Should you Do a Blog Tour?
Okay, so I’m considering a blog tour for my book The Consequential Element. I’ve put a lot of time and effort into the research end of things and feel that I’m ready to roll. Wait… what’s that? What is a blog tour, really?
A Blog Tour, aka book virtual tour, is when an author visits many blogs – usually ten to twenty – in a very short amount of time for the purpose of promoting his/her book. These visits are called ‘tour stops’. The author may be asked to do an interview, post an article, or even create a video. The purpose is to provide useful and interesting information for the blog’s readers.
Blog Tours are a lot of work, but if done well, can lead to exposure and sales. You can hire specific novel publicity companies to organize and promote your tour or you can go it on your own.
Pros:
1. Without leaving home, you will reach many more people than you would at a traditional book signing.
2. You can achieve greater exposure than you would via the traditional route.
3. You will gain followers of not only your book, but also your social media, hence making them future audiences for future books.
4. You will gain book reviews which are an important selling point for your book.
Cons:
1. To organize a blog tour is a lot of work.
2. Even if you hire someone to organize the tour, it’s a lot of work.
3. You have to be willing to put in a lot of time, and a lot of work.
To do it on your own will require the following:
1. Research blogs to find the ones that relate to your book in some way. Their readers will be more likely to be interested in your book
2. Try to find blogs that have a significant number of followers for the maximum exposure
3. Make each tour stop as unique as possible
a. For an interview, try not to answer the same questions as on other tour stops
b. Do an excerpt or a Behind The Scenes Peek
c. Have a conversation with your Main Character
d. Have the interview be with your Main Character or Characters
e. Discuss your cover art and the reasoning behind it
4. Have a well done Author Bio with a photo
5. Create a special synopsis to entice the reader’s interest
6. Have a give-away – either an online version of your book, a hard copy of your book, or something else related to your book
There are many sites that can assist you in organizing your tour. Take your time and do your research, and this can be a wonderful experience.
Don’t forget to thank your hosts. A special email, mention and a link to their blog on your blog/website, a free signed copy of your book, and a guest spot for them on your blog are just some ideas.
Have you completed a blog tour? Do you have ideas or suggestions you could add to the above? I’d love to hear from you.
Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope these ideas will get you started and on your way to a successful tour!
Helpful links:
All my best for your success,
Dee Ann J
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