Target twenty to fifty readers who get a free copy on day one and agree to post an honest review if they finish. Expect attrition: of thirty who commit, half claim the book, fewer read it, a handful post. Sources: communities you belong to, also-read reviewers, friends and family used sparingly and disclosed, one polite ask to fitting email contacts.
| Name | Source (community / also-read / friend / email) | Committed in writing | Copy delivered | Review posted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ||
| ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ||
| ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ||
| ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ||
| ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ||
| ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
Committed total: Copies delivered: Reviews posted:
"Hi [name], my book [title], a [one-line description for this reader], goes live on [date]. I'd like to send you a free copy before launch. If you read it and it works for you, an honest review in launch week would mean a lot to this first-time author. No obligation, and no pressure on the star rating; I'd rather have your real take than a polite one. Can I send it?"
Not in that message, ever: no promise of payment, no review-for-review trade, no instruction about what to write. Crossing that line is account-level fraud to Amazon.
| Phase | Price | When | Done |
|---|---|---|---|
| Launch week ebook price (low, removes friction) | $ | Live date to day 7 | ☐ |
| Full price (raised once reviews land) | $ | When reviews arrive | ☐ |
| Paperback (can launch at full price) | $ | Live date | ☐ |
KDP Select enrollment requires ninety days of ebook exclusivity and gives five free promotion days per enrollment period, plus countdown deals. A free-day spike, a price return, and the team posting into the traffic is the classic first-launch sequence.
| Promo day | Date | Purpose | Done |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 of 5 | ☐ | ||
| 2 of 5 | ☐ | ||
| 3 of 5 | ☐ |
During the week your jobs are three: deliver free copies the moment the book is live, send the halfway reminder, and reply to nothing on the sales dashboard with panic.