Getting The Most Out Of Your Virtual Book Tour

Getting The Most Out Of Your Virtual Book Tour, Guest post by Eileen Colucci


So you’ve self-published your book and now are ready to attack the marketing part of your venture. Authors who go the traditional route are lucky in that their publishers usually arrange book tours for them. Of course, this involves traveling all over the country (if not the globe) to book signings with the related lodging and dining costs. As an independent author you can pay a modest amount ($75-300 average) to have your book go on a Virtual Book Tour without leaving the confines of your home.

Engaging a Virtual Book Tour means that your book will be featured on various blogs on the internet, hopefully ones that specialize in your book’s genre. These types of tours have become so popular that even traditionally published authors are using them. A book signing can be a very ego-boosting event but unless you are a bestselling author you are probably not going to draw enormous crowds. A blog however has the capacity to draw many, many readers, depending on its popularity and renown.

Getting The Most Out Of Your Virtual Book Tour, Guest post by Eileen Colucci
http://amzn.to/2vQzMnD
By googling “virtual book tour” and your book’s genre you can find several places to promote your book. Not all the companies may be interested in your book but you will eventually find some that are willing to work with you. The tour organizers will provide you with detailed instructions on content you must provide them. This usually takes the form of a “guest post,” a short essay on a given topic, or an interview in which you’ll be asked to answer a list of questions, some more whimsical than others.

I have already taken my book on one blog tour and am in the midst of my second one, using two different companies. The organizers have been superb in their support and direction. I would like to share with you some tips I’ve gleaned from these tours so that you can get the most out of your experience.

REVIEWS

Reviews are important for a writer. Most tour organizers will try to have your book reviewed on a maximum number of blogs. The actual number however depends on the willingness of the individual bloggers to read and review your book. I found that even though some bloggers featuring my book on their site had not signed up to review my book, I was able to approach them by email and to convince them to do so. In both cases, the bloggers wanted an original copy of the book (one a Kindle, the other a paperback). They did not want to read the mobi, epub or pdf files that I had provided to the tour organizers. So go ahead and contact the bloggers directly to ask for a review.

COMMENTS

The tour organizers will encourage you to visit the blogs on the day that your book is being featured there and to respond to any comments that readers might leave. What they do not say, however, is that most blogs will leave your book on their Home page for several days, if not weeks. During this time, people may leave comments. I have seen authors miss the opportunity to engage with readers because they did not check back a day or two after their blog “date” to see if there were more comments. That said, just because people have not left comments does not mean people have not read the blog post.

REUSE YOUR CONTENT

One of the best things I got out of my first tour was a new image for the Home page of my website. One of the bloggers asked me for a Mood Board. I didn’t even know what that was so I had to google it. It turns out it is a collage of images and text that represents the main themes/aspects of your book. My husband and I worked an entire Sunday on this project and I was so pleased with the result that I incorporated it in my website when I updated it. Other content, such as responses to interview questions, was very useful in organizing my thoughts when preparing for subsequent presentations at Book Fairs and other venues. When people asked me for my inspiration for the book or about my favorite authors I had my response all ready.

You will probably find your own tips to pass on once you’ve taken your book on tour. It can be an exhilarating experience that might hopefully increase your readership. I highly recommend it. Happy travels!

Getting The Most Out Of Your Virtual Book Tour, Guest post by Eileen Colucci
A native New Yorker, Eileen Colucci has been living in Rabat with her Moroccan husband for the past thirty-plus years. She is a former teacher and recently retired after twenty-eight years as a translator with the U.S. Embassy, Rabat. Her articles and short stories have appeared in various publications and ezines including Fodor's Morocco, Parents' Press, The New Dominion and Expat Women. SHE'S LIKE A RAINBOW, which was recently published, is her second novel.

Colucci holds a BA in French and English from the University at Albany and an MA in Education from Framingham State University.

When not writing, Colucci enjoys practicing yoga, taking long walks and playing with her chocolate Labrador Retriever, Phoebo. Now that she and her husband have four grandchildren, they spend as much time as possible in Virginia with their two sons and their families.

Website:  https://www.eileencolucci.com

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/921642.Eileen_Colucci
  
Amazon:  http://amzn.to/2vQzMnD

Getting The Most Out Of Your Virtual Book Tour, Guest post by Eileen Colucci

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10 Comments

  1. Goddess Fish Promotions18 September 2017 at 10:05

    Thanks for hosting!

    ReplyDelete
  2. FrangiePani18 September 2017 at 13:32

    Congrats on the tour and thanks for the chance to win :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Eileen Colucci18 September 2017 at 20:26

      Thanks for following the tour, Lisa, and good luck in the Giveaway!

      Delete
  3. Eileen Colucci18 September 2017 at 20:24

    Thanks so much for hosting me, Jo! I appreciate your support.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Victoria Alexander18 September 2017 at 21:04

    Thanks for sharing :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Rita Wray18 September 2017 at 21:31

    I enjoyed the post, thank you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Eileen Colucci19 September 2017 at 15:56

      Thanks for reading, Rita! Hope you enjoy the book too.

      Delete
  6. Ally Swanson19 September 2017 at 08:53

    Congrats on the new book and good luck on the book tour!

    ReplyDelete

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