Planning your book’s publicity campaign is exciting—but it also comes with a lot of moving pieces.

At PR by the Book, we’re here to guide you every step of the way. To make the process smooth and stress-free, we’ve put together a list of key details to have ready before your campaign kicks off. Having these details in place before your campaign starts will keep your launch on track and let you get straight to the fun part—sharing your book with readers.

Basic Book Details

Metadata is the basic information about a book, including title, genre, publisher, ISBN, format, publication date, and more. It’s a necessary piece of book sales, discoverability, and connecting the right readers to your book. If you have a publisher, you’ll likely have your metadata already in place, but if you’re self-publishing, you’ll need to do some research and determine the details yourself.

Explore BISAC—Book Industry Standards and Communications—codes and choose up to three headings that best describe the genre and topic of your book. This helps with discoverability and marketing, as it gives media and potential readers a general idea of what your book is about. 

An ISBN—International Standard Book Number—is a unique 13-digit number that is used to identify and track your book. ISBNs are used for cataloging and inventory management. 

Keywords play a vital role in search optimization and increasing sales. They are specific words and phrases that encapsulate the genre, topics, and setting of your book. Keywords help readers discover your book when they use a search engine to look for titles about specific topics. For example, if you wrote about mental health, a keyword like “stress relief” would lead more readers to your book.

Check out this resource to learn more about metadata and how to obtain it for your book. 

Publication Date

Finalize when your book will be published. If it’s being traditionally published, your publisher determines that detail. If you’re going an alternative route, you have more autonomy while deciding the date.

Ideally, choose a date that gives your marketing and PR team at least three months of lead time to build your campaign and get some pre-publication publicity and momentum built. 

Take into consideration timely tie-ins. There are many important dates and angles to work with, but for example, if you wrote a book about education, the publication date being close to  back-to-school season would be a great way to leverage interest. 

Make sure to consider any problematic dates—you do not want to release the book between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, or around the time you have a big vacation planned, etc.

Note: For any given week, books are generally released on Tuesdays.

Double-check with your publisher or printer that the book’s production schedule aligns with the publication date. Before the book is released, it’s important to have Advanced Reader Copies (often referred to as “ARCs” or “galleys,” which are copies sent to reviewers and media for pre-publication coverage) and the finalized book to use for publicity.

Author Website

This is an optional step, but we’ve seen it really help authors establish credibility and build their personal brand. Author websites serve as a central hub for marketing activities, and they help media and readers get a better sense of who you are. 

An author’s website should include information about you, your book(s), past media appearances, your social media links, your contact information, and other relevant resources, such as newsletter sign-ups or blog posts. 

Good examples of previous clients’ author websites can be found here and here. We would be happy to recommend website vendors if you need guidance. 

We highly recommend creating an author page, especially if you’re planning on releasing multiple books. 

Promotional Book Assets

Before beginning a publicity campaign, authors should have a few essential materials prepared. These typically include a professional author bio, a clear one- to two-paragraph book synopsis (the same copy used for the book jacket works well), high-resolution images of the book cover, and an author headshot with proper photo credit.

Having these assets ready in advance helps streamline media outreach and ensures that journalists, producers, and event organizers have everything they need to accurately and effectively feature the book and its author.

Social Media Profiles

Social media includes platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, TikTok, X, Goodreads, and BookBub. Ensure your profiles are up and running, active, and aligned with your brand. We’ve seen the most success when authors don’t link to a personal page, but to a polished, easily discoverable business page instead. 

Depending on your audience, the social media platforms you choose to focus on may vary. For example, TikTok might be prioritized if you’re releasing a young-adult novel, while LinkedIn might be more suited for business development nonfiction.

Social media is a highly effective way to engage with your audience and share updates about your book. 

Book Cover, Interior Layout, and Description

A book cover is likely the first introduction a potential reader will have with your book, and a compelling description can be the detail that pushes your book from a “maybe” to a purchase. 

If possible, use a professional designer with experience and insight into the book marketplace. Your cover should align with the tone, message, and genre of your book to reach the right readers. 

We recommend reviewing current comparable titles when designing your cover. Each genre has a distinct style when it comes to covers. A romance novel will look much different than a health and wellness workbook, so make sure your design properly positions your book.

For more helpful book cover tips, click here.

Amazon Author Page

Set up your Amazon author page with a detailed bio, professional headshot, and a link(s) to your book(s). Once again, this helps with discoverability and credibility, and it gives readers a chance to learn more about you and your work.

For getting started on this, click here.

Goodreads Author Page

Goodreads is one of the most accessible ways for readers to leave reviews and share what they’ve read. Claim your Goodreads author page and upload your bio and author photo.

You can further optimize your page with these helpful tips. 

Note about Amazon/Goodreads Reviews: In alignment with Amazon and Goodreads guidelines, our publicity team cannot post reviews of your book on either platform. Both companies prohibit reviews from individuals with a professional or financial interest in a title, including hired publicists. Reviews must come directly from readers to ensure authenticity and compliance.

Personal Contacts

If applicable, prepare a list of any personal media contacts, authors whom you know, relevant promotional partners, and any endorsements or early reviews of your book. Also, list any upcoming travel, speaking engagements, public appearances, or interviews. This helps your publicist organize media contacts and outlets to reach out to, and publicists often use early praise and reviews in their promotional materials.

Distribution

This is optional and only necessary if you want to have copies of your book in physical bookstores and/or libraries (as opposed to just digital retailers). 

Consider how you plan to distribute your book. How you go about this will depend on how your book is being published. If you’re not working with a publisher or hybrid publisher, then you’ll need to find a distributor to partner with to secure placement in brick-and-mortar retail outlets and libraries outside your local area. 

This process—including information on distribution services and how they work—is detailed here and here. 

Define Your Target Audience

This is an essential piece of your book campaign’s puzzle. Identify who your book will resonate with and who your ideal readers are. This includes demographics, interests, and reading habits. 

Defining your target audience will inform messaging for publicity and marketing outreach. It will also help you start thinking about your book from a promotional perspective. 

Having these elements in place before your campaign begins will set the stage for a smooth, effective book launch. Get in touch today to discuss how we can help you plan and execute a successful book promotion!

To learn more about metadata, utilizing social media, promoting yourself as an author, and positioning your book, check out these articles:

• Understanding BISAC Codes: How to Make Them Work for You
• 6 Social Media Trends for Authors in 2026
• How to Build a Strong Author Brand
• Positioning: The Cornerstone of Book Marketing