Ebook launch checklist: publish without panic

Read the entire draft as a buyer who just paid — on a different device from the one you wrote on, ideally. You are hunting for the five failure modes below. Fix them all before anyone's money is involved.

• Every chapter delivers the outcome its heading promises.
• No repeated anecdotes, phrases, or filler transitions.
• Every step and list resolves — nothing hands work back to the reader.
• Names, numbers, and links are accurate and current.
• One read-aloud pass; every stumble got an edit.

Covers sell; interiors reassure. Check the cover where buyers will actually see it — a phone screen at thumbnail size — and flip through the interior looking for the small breaks that scream “unproofed.”

• Title readable at 150 pixels wide; author name legible.
• One heading style per level, applied without exceptions.
• Chapters start on fresh pages; no stranded headings at page bottoms.
• Table of contents matches actual chapter titles and order.

Most launch-day disasters are file disasters: wrong version uploaded, broken download, page count mismatched with the listing. Export finals from the ebook maker, then verify like a suspicious buyer.

• Final PDF + DOCX exported and version-labeled (never “final-final”).
• Test-downloaded on a second device; every page renders.
• Page count in the file matches the listing copy exactly.
• Contact or store link present on the last page.

Launch copy should excite without inventing. State the outcome, the contents, and the format — then stop. Overclaiming is the fastest route to a refund and a one-star review that never leaves.

If AI helped draft the book, say so where each store asks — KDP at title setup, others in the listing. The full walkthrough lives in our KDP AI disclosure guide; the short version is: answer honestly, keep the disclosure page in your files, and confirm your commercial license covers the sale.

• KDP AI questions answered before submitting for review.
• Disclosure page present in the uploaded files.
• Commercial license confirmed on your plan or credit pack.

Launch day is verification day. Go live quietly, buy or download your own listing, fix anything the test reveals — then announce. Week one is for listening: every buyer question is a listing improvement waiting to happen.

1. Publish the listing; complete one test purchase or download.
2. Fix any file, copy, or pricing issue the test surfaces.
3. Announce to your list with a single direct link.
4. Reply to every early buyer; ask what nearly stopped them.
5. Fold the answers into the listing within seven days.