I think blog tours are wonderful.
How else can you promote your book, meet writers, reach readers worldwide, and get better Google rankings? For free?
I do some guest posting during the year on different blogs, but a tour is different—it’s a concentrated effort and a lot of guest posts during a short period of time.
I’ve done a couple of blog tours and there are some things I think I do well and some things I’d have done differently.
Let’s start out with what I could have improved. :)
Time: The release, very close to a deadline I had for another series, sneaked up on me. I think I gave enough time to my hosts to fit me into their schedule…but barely. And it would have been nice, on my side, to have had a little more time to write my posts.
If I’d thought ahead, maybe I’d have come up with a cool logo for a blog tour visual. I’ve seen some that other writers have done and thought they were really cool.
Reach: I think I do really well to reach out to writers. I know where writers are, I’m familiar with their blogs, I’m comfortable. Would it be better in the future to vary my tour and include some stops on mystery blogs that readers hit? Probably! I did help facilitate getting my book to some book bloggers, so I tried…I’d give myself a C there.
Where I did better
I posted on a variety of blogs, some of which might have been new to my regular followers.
I posted on topics that I thought would be interesting to readers and would get good play on Twitter and Facebook.
I tried to think of topics that would work best for my hosts’ sites.
I tried to bring traffic over to my hosts’ sites and be conscientious about responding to comments.
Important to remember:
Be sure to send buy-links for your book to your host.
Be sure to send head shots and cover pics to your host (some will want one or the other, not both…and I always picked my cover over my image.)
Write a pithy bio that tells a little about who you are and what you write.
You may want to check in with your hosts the day before to tell them you’re looking forward to the post the following day (and possibly to remind them that it’s supposed to run.)
If you’re on Twitter or Facebook, post the link to your daily post and what the topic is that you’re writing on.
How long can you keep up? Don’t make your blog tour so long that you get exhausted with it.
Thank your hosts.
My thoughts on what blog tours accomplish:
I found new followers, even though I wasn’t really posting.
I got a good amount of cover recognition and some author branding.
I did sell some books and meet some great writers.
Thanks again to my tour hosts! Below is a list of all my tour stops, my topics and the links to the posts:
8 Ways to Keep Your Series From Going Stale–Confessions of a Mystery Novelist: http://bit.ly/mu4cUf
A Mystery Writer’s View of the World (and 6 Tips for Friends of Mystery Writers)–Thoughts in Progress: http://bit.ly/iHX0zW
Staying Encouraged During Querying–Author karen walker…following the whispers: http://bit.ly/jYaZKg
How to blog–17 tips–Anne R. Allen’s Blog: http://bit.ly/mmcwKD
Hamish Macbeth–a huge writing inspiration for me–K.B. Owen, mystery writer: http://bit.ly/j6gB1R
Tips for writing sequels–Confessions of a Watery Tart: http://bit.ly/lzc6uT
Juggling Plots, Characters, Publishers and Editors…Keeping it All Straight–Official Blog of p.m.terrell: http://bit.ly/ju2YCv
Book promo–traditional and 21st century methods: Spunk on a Stick: http://bit.ly/lHHtOq
7 tips for writing away from home: A Million Blogging Monkeys: http://bit.ly/lQhMnf
What super powers would be useful for writers? Alex J. Cavanaugh: http://bit.ly/lYzFXM
7 tips for writing away from home: A Million Blogging Monkeys: http://bit.ly/lQhMnf
What super powers would be useful for writers? Alex J. Cavanaugh: http://bit.ly/lYzFXM
Tips for those tricky book middles–The Other Side of the Story: http://bit.ly/lYzFXM
The appeal of a small town setting–The Creative Penn: http://bit.ly/mi9jqr
Need to get to know your character? Spend a day with them–Penguin’s blog: http://bit.ly/jB3B9Z
How to find writer resources–Jami Gold– http://bit.ly/lPa9Fb
How secondary characters can help our story–The Daring Novelist: http://bit.ly/ko7mnW
6 Tips for Moving Your Story Forward: Penguin’s Blog: http://bit.ly/lCyS8R
Writing schedules, writing setbacks–The Stiletto Gang: http://bit.ly/j01DPw
Generous Reviews (thank you!):
Confessions of a Watery Tart: http://bit.ly/m2Qcr2
Thoughts in Progress: http://bit.ly/j8vwAq
The Book Resort: http://bit.ly/lazEjf
Lesa’s Book Critiques: http://bit.ly/iYu5QC
My Year on the Grill: http://bit.ly/lWO5Pd
Joe Barone’s Blog: http://bit.ly/klDuGk
Anyone else have anything to add or thoughts/tips on blog tours?
Awesome summary, Elizabeth. You’re a rock star at this stuff.
Karen
Elizabeth – I agree with you – blog tours are wonderful. I really enjoyed hosting you on this one, and I’ve enjoyed touring, myself. I think you make a good point about timing everything. That way, things have a greater chance of going smoothly. And there’s also the “timing” question of how many tour stops one should make overall and per day/week. Too many is overkill and stressful. Not enough and your followers and potential new followers lose interesting. And thanks for your other ideas – they make a lot of sense and are helpful!
I like this, looking back so you can go forward.
Great checklist. Oh and great new photo! I wish wish wish I were photogenic. My family and friends say my posed photos don’t look like me which means you all don’t know what I look like. :) I can’t always post fun pictures…or can I?
Great post.
Whew! I’m tired just looking at what all you’ve done recently. Sounds like it’s time for you to take a nap! Thank you for all your hard work.
You’re so good at marketing. I have another mystery writer friend who never ceases to amaze me. If she has any reason whatsoever to go from point A to point B, she’s got book signings lined up at every store along the route. And she does blog tours.
I just don’t have the personality for that. (Or books in the bookstores–the downside of small presses.)
I think it’s important if you’re doing a tour to have “non-promo” posts, because otherwise readers say, “been there, read that” when they see you’re a guest.
Good motivation here. Maybe I need to start cybertouring.
Terry
Terry’s Place
Romance with a Twist–of Mystery
Excellent checklist! And you got your post to me in plenty of time.
Karen–Looking forward to your tour!
Diane–Thanks. :) I was cutting it close, though!
Margot–The timing is *very* important and I didn’t devote nearly enough time to it!
Teresa–It helps. Now I know what I’ll do the next time around for a blog tour (which will probably be in November, since I have another release then!)
Yeah, I’m not photogenic at all. :) That picture is the result of about 75 pictures that my *daughter* took (the 9 year old) because the portrait people complained about my “deer in the headlights” look when I went to them!
I’ve not gone on a blog tour, but it looks like you did quite a few stops. Even though you’re not having to get in your car and drive here and there, it seems like even a blog tour could be exhausting.
I did one blog tour last year and actually did little in the way of promoting my book. I took the what can I do for you approach and blogged about topics the reader could find practical and useful. Then I included a small paragraph with a link at the end to purchase or download a copy. Sales were good and I picked up new followers and got a lot of additional exposure.
I’m planning a blog tour for my debut this August and this helps me a ton. Thank you so much! I’m taking notes and bookmarking this page!
Your post for my blog was awesome! My followers really dug it. (Over a hundred comments makes you one cool Ninja.) Although I’m sure your followers visited me and thought “What the heck??? Who is this strange Alex guy?”
Gosh that was a long tour, I’m in awe! (I like the new pic on the blog by the way :) )
Susan–A nap sounds really good right now. :)
Terry–Thanks! Yes, it’s really important just to have interesting content that doesn’t have to do with our book.
Yes you should! Feel free to stop here. :)
Helen–It was most tiring *before* the tour started. I was trying to make sure I didn’t have any crossed wires/mess anything up/schedule 2 stops on the same date, etc.
Stephen–Exactly! Then your post gets a lot more views and ultimately, your cover and buy links do, too.
Heather–Please plan a stop here, if you’d like to!
Alex–No, *you’re* the cool Ninja~! I’m sure my followers thought so. :)
Juliette–Yes it was! It didn’t start out that way, but it evolved. :) And..thanks. My 9 year old took it!
Thanks for such an amazing overview! I’ve participated as a blog tour host, but never as the writer whose book is being promoted. I’m going to add your post to my favourites menu for when that wonderful (and I’m sure hectic) day comes. :)
Krissy–Thanks! :) It’s super-hectic during release time, for sure. But in *some* ways, that’s better–otherwise I end up too anxious about the launch!
I think you did an excellent job on your tour (yes, I read every one of them as they happened). The variety of topics you were able to cover helped to bring out a breadth of character, your character, that would take far longer through “home” posts.
Thank you for the helpful tips! I think blog touring is a great idea, but I’d been worried about the fact that most of my contacts/blog friends are writers. It seemed to be that I should be reaching readers of my kind of fiction, people interested in topics I cover, as you mention here.
That requires early work, and I’m way behind. I love your idea of preparing blog posts in advance, anticipating what might be good for my audience. Your list of topics you’ve covered is amazing! Congratulations on all that work!
Excellent list, one I’ve saved to favorites for the time when (I hope) I’m doing blog tours of my own.
If you could see me now, Elizabeth, I’m doing that bowing routine from the old Wayne’s World skits on Saturday Night Live: I’m not worthy, I’m not worthy!
You rock, girl . . .