What should I do 30 days before publishing a book?
Plan, draft, edit and pitch the same book in one project.
Start free in the Sell studio- Thirty days out is the finalize-and-verify window.
- Upload final, proofed interior and cover files for every format.
- Confirm all links: preorder, retailer, newsletter, and back-matter.
- Brief and schedule your launch team for release week.
- Run QA: order a proof, preview the listing, check pricing.
Thirty days out, finalize and verify everything. Upload your final, proofed interior and cover files for each format; confirm every link works (preorder pages, retailer listings, newsletter signup, and back-matter links); brief your launch team on what to do and when; and run end-to-end QA — order a print proof, preview the ebook, and check pricing and categories. The goal is a book that is fully built and tested with a month of buffer for fixes.
Chapter i·Why it matters
The thirty-day mark is where a launch either gets quietly de-risked or starts hiding problems that surface on release day. A broken back-matter link, a proof with a layout error, or a launch team that was never briefed all become emergencies at zero days but are routine fixes at thirty. Finalizing files and running QA with a month to spare turns launch day into a non-event — which is what you want.
Chapter ii·What to include
- Final interior and cover files uploaded for every format.
- A link audit: preorder, retailer, newsletter, and back-matter links.
- A launch-team brief with dates and assets.
- A printed proof ordered and reviewed.
- An ebook preview checked on a real device or previewer.
- Confirmed pricing, categories, and release date.
Chapter iii·Example
A month before release, an author uploads her final files, orders a paperback proof, and clicks every link in her back matter — catching one that pointed to a dead newsletter page. She briefs her twelve-person launch team with their post dates and graphics. By the time launch week starts, the only open task is promotion, because the build was finished and tested a month earlier.
In WriteLoom
Everything this article talks about, in one project
WriteLoom's Sell studio tracks every final-month task and link in one checklist, so nothing reaches launch day untested.
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