When you self-publish your book, you can release your book when you’re ready, not when a large publishing corporation tells you to. However, this means you must decide the best time to publish your book based on when you’ll get the most engagement. You want your book release date to combine when your book is ready with when your audience is best willing to receive and engage with our book. Here’s how to determine when to release your self-published book for maximum impact.

Are You Ready to Release Your Book?

Before deciding on a release date, you must determine whether your book is ready to publish. Don’t rush this process—there’s no going back! Be flexible and take the extra time to ensure your book is ready before putting it in front of your readers.

You can’t determine when to release your book without knowing whether it’s finished. That’s why it’s important to have the manuscript undergo multiple revisions and edits before publishing it. The editing process usually includes developmental editing, relaxed edits, and copy edits. After your manuscript is edited you’ll want to enlist some beta readers to review and offer feedback on your book. Beta readers are people in your target audience who agree to provide reviews and feedback about your book in exchange for getting the book in advance. After you’ve

completed this important pre-publication work, now its time to determine a release date.

How to Choose the Best Time to Publish Your Book

Here are some factors you should consider when choosing when to release your self-published book:

Genre

Specific book genres do better when released at different times of the year. For instance, devotionals, self-improvement, business, and health-related books do well when released in January and February. Many people set resolutions in the new year, and you can capitalize on this energy to help people reach their goals. In addition, YA and children’s titles do well in the spring (April – May) before summer. Bible studies do well when released in June and July when leaders are making decisions for Fall sessions.

Season

The season you’ll release your book should also coincide with the best time to publish it based on its genre. Does your new book appeal to beach readers? Consider launching your book in June or July, when people take summer vacations. Plus, Fiction books do well when released in the summer when people search for new good reads and have more time to discover new authors. Winter is also another good time to release a book. With freezing temperatures in northern states in January, February, and March, people spend more time inside and are looking for things to do. Also, consider the plot of your book when picking a release date. Does your book take place in the Northeast in the fall? Consider launching your book in mid or late-September so that people can immerse themselves in the fall foliage as they read.

Day of the Week

The day of the week you release your book also matters. The best time to publish a book online is Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. Most major publishers release on Tuesdays, so you may want to consider Monday or Wednesday so you’re not competing with big titles. Books do well when released on these days (especially on Amazon) because your book will have time to get sales and traction for the week before the weekend. This could help boost your book based on how Amazon records weekly sales.

Time of Month

Books released in the first two weeks of the month build momentum more effectively than those released in the last two weeks. However, if you’re releasing a series of novels and your readers eagerly anticipate the next installment, it may be best to publish as soon as the book is ready, regardless of the date.

When’s the Best Time To Publish Your Book? Let EABooks

Publishing Help!

Our team at EABooks Publishing is made up of successful authors, publishers, and marketing professionals who can help you determine the best release date for your book. We’re your partner in publishing and can help you with every aspect of publishing, releasing, and marketing your self-published book. Contact us today to learn how we can help you share your story with the world.