## OBJECTIVE
Drive 3,000+ unit sales (pre-order + launch window) and achieve Amazon Top 50 ranking in "Psychological Thrillers" within 90 days, establishing "The Memory Architect" as a category bestseller with 75+ organic Goodreads reviews and 4.3+ star average to secure long-term algorithmic favor.

## TARGET AUDIENCE
**Primary Segment:** Women 28-42, college-educated, HHI $65k+, active on Instagram/TikTok (BookTok) and Facebook (book groups), heavy podcast consumers (true crime/psychology), currently reading Tarryn Fisher, Alex Michaelides, or Ashley Flowers. They are in "anticipation fatigue"—burned out by thriller tropes and seeking fresh clinical/psychological authenticity.

**Key Insight:** They need permission to trust a debut author. The hook isn't the plot twist; it's the author's credibility as a neuropsychologist. They need to see "insider medical verisimilitude" in content snippets before purchasing, validating this isn't "cozy mystery" territory but clinical suspense with real neurological stakes.

## TACTICAL PLAN

**STEP 1: NetGalley Co-Op ARC Distribution Blitz**
- **OWNER:** Agency (Crimson Leaf Marketing)
- **TIMELINE:** Days 1-14 (Immediate)
- **TOOL:** NetGalley Co-Op placement + BookFunnel delivery
- **SPECIFIC:** Purchase 300-copy NetGalley co-op placement targeting "Psychological Suspense" and "Medical Thriller" auto-approved tags. Set 3-week download window with auto-follow-up email sequence requesting reviews on Goodreads/Amazon on pub day.

**STEP 2: "Clinical Files" TikTok/Reels Content Engine**
- **OWNER:** Author (with VA editing support)
- **TIMELINE:** Days 15-60 (Content production); Daily posting Days 30-90
- **TOOL:** CapCut (editing), TikTok Creator Portal, Instagram Reels
- **SPECIFIC:** 15-second "redacted patient file" videos showing actual (anonymized) neurological case studies that inspired book chapters. Hook text: "This real amnesia case became Chapter 7. The patient remembered things that never happened." CTA: "Link in bio for early access."

**STEP 3: Newsletter Swap Network Activation**
- **OWNER:** Agency
- **TIMELINE:** Days 30-75
- **TOOL:** StoryOrigin, BookFunnel Cross-Promotions, direct outreach
- **SPECIFIC:** Secure 5 newsletter swaps with psychological thriller authors (10k-50k subscriber lists) via StoryOrigin. Deliver exclusive "Deleted Therapy Session" bonus chapter as magnet. Schedule: 2 swaps at Day 30 (pre-launch), 3 at Day 60 (launch week).

**STEP 4: Amazon Advertising Infrastructure**
- **OWNER:** Agency Media Buyer
- **TIMELINE:** Days 45-90 (Setup Days 45-50; Live Days 51-90)
- **TOOL:** Amazon Ads Console, KDP Dashboard, BookReport.io
- **SPECIFIC:** Launch Lockscreen Ads targeting "The Silent Patient," "Verity," and "Anatomy of a Scandal" readers ($25/day budget). Parallel Sponsored Products campaign on "psychological thriller" + "medical thriller" keywords ($40/day). Day 75: Increase budgets 300% for launch week "also-bought" conquest.

**STEP 5: BookBub Featured Deal Pre-Submission**
- **OWNER:** Agency
- **TIMELINE:** Days 60-65 (Submission); Day 85 (Execution if accepted)
- **TOOL:** BookBub Partner Dashboard
- **SPECIFIC:** Submit for International Featured Deal at $0.99 price point (planning for Day 85) to spike rank algorithm. Fallback: Run BookBub CPM ads to comparable author followers if rejected.

**STEP 6: "The False Memory" Interactive Instagram Campaign**
- **OWNER:** Agency Creative + Author
- **TIMELINE:** Days 50-80
- **TOOL:** Instagram Stories (Polls/Sliders), Canva Pro, Linktree
- **SPECIFIC:** 10-part Stories series "Planting False Memories"—daily psychological tricks showing how memory works (tying to book theme). Final slide always includes swipe-up (or link sticker) to pre-order. Pin to Highlights: "The Science."

