Book Marketing Timeline: Key Steps Before the Cover Reveal, After the Reveal, and Before Preorders Go Live

Mar 20

A well-structured book marketing plan ensures that readers are engaged long before your book is available for purchase. By strategically building anticipation, maintaining momentum, and driving excitement for preorders, you can maximize interest and sales.

Below is a timeline that outlines the major steps authors should take at each phase—before the cover reveal, after the reveal, and leading up to preorders. While the exact timeline may vary depending on your publishing schedule, this guide offers a general structure to follow.

6–9 Months Before Release: Pre-Cover Reveal Phase

Primary Goals: Build anticipation, grow your audience, and establish engagement.

At this stage, your focus is on ensuring that you have an audience ready to see your cover when you reveal it. If you haven’t already, now is the time to solidify your author platform and start generating early excitement.

6–9 Months Before Release: Build Awareness and Engagement

Optimize your author website with a dedicated page for your upcoming book.
Ensure your social media accounts reflect your identity as an author.
Announce that you have a new book coming soon and tease general details (genre, themes, and tropes).
Create an email newsletter or refresh your current one to keep readers informed.
Engage with online book communities, interact with potential readers, and participate in discussions related to your genre.

5–6 Months Before Release: Start Teasing Your Book

Share small snippets of your book, such as intriguing quotes, mood boards, or early character descriptions.
Run polls or Q&A sessions to encourage engagement.
Reach out to book bloggers, influencers, and potential early reviewers to start forming connections.
Consider setting up a street team—loyal readers who will help spread the word.

3–5 Months Before Release: Cover Reveal Phase

Primary Goals: Make the cover reveal an event, sustain momentum, and expand your reach.

Once your cover is finalized, it’s time to plan a strategic reveal. A well-timed and well-executed cover reveal should feel like a major event, drawing attention and making readers excited about your book.

4–5 Months Before Release: Prepare for the Cover Reveal

Create a cover reveal date and start a countdown on social media.
Design teaser graphics featuring small, blurred portions of the cover.
Coordinate with book bloggers and influencers who can help amplify the reveal.
Draft your cover reveal announcement for your newsletter, website, and social media.

3–4 Months Before Release: Official Cover Reveal

Share your book cover across all platforms on the same day for maximum impact.
Post the cover with a strong, engaging caption explaining what the book is about.
Update your website with the full book cover and add a "Coming Soon" page.
Run a giveaway or contest where readers can win a prize for sharing the cover.
Ask followers to share their reactions in comments, stories, or posts.

3 Months Before Release: Keep Up the Excitement Post-Reveal

Release a "Behind the Cover" post explaining the symbolism or design choices.
Continue sharing excerpts and character teasers.
Set up author interviews, guest blog appearances, or live Q&A sessions.
Create promotional graphics featuring quotes from the book overlaid on the cover.

2–3 Months Before Release: Preorder Build-Up

Primary Goals: Drive interest, encourage preorders, and build launch momentum.

By this stage, preorders should either be live or launching soon. This phase is about converting all the built-up excitement into actual sales while keeping readers engaged.

2–3 Months Before Release: Announce Preorders

If preorders are available, announce them immediately and share links everywhere.
If preorders are not live yet, create a "Coming Soon" page where readers can sign up for an alert.
Offer exclusive preorder incentives, such as signed bookplates, digital wallpapers, or a bonus short story.
Start sharing countdown posts and reminders to keep preorders top of mind.

1–2 Months Before Release: Strengthen Engagement and Promotion

Post early reviews or blurbs from beta readers and influencers.
Run a preorder giveaway where readers can enter by submitting proof of purchase.
Reveal more book details, such as a full synopsis or a book playlist.
Start a “Meet the Characters” series with profile posts introducing key players in your book.

Final Month Before Release: Intensify Promotion

Primary Goals: Maximize preorders and prepare for launch.

As the release date approaches, you should focus on maintaining excitement and ensuring that readers are eager to buy your book as soon as it becomes available.

4–6 Weeks Before Release: Increase Visibility

Share preorder reminders frequently across all platforms.
Schedule live events, such as Instagram, TikTok, Youtube Lives or Q&As, to connect with readers.
Finalize your launch-day marketing plan, including social media posts and email announcements.

2–4 Weeks Before Release: Final Push for Preorders

Create an exclusive excerpt or bonus scene that preorder customers will receive.
Run an "Ask Me Anything" event to engage directly with readers.
Hype up launch week with daily countdown posts.

A strong book marketing strategy starts months before publication and continues well beyond the release date. By following this structured timeline, authors can ensure that their book remains in the spotlight at every stage.

Marketing is not just about selling a book; it is about building a long-term relationship with readers and creating a lasting impression. By focusing on engagement, anticipation, and strategic promotion, authors can maximize the impact of their book launch and set themselves up for long-term success.

Raymond Griffiths