Indie Sci-Fi Debut Wins “Out of This World” Launch

Launching an independently published debut novel (particularly in a niche genre, like satirical sci-fi) can be tough. For The Second World, Books Forward partnered with author Jake Korell on a creative, comprehensive book publicity campaign — and the results left everyone over the moon.

Coordinating a Stellar Influencer Tour 

We knew readers would love the novel once they got their hands on it, so we put it directly in their hands! First we created a custom book-themed swag box that showcased the sci-fi hilarity and unique world of Jake’s story. Then we organized an extensive book influencer tour in the weeks leading up to launch, and we kept it going post-launch, building on the book’s momentum with a mix of organic and key paid partnerships.

Stellar feedback from enthusiastic influencers like Kris and Mads, Kist Reads Books, Bloodfire Jeff and MANY more gave Jake’s novel a major boost. Books Forward also provided personalized social media guidance to help Jake stay engaged with his new and growing online fanbase.

Houston, We Have Lift Off

We also coordinated a strong push for Amazon and Goodreads reviews. We saw excellent traction for The Second World, thanks to high engagement with our Amazon advertising strategy, Goodreads giveaway promotion and a NetGalley listing that led to crossposted reviews on both Amazon and Goodreads.

We organized two BookBub features: a Featured New Release to build interest at the initial launch, and a post-launch Featured Deal promoting the discounted ebook.

We also established Jake’s debut author credibility through traditional media, securing reviews with trade publications like Kirkus, interviews with media like Space.com (more than 3 million Facebook followers), guest articles with outlets like Writers Digest (40K subscribers) and local news features like Naperville Magazine (33K Facebook followers).

From One Small Step to a Giant Leap 

The combined efforts paid off. The Second World debuted in the top three of multiple Amazon genres, and reached #6 in general science fiction.

As Jake kindly put it: “I’m not totally sure what I was expecting, but I can safely say that this has surpassed my expectations. I really appreciate everything that Books Forward has done, and I especially want to thank you for taking me and my book on as a partner through this whole thing. You’ve really given me a chance at success in a very crowded publishing world.”

Or, to quote our favorite feedback from him: “WOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW. This is amazing!!!”