Don’t release a novel in December

One of the things I have been told time and time again is that you should never release a novel in the run up to Christmas — unless you are a big-name author.

There is so much competition for your work at this time of year that it will inevitably be buried beneath an avalanche of more well-known titles. Much of the buying in the run-up to Christmas is done for someone else. Without knowing what one person will like, the buyer lumps for the well-known name — the safe present.

If you release a book in November or December, then you will suffer from this trend. People won’t buy your book.

And January isn’t great too!

So, you may think that you will hold off until the new year. Don’t. January, in particular, is when many people are recovering from Christmas spending that rises year after year.

An amazing book will attract attention pretty much any time it is launched. But you want to give your novel the best opportunity available. If you have something written and ready to release now, then waiting until February might be the best bet.

Unless — your book has a relevance to the time of year. A Christmas book will obviously have its target audience perfect right now. A book about fresh starts or resolutions will be great for the market just now — and in the new year.

There is so much to think about when writing and publishing a book. You can’t micro-manage every single element of the process, but putting yourself in the best position you can will give you the best chance of success.