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Free book launch timeline planner

Plan the final 30 days of a book launch in dependency order.

A launch date is only useful when the manuscript, pagination, cover, metadata, validation, and upload buffer happen in the right order.

Works backward from launchSeven concrete milestonesNo email gate

Build a dependency-ordered book launch timeline

Pick the intended release date. The planner works backward from manuscript lock to upload buffer, without asking for an email.

Lock upstream decisions before downstream assets

The interior must stop changing before final pagination can control the spine. The cover should be locked before upload, and store metadata should match the cover and approved edition. Validation belongs after the files are final, not halfway through formatting.

The planner leaves a four-day upload buffer as a conservative working assumption. It is not a prediction of KDP review speed or a guarantee that a retailer will approve a title by the target date.

Move the date when a dependency is still open

An overdue manuscript lock cannot be repaired by rushing the cover designer. Move the target, reduce scope, or make an explicit risk decision. Hiding the delay only moves it into upload week, where every correction affects more files.

  • One owner for each milestone
  • One approved source filename
  • Final page count before cover lock
  • Validation after the last export
  • Upload before the public deadline

Next release checks

Free word count to pages calculator

Estimate book pages from the choices that actually change layout.

A 60,000-word manuscript does not have one universal page count. Choose trim, typography, spacing, and image load to get a planning range rather than fake precision.Open check

Interactive release checklist

A book formatting checklist for the files you will actually upload.

Check behavior and evidence, not intentions. Every item should be true in the approved source or final export before you mark it complete.Open check

Free KDP metadata checklist

Check KDP book metadata against the cover before upload.

A clean interior can still be delayed by mismatched title or author text, excessive fields, URLs, or promotional claims. Review one release set locally before copying it into KDP.Open check

KDP tools for authors

A KDP tool path for authors who already finished the manuscript.

Start with the current block: page planning, formatting, cover geometry, validation, metadata, or a failed upload. Each free result points to the next dependency.Open check

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How long should I leave for a book launch?

This planner uses a 30-day final-file sequence. Editing, illustration, indexing, permissions, advance reviews, and marketing often need substantially more time and should begin earlier.

Why upload before launch day?

An early upload leaves time to inspect previews, correct file problems, and respond to platform review without turning the public date into an emergency.

Turn each milestone into a real file check.

Walk through the formatting checklist and open the relevant free tool at every release step.

Use the formatting checklist