## OBJECTIVE
Generate 2,500 pre-orders and secure the #1 New Release badge in Amazon’s Historical Fiction > World War II category for *The Iron Ledger* (debut by Sarah Chen) within 90 days, establishing baseline visibility for the series’ long-tail sales velocity.

---

## TARGET AUDIENCE

**Primary Segment:** "Book Club Historians"
- **Demographics:** Women, 35–55, HHI $75k+, suburban/urban, college-educated
- **Platform:** Heavy Instagram (Reels/Stories) and Facebook Groups (Historical Fiction Book Clubs), supplementary Goodreads and BookBub
- **Emotional State:** Seeking "intelligent escapism"—they want WWII narratives that center female agency without trauma porn, craving the satisfaction of puzzle-solving and emotional catharsis
- **Buying Stage:** Discovery/Consideration; actively finishing comparable titles (Kristin Hannah, Kate Quinn) and searching "what to read after The Alice Network"

**Key Insight:**  
This reader doesn’t convert on cold ads; she converts on the feeling of *insider discovery*. She needs to see unboxing videos of themed ARC packages and feel she’s joining a secret club (the “codebreaker” aesthetic) before she’ll commit her hardcover budget or Kindle Unlimited download.

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## TACTICAL PLAN

**Phase 1: Foundation & Seeding (Days 1–30)**

- **STEP:** Execute micro-influencer ARC seeding to 50 Bookstagram accounts (10k–50k followers) specializing in historical fiction; send physical ARCs in custom “Enigma Machine” themed boxes ( cipher wheel, tea sample, printed ARC)  
  **OWNER:** Crimson Leaf Agency (Creative + Outreach teams)  
  **TIMELINE:** Day 1 ( outreach list), Day 7 (ship physical), Day 14 (digital ARC backup via BookFunnel)  
  **TOOL/PLATFORM:** Instagram for outreach, Shopify for fulfillment tracking, BookFunnel for secure PDF/ePub delivery

- **STEP:** Build “The Cipher Club” VIP reader hub—password-protected landing page hosting deleted scenes, 1940s playlist, and character genealogy charts  
  **OWNER:** Author + VA  
  **TIMELINE:** Day 15 (live), Day 30 (populate with weekly content drops)  
  **TOOL/PLATFORM:** Beehiiv (gated newsletter segment), Carrd.co (password-protected content hub)

**Phase 2: Pre-Launch Velocity (Days 31–60)**

- **STEP:** Launch Amazon Advertising ASIN-targeting campaign against comparable titles (*The Nightingale*, *The Rose Code*, *The Huntress*) with Product Display Ads  
  **OWNER:** Agency PPC Specialist  
  **TIMELINE:** Day 31 (campaign live), Day 35 (optimization based on CTR)  
  **TOOL/PLATFORM:** Amazon Advertising Console, Perpetua (bid automation)

- **STEP:** Execute Goodreads Giveaway (100 print copies) simultaneous to Edelweiss+ librarian push targeting 200 public library systems  
  **OWNER:** Agency (Marketing Coordinator)  
  **TIMELINE:** Day 45 (Goodreads live), Day 50 (Edelweiss blast + personalized email follow-up)  
  **TOOL/PLATFORM:** Goodreads Giveaway Dashboard, Edelweiss+, Ingram iPage for library metadata

- **STEP:** Secure 10 podcast appearances in historical fiction/writing craft shows (e.g., *The Writer’s Voice*, *Fictitious*)  
  **OWNER:** Author (Agency provides one-sheet and booking calendar)  
  **TIMELINE:** Days 45–75 (interviews recorded)  
  **TOOL/PLATFORM:** MatchMaker.fm for pitching, Riverside.fm for remote recording

**Phase 3: Launch & Conversion (Days 61–90)**

- **STEP:** Host live virtual launch event with special guest (Bletchley Park historian or codebreaking expert) featuring live Q&A and exclusive reading  
  **OWNER:** Agency (Event coordination) + Author  
  **TIMELINE:** Day 85 (5 days pre-launch)  
  **TOOL/PLATFORM:** Crowdcast (for webinar + chat functionality), Eventbrite (registration/lead capture)

- **STEP:** Retargeting blitz—Facebook/Instagram conversion campaigns aimed at ARC readers who visited the landing page but didn’t pre-order  
  **OWNER:** Agency Media Buyer  
  **TIMELINE:** Day 75 ( pixel warm-up), Day 80–90 (conversion focus)  
  **TOOL/PLATFORM:** Facebook Ads Manager, Zapier integration to exclude existing purchasers from audience

