6 Easy Steps To Book Your Author Blog Tour

It’s pretty common knowledge in the publishing industry that most book signing tours don’t generate big bucks for new authors. Sure—book tours can stir up buzz and interest. But most of the time, bookstore tours are put in place only after an author has established some kind of meaningful reputation that can translate into lines that wrap around the store.

These days, there’s a new way of connecting with readers that doesn’t involve brick-and-mortar book signings: blog tours. A blog tour is when an author does a series of interviews or guest posts on the blogs of book readers and reviewers. Blog tours are fantastic for author self-promotion.

Most of the time, blog tours are synchronized with book releases so that writers can sell more copies of their books. Blog tours can be inexpensive, fun, and rewarding!

How To Set Up a Blog Tour To Promote A Book

There are many ways to kick off your promotional blog tour. You can:

• Hire a publicist to nab spots on popular blogs.
• Hire an established and reputable book blog tour company (NOTE: There are unscrupulous companies that claim to get gigs for their clients on dozens of blogs, many of which lack a meaningful audience or are owned by the companies themselves).
• Set up blogging dates yourself.

If you’re a DIYer and want to book a blog tour without having to pay for publicity help, here are the five steps that will get your book on great blogs.

1. Start reading book blogs. Do your research and narrow your focus to those blogs whose audiences are active readers in your genre. Make a list and track the blog’s attributes, audience participation, readership, and proclivities. HINT: Establish a clear minimum number in your head for the number of blogs that you’d like to appear on.

2. Establish a relationship. If possible, begin leaving comments on the blogs you like. Visit regularly. You may need to demonstrate your genuine appreciation of the blog before you’re invited to appear on it. Use Twitter and other networks to give shout-outs to blogs you like.

3. Write up a pitch plan. Some bloggers have writers beating down their door, begging for reviews and free promotion. You’ll need to make yourself stand out with a personal touch as well as an incentive. Are you willing to give away free copies of your book? Is your idea of what you’d like to “do” on the blog consistent with what the blogger is already doing? Are you willing to do interviews or only guest posts? Will you host the blogger on your author blog in exchange?

4. Draft your “nice to meet you” letter. Reach out to the blogger via a personal email when possible. Be kind, flexible, and maybe a little deferential: you’re asking to be invited to the party, after all. Express your appreciation for the blog and volunteer to host a giveaway (should the blogger believe that his/her audience would benefit from your visit to the blog).

5. Follow instructions carefully. If a blogger agrees to host you, be sure to follow directions. Also, include links to your social networks and author website in your post—just don’t overdo it.

6. Set up your blog calendar. On the days that your blog post is to appear on each guest blog, be sure to put in an appearance that day. Leave comments, interact with readers, thank the host for having you. Then, if you’re running a contest, follow up as soon as possible by sending out the prize.

When Your Author Blog Tour Is Over

Be sure to thank your host for his/her willingness to help you; you might even want to mail out a little thank-you gift. Then, keep your contacts well organized so that when you have another reason to do a blog tour, their contact information will be at your fingertips.

QUESTION: Do you like the idea of doing a blog tour?

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Publishing Wars: Traditional vs Self

Living in Other Worlds: The Life of a Fantasy Writer

Maybe some of you have been waiting for this one. And after a long, busy week (where I may or may not have forgotten to post yet), I’m finally going to tackle the subject.

Now, before I begin, I want to start off by saying I am not an expert and anyone who claims to be an expert (unless they have legitimate credentials and experience) is really not. There is blog after blog filled with writers rambling on about self-publishing and traditional publishing. They claim to be experts. Most aren’t. So don’t take what you read and think it the absolute truth (this just so happens to be a smart thing to do with just about everything).

Let’s look at a quick list of pros and cons.

Traditional: They have editors to look over your work, some (note some, you still have to do promotion yourself) publicity that will work…

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So You Want To Know How To Get Published?

 

Are Book Trailer Videos Really Necessary?

 

4 Best Writer’s Block Infographics

In every blogger’s/writer’s life, there always comes a situation where he or she runs out of ideas and words for their next piece of article. It feels like a road end wherein the writing journey stops. This is known as “writer’s block”.

There are many ways to overcome writer’s block, but it varies from one person to another on the types of writers’ block they are facing. Like in my case, I sometimes get stuck in writing the 1st paragraph or a good start.

