Book Release in the Time of Covid

—

by

Katie Slattery
in , , ,

The summer of 2020 will stand out in history as the summer of Covid-19 – a time to avoid crowds at the beach and the amusement park, a summer when airports are more dangerous than sky-diving, and days of longing to gather with friends and family. The summer solstice has come and gone. But for most of us, at least in the US, July 4th Independence Day marks the beginning of full-on, serious vacation season. 2020 will be the summer of staycations. Those of us who have a pleasant patio, a comfortable lounge chair, and a good book will be the winners during this  stay-at-home summer.

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way we approach everything from grocery shopping to a trip to the dentist, from lunching with friends to that planned trip to visit aging parents. I had hoped to release Wherever the Road Leads in the fall, launched with the fanfare of library talks and book-store readings. Now none of this can happen. I need to think outside of the box.

Online selling and buying is booming while consumers are stuck at home. E-book sales are set to overtake the sale of physical books, because many buyers are hesitant to order a physical book touched by strangers.

A traditional book release usually starts with the hardback. This, it is hoped, will lure impatient fans to buy the more costly version. The paperback edition follows about 6 months to a year later.  Sometimes the e-book comes out concurrently with the hard-cover, sometimes a the same time as the paperback.

Would this standard schedule be the best way during these unstable times? Perhaps there is a plan that might work better in 2020.

With these thoughts rumbling about in my head, I decided to release my memoir of love, travel and a van on a somewhat odd timetable. The e-book will be available first, a tactic I hope will take advantage of escalating internet buying. I have set the release date for July 26. Later, with an eye to attracting holiday gift purchases, the hardcover edition will be released on November 30. After the high news days of the national election (and hopefully a slowing of the Corona virus), the paperback edition will be available in the end of January 2021 . . . . with additional fanfare and (hopefully) an actual launch party!

For e-book readers, the wait is almost over. In fact, the e-book version of Wherever the Road Leads is currently available for pre-order on Amazon and Smashwords, a distributor that supplies e-books directly, as well as to Apple Books and Barns and Noble.

You can pre-order Wherever the Road Leads by following links  below. Your e-book will be sent to your device on July 26:

Questions about my memoir?  An opinion about my odd release plan?  Comments about my author page on Amazon? Please send your thoughts in the comment form below.  Thanks. Katie

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *