Friday

How?

How to do I create a blog book tour? I get asked that question a lot.

First go to The Quickest Blog Book Tour Guide Ever and read it. That's a basic overview. Tackle each step listed, one by one, regularly, systematically, and long before your book release.

Then, start improving your blog through regular and well-written posts, a sitemeter, a bookmarking widget, and a blogroll that includes all the blogs you wish would host a book tour for you.

Now go follow some successful blog book tours. There are a few listed in the right-hand column here. As you get ideas, make a list of them and start thinking how you might apply them to your own book tour.

Join a group like Blog Book Tours at Yahoo! Groups and read through past messages. Look at the links at the group and learn from them. Now that you have some foundation about the whole concept, ask questions. Have people critique your blog for further improvements. Ask them for advice. What is it about the concept that confuses you most?

This is the only way to get comfortable with the idea, and believe me, the more you immerse yourself in the idea, the more comfortable it will seem too you.

When do you start this process? The year before your book release. At least three months and that's cutting it short. It's a lot more work than you think it is. Many hours are spent finding the right tour hosts and then planning each tour stop with a well-crafted interview, review, or other bit of entertainment that will engage your fans, and make them want to buy your book. Don't leave this to chance. Don't leave it until the last minute. You get one opportunity to make an impression. Make it a good one.

How many authors out there have had a blog book tour? Would you do it again?

4 comments:

Mike Cane said...

If you having problems with Blogger thinking you are a spam blog, you can refer them to my two posts:

http://mikecane2008.wordpress.com/2008/08/10/writer-20-notes-blog-book-tours/

http://mikecane2008.blogspot.com/2008/08/writer-20-notes-blog-book-tours.html

I don't link to splogs.

Good luck.

Helen Ginger said...

Really good advice Dani. You're doing a great service for writers who want to learn about book blog tours and how to do one.

I don't know when either of us will get the spam blog brand removed. It's so frustrating because it's totally unwarranted and there's not much we can do except keep asking to be reviewed. Grrr.

Dana Fredsti said...

hee hee...Okay, I commented on everyone's blog by using your handy dandy list on YOUR blog and forgot to comment on YOUR post! Bad Dana...

I've been on a blogbooktour and would od it again!

Dani said...

Thanks, Mike. I just am completely puzzled about how a live person can look at this blog and think it is in any way spam-related. The last time they did this to me, it was a blog that taught people how to use Blogger blogs! A virtual classroom. No advertising at all. Go figure. I think the real problem is that Blogger is run by robots. Don't believe all those posts about babies at their blog. It's just to confuse us. There are no humans working at Blogger. Just spambots.;)