Market Early, Market Often: When Should You Start?

A Literal Literary Loser Thinks Ahead

I am not a fan of delayed gratification. Even if, when my daughter appeared in this Prudential commercial 10 years ago, based on the infamous Marshmallow Test, she asserted that her mom would wait, but her dad would eat it right away. (She’s the one in the pink dress, with the ponytail, giving the marshmallow side-eye.)

When I see something I want to buy, I want to buy it NOW. (The first time I saw an ad for acquiring a square foot of land in Scotland that would make you a Lord or Lady, I made a beeline for my computer. Yes, I know it’s a complete scam, but my daughter got such a kick of it.)

Which is why I never understood authors - or anyone, really - marketing their products before they were available. Why frustrate the consumer? Worse, why risk that, by the time your product is available, it’s become old news in their minds and they don’t feel the need to purchase it anymore? They’ve moved on to something newer, shinier, better, and actually on the shelves.

In the past, I wouldn’t begin talking about my books until they were safely uploaded to Amazon, shipped to bookstores, and in broad distribution. I wanted my fellow instant gratification fans to be able to get their hands on them instantly.

It would seem that I was wrong.

Popular wisdom dictates starting to tell the world that you’ve got a book coming out months before it’s scheduled to become a reality. Years even. Apparently, a potential buyer needs to hear about your offering a minimum of seven times before they so much as begin to think about buying it.

I have two books set to come out in 2025: My second historical fiction from the aptly named History Through Fiction, and a second edition, first paperback release of a book on soap opera’s greatest moments.

The former, Go On Pretending, I’ve already teased with posts about cultural appropriation, writing real people into fiction, and writing fictional people into real events.

For the latter, I’ve taken a different approach. For my nonfiction book, tentatively titled Super Soap Scenes: A Time Capsule of Daytime Drama’s Greatest Moments, I’ve recruited soap fans to write the book with me! Kind of….

I am asking my future readers to tell me their favorite soap scenes, so that I can then interview the actors, writers, producers and other staff members who were part of making it happen. And I am using that request for early promotion.

So far, my entreaties have been published on SoapHub.com, and that post was picked up for further syndication by Yahoo. I then re-shared the articles on social media for a virtuous circle of cross-promotion.

Will this strategy of Promote Early, Promote Often whet my potential audiences’ excitement for the book… or will it make the title’s ultimate release feel like old news by the time its finally released?

As always, nobody in publishing knows anything. I certainly don’t. But I will keep you posted on my results.

In the meantime, you tell me: When do you think is the best time to start promoting your book?

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A decade older version of my daughter and I discuss other writers’ books in this YouTube episode from October: