I'm getting dangerously close to completing the manuscript of The Last Bucelarii (Book 1): Blade of the Destroyer. It's in the hands of the editor at the moment, meaning I have just a week or so until I begin work on the final draft. From there, it's on to formatting and getting it ready for the final step: publishing. I will ship the manuscript out to a few dozen publishers on the off chance that someone is willing to take a risk on a newbie writer, but I'm also going to prepare for a self-published launch just in case. I've been reaching out to friends and compatriots for help, and I'm very excited about the results I've gotten! If all goes well, it will be a wonderful, widespread launch come (SPOILER DATE NOT INCLUDED). Yet someone told me this about my efforts to set up the launch: "That's all bullshit, release the book now if it's ready... send it to all your Friends and fans and ask for reviews." This week's writing mistake isn't me talking about mistakes, it's about me asking questions to help avoid a mistake on my part. So here's the question: When should I publish, and when should I launch the book? I'm thinking of publishing the book online a month or two before the actual launch date, that way I can start getting reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, etc. That way, when the launch date actually arrives, there will be enough reviews that people who see it will be enticed to buy. But is that the right way to go? Should I publish on the same date as the launch? Should I publish earlier and start driving more traffic to the book before the launch date? Any of you fellow writers out there, PLEASE comment--either here or on Facebook--and give me your advice. How did you do it with your books? What worked best? What would you recommend? I don't want to jump the gun on the publishing, but I want to make sure that this one hits big in the only way I know how. My thanks!