Disclaimer: The views and strategies presented in this article are those of the author and are intended for informational purposes only. Results may vary based on individual circumstances.
Table of Contents
Your Book’s Best Friend Is a Funnel
Pre-launching a book used to be a different journey before technology caught up with it.
In times past, authors and poets would accumulate cover blurbs (aka “advance acclaim”), then send out a press release quoting notable people who had (presumably) read the bound galleys and praised the writing. Publishers would line up commitments for sneak peek excerpts or book review placements in magazines or newspapers. Colorful postcards would drop like confetti, announcing in-person readings, often in a bookstore—post-release—where attendees could become customers and go home with an autographed copy.
Today’s digital pre-launch is often more cost-effective, efficient, and targeted.
What is a funnel?
This tool is useful in two ways: a lead generation funnel or a book sales funnel.
(a) A lead generation funnel is a marketing strategy that takes an individual through a journey to become a lead, i.e., a potential customer, for your title(s) as well as your business. In addition to being a published author, you may also earn income as a beta reader, a freelance editor, or a host who organizes Virtual Book Tours (VBTs). A lead generation funnel helps build your email list, giving you the ability to re-engage potential readers.
(b) A book sales funnel is a marketing strategy that leverages your email list to guide readers to a landing page where a freebie awaits (a chapter, a story, a group of poems). This sneak peek sparks interest in new material, priming readers to buy the book when it becomes available.
What will you need first for the book sales funnel? Here’s how to prepare.
(a) Curate an email list of no fewer than 100 targets. Pick wisely. If your relatives, former classmates, and members of your block association recognize your name but do not buy poetry or your type of book, leave them off this list. Better prospects might be members of your critique group, former magazine editors, folks you’ve met at a literary conference or shared a panel with, Patreon subscribers, and literary professionals who have blurbed your previous books.
(b) A manuscript in the final stages of production that is, ideally, in its pre-release phase. For instance, this can be material that will be available via an indie press. It can also be content that you plan to self-publish, as long as it’s been completely written, proofread, and has an attractive cover image.
(c) A time-limited bonus. This is exclusive content related to your book, available for a limited time. Examples include access to a password-protected video, an audio recording of the author reading a section with a backstory about who or what inspired the poem or pages, or an attractive broadside that is a digital download.
📚💡 The first time our collaborative chapbook Messengers of the Macabre: Hallowe’en Poems went through a book funnel, my publisher reported a 60% open rate; 🎯 15% of the names on my curated email list purchased a copy. 📈📚
LindaAnn LoSchiavo
How effective is a book sales funnel?
Since I keep a current email list, this tool has worked well for me. The first time our collaborative chapbook Messengers of the Macabre: Hallowe’en Poems went through a book funnel, my publisher reported a 60% open rate; 15% of the names on my curated email list purchased a copy. Bonus material that sparked preliminary interest included a six-poem sampler (our reader magnet) and samples of our eerie cover art by Benyamin Agum.
Our second and third trips through the book funnel—re-engaging those who opened but had not yet purchased—included a six-poem sampler along with a book trailer I created, scored with a snappy soundtrack called Haunted House.
In addition to the book sales funnel, to generate book buzz, I created targeted pre-launch promotions in the USA, the UK, Canada, Japan, and South Korea, as well as on popular blogs that specialize in speculative writing. But that’s a topic for my next article.
About the Author
Native New Yorker and award-winning poet, LindaAnn LoSchiavo is a distinguished member of the British Fantasy Society, Horror Writers Association (HWA), Science Fiction and Fantasy Poetry Association (SFPA), and The Dramatists Guild. Known for her evocative and diverse poetic works, LindaAnn’s 2024 titles include Always Haunted: Hallowe’en Poems (Wild Ink), Apprenticed to the Night (UniVerse Press), and Felones de Se: Poems about Suicide (Ukiyoto).
Her work has earned significant recognition, including the Elgin Award for A Route Obscure and Lonely and The Chrysalis BREW Project’s BREW Seal of Excellence for Always Haunted: Hallowe’en Poems. Forthcoming works include Cancer Courts My Mother (Prolific Pulse Press, 2025) and an E-book version of Vampire Ventures, fully illustrated by Giulia Massarin.
LindaAnn continues to fascinate readers with her lyrical depth and emotional resonance, offering a unique voice within the literary world.
Join the Conversation!
We’d love to hear your thoughts on book funnels and pre-launch strategies. Share your insights in the comments below!
- Have you ever used a book sales funnel? How did it work for you?
- What’s your biggest challenge when building an email list?
- Which pre-launch marketing tactic has been most effective for your books?
Let’s discuss! 🚀📚
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