Book Launch Month

Here are some milestones as I count down to the release of THE JUMP

My book comes out this month.

My book comes out this month!

Hi, I’m Natalie, and in 2024 I sold 11 previously self-published titles and one novel-on-proposal to Flatiron Books. And in the past two years I have done completely new revisions, edits, and full production calendars on 8 of those books, am on the second-last in revisions, and am about to launch the proposal novel in hardcover.

Does that sound like a lot to you? It has been a lot for me.

Here’s what’s going on as my launch month opens. Milestones, activity from my publisher, and what I’m working on, as well. I hope it helps you if you’re trying to get a grasp on what it looks and feels like to publish a book in the traditional publishing industry.

The Jump releases on March 24th in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook.

Author Copies: They’re supposed to arrive tomorrow! I have a UPS delivery notification! It’s all happening! Of course, this means carefully slitting the tape, admiring my book, my first hardcover published by a major press, and then closing it up again so I can do an unboxing video for social media. And also for me, frankly, because I’m going to be able to look back at the unboxing video and smile to myself. So that’s nice.

A lot of these author copies will get sent with personal notes to specific readers. Some will be used for giveaways, including one for my Street Team. And I’ll keep some of my shelf forever, because hardcover books go out of print fairly quickly in most cases, and these will be trophies of my first-ever hardcover release.

A+ Content Appears on Amazon: This is the name for the graphic marketing on Amazon book pages. As a self-publisher, I made my own A+ Content (I used Book Brush) as a way to show the book’s mood and genre. Anything to save people reading, right? (Lol/sigh.)

I was starting to wonder if I needed to ask for A+ content on The Jump’s page when a beautiful sample arrived in my inbox last week. The colors, photos, and fonts are all on point. Check it out:

The only thing I wish I could change is Ben’s noseband — why is it crooked?? Oh, Ben.

But seriously, I love that they included a picture of Ben and me in this. The Eventing Series’ A+ Content (also done by the publisher) focuses entirely on the books, and I am a little charmed that this showcases me, and my bona fides as an equestrian.

By the way, I should note that this was done without my input. I was asked to approve the design, but I wasn’t consulted on the design. The publisher handled everything.

Tour Dates & Conversation Partners Finalized: This one really took forever and it’s wild to me that things weren’t finalized until now. Tour dates were first proposed in November 2025. The publisher confirmed the dates and locations in January or February, I forget now. We are “announcing” the dates on March 4 but the truth is I shared them all over the place weeks ago, because if you suggest to me I do something in two or three weeks, I’m already going to be booked that night. I don’t even go out that often. But things come up.

In case you’re wondering:

March 24: Neptune Beach, Florida at the BookMark

March 25: Lexington, Kentucky at Joseph-Beth with Susan Friedland

March 27: Cincinnati, Ohio, at Joseph-Beth with Leah Stewart

March 31: Gainesville, FL at The Lynx with Tik Maynard (please rsvp)

April 26-29: Kentucky Three-Day Event with Mare Modern Goods

Finding conversation partners was a challenge I hadn’t really planned for because I usually do events at big expos and all my friends are already there! I’m super excited and grateful for the authors who are coming out to join me. The Lynx, in particular, will be our launch party event. If you are in north-central Florida, come out!

Podcasts: Apparently podcasts have taken over as the media publicity engine of choice. That’s kind of lucky for me because I love doing podcasts. (I co-host Adulting With Horses Podcast with fellow author and weird horse girl Heather Wallace). So far I’ve recorded Barn Banter, the Horse Illustrated podcast; The Stable Exchange, Our Next Chapter, and Ride IQ’s Ask an Expert (which is on YouTube, too).

I could and probably should be pitching more podcasts. I know my publicity team is pitching podcasts and I have a few more lined up for this month and next. But I’m also revising and editing my next books to publish, and I cannot do everything.

Street Team Gets Underway: I chose to run a Street Team for this book release because I felt like it needed an extra push in the equestrian world. While my publisher is pushing it to book media, my area of expertise is horses, and there’s no reason to let that fall by the wayside. Leave no marketing stone unturned!

This week I began weekly challenges for my Street Team to get the word out in a variety of ways, from adding reviews to sharing graphics on social media. We’ll do a new challenge each week until the week after the book publishes. This requires a bit of management—time I can hardly find—but it comes with the benefit of meeting and working with fans who are super excited about my new book!

Preorder Campaign: After some serious back-and-forth about whether I was even doing a preorder campaign, I went for it. Last week I designed a new sticker and bookmark for preorder goodies, and asked my publisher to make me bookplates. I announced the campaign with a sign-up form. I limited it to 100 pieces! It’s tiny, but I wanted to do it. I made a graphic in Adobe Express and put it up on my social media. I still need to do a dedicated email blast.

Review More Marketing: I have opportunities in my inbox, and notes in my planner, for things I’d like to do. I’ll keep chipping away at those.

Revisions Continue: I just finished my second round of revisions on Book 2 of my upcoming trilogy, Briar Hill Farm. It will probably come back this week for a fast and dirty third round that will only take a day to turn around. I am also midway through a first round of revisions on Book 3. Copy-edits on Book 1 will be coming in hot right after my book tour. So this work has to continue daily in addition to all of my marketing tasks.

If I wasn’t a full-time writer I couldn’t manage this.

If I hadn’t been a full-time writer running my own self-publishing business for years, I’m pretty sure I couldn’t manage this.

There’s a decent chance I can’t manage this, after all, and Book 3 will be a little late.

That’s okay. After 11 books delivered in two years, I think I can be a week or two late on the last one.

Vacation planning: I’m looking forward to some time off after all this!! But also, always squeezing in book stores for stock signings or events in every location I go to!

So here we are, just three weeks to my book launch. And this is how I’m spending my time. But I’m also living my life. Which means right now, I’m going to go outside and ride my horse. Then I’m going to the gym. Then, in the afternoon? More work!

Please let me know if you have any questions I can answer for you about publishing, marketing, horses, etc!

And if you’re so inclined and want to read a contemporary novel about friendship, horses, and the way sports treat young women, preorder or request your library order The Jump, coming March 24! https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250387875/thejump/