So today let us try to know what exactly is writer’s block and how to overcome them from the following infographics:

1. Writer’s Block

This infographic describes the proper definition of “writer’s block” by pros and few tips to overcome them. It also includes a list of movies made with respect to this subject.

Source: Writer’s Block Infographic

2. 22 Ways to Create a Compelling Content

This is one of the most recommended infographic, which is created by very well know blogger @copyblogger. The chart below visualizes 22 ways to create compelling content and beat writer’s block.

Source: CopyBlogger

3. 7 Ways To Overcome Writer’s Block

As I have mentioned, there are different types of writer’s block. Here are seven more ways to overcome them.

Source: Vappingo

4. Content Writing Tips

More tips describing ways to create content in overcoming writer’s block.

Source: Seven Boats

This infographic was originally posted on Tech18.

 

What is a ‘writer’?

Am I a ‘writer’? I don’t think so, or I don’t think many people would consider me to be one, but I have certainly written millions of words in my lifetime. I’m leaving aside personal letters (and, over the past 20 years or so, emails), reports and the like, which would account for many, many thousands of words. For around 10 years I wrote no less than 5,000 words a week, so a total of 2.5 million words would be a very conservative estimate during this time alone. In the remaining 40 or so years of my adult life I’ve probably averaged a weekly writing output of about a fifth of this, so around another 2 million in all. Let’s say around 5 million words in total. You might gather that I like to write. Does this make me a ‘writer’?

Grumpytyke

Several of the blogs I follow add the strapline ‘author’, or mention that this is what they are in the ‘About’. I think I understand what this means.

 

However, some add ‘writer’ as a strap line or describe themselves as this. I’m not sure I understand what this means (I know the dictionary definitions of course).

 

Am I a ‘writer’? I don’t think so, or I don’t think many people would consider me to be one, but I have certainly written millions of words in my lifetime. I’m leaving aside personal letters (and, over the past 20 years or so, emails), reports and the like, which would account for many, many thousands of words. For around 10 years I wrote no less than 5,000 words a week, so a total of 2.5 million words would be a very conservative estimate during this time alone. In the remaining 40…

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The Editing Process

I think I’m beginning to know where to start now. How about you?

The View Outside

To continue with the theme of editing this month I came across an excellent video on YouTube where writer David Farland gives a talk that describes his editing process.

Farland breaks his editing down into 6 separate processes/types of edit:

1. Triage
2. Voice Edit
3. Descriptive Edit
4. Shotgun
5. Syllabic
6. Line Edit

It’s a very interesting talk, and yes, it is long. So grab a coffee, your notebook and pen and enjoy. A lot of what he said made total sense to me, although the idea of editing my MS 6 times is a little daunting! Lol

I think I’m beginning to know where to start now. How about you?

Related articles

• Why I Use Kindle to Edit My Drafts (michaeljholley.com)
• Learning to Love the Editing Process? (cultofajracewood.wordpress.com)

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Writing For 100 Hours?

What’s this all about?

My name’s David Varela and I’m a writer. I’ve written films, plays, games, poems, global ad campaigns, and all sorts of other strange things – but now, for one week only, I’m taking requests. I’ll write what you tell me to. You can also watch my writing process in action – live, via webcam – and you’ll be able to see every keystroke as I type it on our website. For 100 hours, my every word is yours. I’m taking a vow of silence and I won’t have any private communications – no texts, no tweets, no emails. Every word is public domain. And everything I write is copyright-free.

The View Outside

Are we all still here? Lol 😉

Could you write for 100 hours, straight? LIVE on a web cam?

Well that’s exactly what David Varela is doing, and in the process, raising money for charity. David is hoping to raise £3000 for The Arvon Foundation to go towards their work with children. They run writing schools to encourage children to write.

So David will be writing for 100 hours, with as few breaks and as little sleep as possible. If you donate, you can request a subject for him to write about.

Thanks to Hannah in my writing class for the heads up on this….absolutely amazing!

Please check out David’s Web Cam & Site which I can’t embed here, but what I can imbed is an interview David did recently about his challenge.

He must be absolutely shattered poor luv!

Would you ever consider a writing marathon? I wrote for…

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