It’s a new year and with it comes time when I take stock over some of the things I’ve learned, wish I’d learned and hope to learn. One of those things is: when to start marketing your book.

The simple answer is: as soon as possible.

At first, I assumed that, that meant after I’d finished writing it but before I hit publish. It is a blindingly obvious blunder on my part. You see, the perfect time to start marketing your book: is well before you’ve started writing it.

Not always, sometimes you really should wait until your book is written first. Sometimes you need to get the whole book written, just to come up with a description of it. Sometimes you need to get half of it written in order to figure out the title. Most of the time, especially when you’re well into a series, you’ll have a good idea of all of that before you even start outlining the new novel.

Even if you don’t, you’re allowed to ‘fudge’ it. Come up with a few ideas and if they don’t fit just right, call it “working.” As long as you have a title, a description and a book cover (people do love their eye candy) even if it is a ‘working’ title/description/cover you can get started marketing your book.

Remember, marketing is a long hard slog up a steep hill, while the world balances on your shoulders – you’ll need all the time you can get.