurt, but it was my fault for not monitoring it closely. Live and learn, right?
Partnering with a Cause: CONNECT to End Violence
I’m thrilled to announce that I’ve officially partnered with Martha’s Vineyard Community Services and their CONNECT to End Violence program. Their mission is to reduce domestic and sexual violence through education, advocacy, and community support. A portion of the proceeds from The Summer Before will go toward supporting this incredible cause. I’m also working with other advocacy groups around the state to raise awareness for secondary victims of violence, and I can’t wait to share more about these partnerships soon.
Launch Team: Get Ready!
To my amazing launch team: get ready to launch! On October 15th, purchase the Ebook, leave your review, and let me know. I’ll be holding a special raffle with some fabulous prizes to show my gratitude for your support. If you’ve finished reading the advanced copy I sent out, you can already leave a review on GoodReads!
Thank You for Your Support
I genuinely cannot wait for you all to read this book. Whether you love me, hate me, or just feel indifferent—your support means everything. You can even hate-buy the book if you want! (Just kidding…sort of.) But in all seriousness, The Summer Before is already getting fantastic reviews on NetGalley, and I’m pumped for you to read it.
Let’s make this launch incredible!