---

## CONTENT REQUIREMENTS

1. **ARC Outreach DM Script**  
   - Format: Instagram Direct Message template  
   - Count: 120 words max + personalization hook  
   - Platform: Instagram  
   - Writer: Agency Outreach Specialist

2. **Unboxing Insert Card**  
   - Format: 4x6” printed card with cipher puzzle (leads to password for Cipher Club)  
   - Count: 50 words + visual puzzle  
   - Platform: Physical print insert  
   - Writer: Agency Copywriter

3. **Podcast One-Sheet PDF**  
   - Format: Single-page digital pdf  
   - Count: 300 words (author bio + 5 suggested questions)  
   - Platform: Email attachment  
   - Writer: Agency

4. **Landing Page Sales Copy (Cipher Club)**  
   - Format: Long-form web sales page  
   - Count: 800 words (hero section, social proof, exclusive content tease)  
   - Platform: Carrd.co  
   - Writer: Agency ( Author approval)

5. **Amazon A+ Content**  
   - Format: Enhanced brand content (5 modules)  
   - Count: 100 words per module + historical imagery  
   - Platform: Amazon KDP/Author Central  
   - Writer: Agency

6. **Launch Event Slide Deck**  
   - Format: PowerPoint/Keynote  
   - Count: 15 slides, 30 words max per slide  
   - Platform: Crowdcast screen share  
   - Writer: Author (content), Agency (design)

---

## SUCCESS METRICS

**1. Pre-Order Volume**  
- **Measurement:** Daily reconciliation of Amazon KDP pre-order reports + IngramSpark pre-order dashboard + PubTrack by Nielsen  
- **Baseline:** 0 units (debut)  
- **90-Day Target:** 2,500 units across all formats (60% Kindle, 30% hardcover, 10% audio pre-orders via Libro.fm)

**2. Amazon Category Bestseller Rank**  
- **Measurement:** Hourly tracking via Publisher Rocket or eReaderIQ for “Historical Fiction > World War II” category  
- **Baseline:** N/A (not yet ranked)  
- **90-Day Target:** #1 New Release badge maintained for minimum 7 days; sustained Top 100 in category during launch week

**3. ARC Conversion Rate**  
- **Measurement:** Percentage of 50 physical ARC recipients who post review/IG content (tracked via unique hashtag #TheIronLedger + manual Story mention monitoring)  
- **Baseline:** 0%  
- **90-Day Target:** 60% posting rate (30+ pieces of content) within 14 days of receipt

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## RISK & MITIGATION

**1. Amazon Advertising Account Suspension**  
New advertiser accounts with sudden high spend on pre-order titles risk algorithmic suspension.  
*Mitigation:* Pre-warm the Amazon Ads account 30 days early with $10/day test campaigns on the author’s backlist or comparable titles to establish payment history and account standing.

**2. Print ARC Supply Chain Delays**  
Courier delays could miss the critical 30-day review window before launch.  
*Mitigation:* Dual-track distribution—immediate BookFunnel digital ARCs delivered on Day 7 while physical boxes ship, ensuring all 50 reviewers can access content instantly regardless of postal timelines.

---

## RISK & MITIGATION

**1. Amazon Advertising Account Suspension**  
New advertiser accounts with sudden high spend on pre-order titles risk algorithmic suspension.  
*Mitigation:* Pre-warm the Amazon Ads account 30 days early with $10/day test campaigns on the author’s backlist or comparable titles to establish payment history and account standing.

**2. Print ARC Supply Chain Delays**  
Courier delays could miss the critical 30-day review window before launch.  
*Mitigation:* Dual-track distribution—immediate BookFunnel digital ARCs delivered on Day 7 while physical boxes ship, ensuring all 50 reviewers can access content instantly regardless of postal timelines.

---

## BUDGET ESTIMATE

**$15,000 – $28,000**

**Single Biggest Cost Driver:** Paid Media Spend (Amazon Ads + Facebook/Instagram Retargeting), comprising $8,000–$15,000 of the total budget, driven by CPC inflation in the historical fiction category during Q4/Q1 launch windows.

**Breakdown:**  
- Paid Media: $8k–$15k  
- ARC Printing/Shipping (50 units @ $40/all-in): $2k  
- Platform/Tools (Beehiiv, Crowdcast, BookFunnel, Perpetua): $1k–$1.5k  
- Creative Assets (Design, Copy): $3k–$5k  
- Podcast Booking Service: $1k–$2.5k  
- Contingency (Goodreads Promo, Boosted Posts): $1k–$2k