In the last post, we covered the first 90 days of your book launch. In this post, let’s focus on what comes next—the following six months.

The first 90 days are typically the hottest period for your book. After that, sales will slow down unless you have a strategic plan. The good news? They don’t have to slow down.

With a solid strategy, you can keep gaining momentum and even attract a fresh wave of readers.

Step One: Have Another Book Ready

The most important part of this next phase is releasing a second book. Ideally, this would be part of a series—but even two standalone novels can work.

Releasing a second book automatically helps promote the first. While you’re running the pre-launch and 90-day plan for Book 2, you’re breathing new life into Book 1.

If it’s a series, your strategy will need slight adjustments—especially if the books must be read in order. If they can be read independently, you have more flexibility.

Don’t Just Market the First Book

I often hear authors say they only market the first book in their series. To me, that’s a missed opportunity and leaves potential readers on the table.

The marketing strategy will differ when dealing with sequential series books. You’re not trying to convince readers to buy two books—they need to feel like they’re stepping into a world they want to stay in.

Here are two common strategies for sequential series:

1. Give away the second book – This pushes readers to buy the first book to understand the story.
2. Discount the second book and offer the first for free – This lowers the barrier for entry and draws readers in.

Both strategies can work. The right choice may depend on your advertising platform. For example:

• BookBub has strong options for both models.
• Freebooksy offers specific promotions for series.

Don’t Stop Marketing Book One

Continue doing everything you did during the first 90 days:

• Research new reader promotion platforms.
• Reach out to bloggers.
• Build your email list.
• Pitch podcasts and BookTok influencers.

But now, use the second book as a “carrot” to bring attention back to the first.

For example, during the second book’s launch:

• I’ll promote the new ebook at $1.
• At the same time, I’ll offer Book 1 for free during launch week.
• The following week, I’ll move Book 1 to half-price.
• A month later, I might run a campaign giving away Book 2 while selling Book 1 at full price.

Try different combinations to see what gets your books in front of more readers.

Remember: Sales Don’t Equal Reads

It’s easier to get someone to buy your book than it is to get them to actually read it.

This is one reason I don’t use Amazon’s anti-piracy protections. In fact, I want my book pirated. Sure, I may lose $0.30 per copy—but if people are reading it and talking about it, that’s far more valuable in the long run.

Nothing would thrill me more than a Russian hacker pirating, translating, and illegally reselling my book in Russia. Sure, I lose some sales—but what I gain in reach is far more powerful. I’d take a million illegal downloads over 10,000 paid sales any day.

Look at Stephen King—he sells the rights to some short stories for $1. That’s not just altruism—it’s smart reader-building. If someone reads my pirated book in El Salvador and loves it, they’re going to want to read the next one legally. And who’s going to get the call for translation rights to Book 2? Me.

Final Thoughts

Am I advocating for piracy? No. Am I giving permission? Definitely not. But I’m also not wasting energy fighting it. I choose to see the potential upside instead of obsessing over lost revenue.

So, what are the two most important things you can do in the six months after your first 90 days?

1. Release another book.
2. Continue the 90-day strategy—especially focusing on podcasts, blogs, and BookTok.

Stay consistent, stay visible, and always give readers a reason to keep coming back.

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