The Publishing Timeline: Why Your Marketing Starts on Day 0

Let me be blunt: good books flop every single day. Not because they’re bad books. Not because the author didn’t work hard enough. They flop because no one knew they were coming.

That’s the dirty little secret of publishing nobody wants to talk about.

Most authors think marketing starts when the book is done—when you’re finally holding it in your hands, or when the pre-order link goes live. I hate to break it to you, but if you wait until then, you’ve already lost.

Day 0 Is Your Starting Line

The moment you decide, “I’m going to write this book,” you’ve crossed the starting line. That’s Day 0.
And Day 0 is when your marketing begins.

Don’t panic—I’m not saying you have to throw yourself into paid ads, email funnels, and TikTok dances before you’ve even written Chapter One. What I am saying is: start showing up. Start letting people in on the journey. Start building the thing that will actually sell your book when it’s ready: your platform.

What Is an Author Platform?

Platform is not a dirty word. It’s just a fancy publishing term for:

• Visibility → people can find you.

• Credibility → people trust you.

• Consistency → people see you showing up.

It’s your community. Your readers. Your future book buyers. And the only way you get them? You talk about your book. Again and again. Even when it feels like you’re shouting into the void.

Example: My George the Doberman Picture Books

I’ll use myself as Exhibit A.

You’ve probably heard me talk about my George the Doberman picture books. (If you haven’t, where have you been? Under a rock?) I have been talking about George for months. Scratch that—years. I’ve mentioned George at conferences. On social media. In workshops. With my authors. With strangers in line to buy groceries.

Why? Because if I don’t talk about him, no one else will.

Hundreds—honestly, probably thousands—of people now know I have a George picture book series coming in May 2026. They know George’s story. They know I’m writing for anxious, sensory-overloaded kids like Z, the child narrator in my series. They know that even from the rainbow bridge, George still has lessons to teach.

That’s not marketing. That’s me holding myself accountable. Every time I talk about George, I’m not only building anticipation—I’m making it harder to chicken out. I can’t not finish these books now, because too many people are waiting for them.

That’s what marketing on Day 0 does. It makes you real. It makes your book real. And it builds a community that’s already invested before the book even exists.

Pacing: The Secret Sauce

Look, I’m a triathlon nerd. I know what happens when you try to sprint a marathon—you collapse. Publishing is the same way. If you wait until the end and then try to blast out all your marketing at once, you will burn out faster than my kid’s football team runs out of Gatorade.

But if you start small and steady—sharing pieces of your journey, opening up about your process, letting people peek behind the curtain—you’ll build endurance. And by the time your launch day arrives, you won’t be gasping for air. You’ll be ready. Your audience will be ready. And your book will actually have a fighting chance.

The Hard Truth About Author Platform

The biggest mistake authors make is waiting. Waiting until it’s perfect. Waiting until they feel ready. Waiting until it’s “time.”

Newsflash: there is no perfect time. There is only Day 0.

So stop waiting. Start showing up. Start sharing your story—even if it’s messy, even if it’s scary, even if your book is still a scribble in your notebook. Because the sooner you start, the stronger your launch will be.

Here’s your takeaway:
Your publishing timeline isn’t just edits, covers, and ISBNs. It’s platform. It’s pacing. It’s letting people know your book exists before it’s even a book.

And if you’re thinking, “Okay, but how do I actually do this without losing my mind?”—good news. In early November, I’m hosting a hands-on 3-Day Author Platform Workshop where we’ll take everything I just ranted about and turn it into a real plan.

Learn more about building your author platform here: klrliterary.com/author-platform

Because I don’t want your good book to flop. I want people to know it’s coming.