**STEP 7: Launch Week Street Team Activation**
- **OWNER:** Author + VA
- **TIMELINE:** Days 75-90
- **TOOL:** Discord or Facebook Group (private), Loomly (scheduling)
- **SPECIFIC:** Activate 50-member "Clinical Trial" street team (recruited from Steps 1-3). Daily prompts: Day 76 (Amazon review), Day 78 (Goodreads review), Day 80 (Instagram Story with specific graphic), Day 82 (TikTok transition video using provided audio).

## CONTENT REQUIREMENTS

1. **NetGalley ARC Copy**
   - Format: HTML email + PDF download
   - Length: 150-word book description (clinical tone), 500-word "Note from the Author" on neurological accuracy
   - Platform: NetGalley platform
   - Writer: Agency (based on author interview transcript)

2. **"Clinical Files" Video Scripts (10x)**
   - Format: 15-second vertical video scripts with on-screen text overlays
   - Length: 40-50 words spoken, 10-12 words on-screen hook
   - Platform: TikTok/Reels
   - Writer: Author (medical content); Agency (hook optimization)

3. **Newsletter Swap Creative Package**
   - Format: HTML newsletter insert + JPEG graphic (600x400px)
   - Length: 250-word exclusive excerpt + 50-word author bio
   - Platform: MailerLite/Mailchimp (partner platforms)
   - Writer: Agency

4. **Amazon Ad Copy (3 variants)**
   - Format: Headline Search Ad text
   - Length: 50 characters (Headline), 150 characters (Body)
   - Platform: Amazon Advertising Console
   - Writer: Agency

5. **Instagram False Memory Series Graphics**
   - Format: Carousel posts (1080x1350px) + Stories (1080x1920px)
   - Length: 50-word text overlay max per slide
   - Platform: Instagram
   - Writer: Agency (design), Author (scientific accuracy check)

6. **Street Team Daily Prompt Script**
   - Format: Private group posts
   - Length: 100-word instructions per day
   - Platform: Facebook Group/Discord
   - Writer: Agency

## SUCCESS METRICS

**1. Pre-Order Velocity (Amazon Best Seller Rank)**
- **Measurement:** KDP Dashboard + Amazon Sales Rank tracker (e.g., BookReport.io or NovelRank)
- **Baseline:** N/A (new release)
- **90-Day Target:** Top 50 in Psychological Thrillers (sub-#3,000 overall store rank) sustained for 7+ consecutive days during launch week

**2. ARC-to-Review Conversion Rate**
- **Measurement:** (Verified Amazon reviews + Goodreads reviews) / Total NetGalley downloads
- **Baseline:** 0 reviews
- **90-Day Target:** 25% conversion rate (75+ reviews from 300 ARCs) with 4.3+ star average

**3. Blended Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)**
- **Measurement:** (Total ad spend + NetGalley cost + creative costs) / Total unit sales
- **Baseline:** N/A
- **90-Day Target:** <$2.50 per unit (sustainable for $4.99 ebook royalty margin)

## RISK & MITIGATION

**1. Platform Algorithm Suppression (TikTok/Amazon "shadowban" on new accounts)**
- **Mitigation:** Author established personal TikTok 60 days prior to campaign to "season" the account; Amazon ads use manual keyword targeting rather than auto-targeting initially to prevent irrelevant clicks that hurt relevance score.

**2. Low ARC Review Conversion Due to "Review Bombing" Anxiety**
- **Mitigation:** Implement tiered follow-up sequence (3 emails max) with embedded tutorial links on "how to review ethically," and explicitly state "honest reviews only—no obligation for positive ratings" to comply with Amazon TOS and reduce reviewer anxiety.

## BUDGET ESTIMATE
**$12,000 - $18,500**

**Low/High Range Breakdown:**
- NetGalley Co-Op: $450 (low) / $600 (high) - 300 copies
- Amazon Ads (45 days): $2,925 (low @$65/day) / $4,500 (high @$100/day avg)
- BookBub Featured Deal (if accepted): $0 (ad spend only) / $1,200 (International Deal fee)
- Creative/Video Production: $2,000 / $3,500 (VA editing, Canva Pro, stock footage licensing)
- Author Platform Tools: $500 / $800 (BookFunnel, StoryOrigin, scheduling tools)
- Crisis Reserve: $6,125 / $7,900 (buffer for increased CPC during launch week competition)

**Single Biggest Cost Driver:** Amazon Advertising spend, particularly Days 75-90 when Cost-Per-Click (CPC) in the psychological thriller category spikes 40-60% due to new release competition.