What assets are needed before publishing a book?
- Ten core asset categories required before launch.
- Cover assets are typically three: ebook (~1600x2560), print (with spine and back), audiobook (3000x3000).
- ISBN required for print; optional for KDP-only ebook.
- Each retailer requires its own metadata fields (BISAC, keywords, description length varies).
- The launch plan plus marketing assets are the most commonly under-prepared.
Before publishing, you need ten core assets: the final manuscript, ebook and print interior files, cover (ebook, print, audiobook if applicable), metadata package (title, subtitle, description, keywords, BISAC), ISBNs, ARC list, author bio and photo, launch plan, retailer account setup, and promotional materials. Missing any one delays the launch.
Chapter i·Why it matters
Authors who reach launch week without all ten asset categories scramble — and scramble produces typos in metadata, missing cover variants, and broken ARC lists. The asset checklist replaces "I’ll figure that out when I get there" with "this is the list, when does each item ship." It is the single most useful pre-launch document.
Chapter ii·What to include
- Final manuscript (.docx and .epub, plus print PDF).
- Cover assets: ebook (~1600x2560), print (full wrap with spine and back), audiobook square if applicable.
- Metadata package: title, subtitle, series, description, 7 keywords, BISAC codes (2-3).
- ISBNs: one per format if you are using your own ISBNs.
- ARC list: 50-150 names with addresses or BookFunnel signups.
- Author bio (50, 150, 300 word versions), author photo (high-res, square and landscape).
- Launch plan: T-anchor calendar with deliverables per anchor.
- Retailer accounts active: KDP, IngramSpark (or D2D), Apple, Kobo, B&N.
- Promotional materials: ad creatives, social posts, newsletter copy.
- A "launch day" coordinated push schedule.
Chapter iii·Example
A self-publishing author runs a pre-launch audit four weeks out and finds she is missing two metadata items, the audiobook cover variant, and the print-format spine width. She fixes all three in week T-21 instead of discovering them at T-3. Her launch ships on time without a scramble.
Chapter iv·Related questions
WriteLoom’s Sell studio tracks every pre-launch asset with status and owner — so nothing surfaces missing in launch week.
See the Sell studio