Virtual Book Tours 101…

In anticipation for the upcoming re-releases of both my MG/YA time travel books with Mirror World Publishing, I’ve decided to hire a book promotion specialist to help with the process of setting up and running a book blog tour. I’ve learned in the past that for me, it’s easier to delegate rather than take on certain tasks. However, if you love the thought of being in the driver’s seat and setting up your own book blog tour, then this post is for you.

Below is a 15 point checklist for planning your virtual book blog tour. It’s not rocket science, but it will give an author an idea of the different steps that are needed to pull off a successful book blog tour.

·         Make sure you plan at least 2-3 months in advance.

·         Determine your goals for your book tour. Remember you’re bringing awareness to your book(s) so make sure you’re clear on what you want to get across to potential readers.

·         What type of tour will you be running? Book blast? New release?

·         Determine the length of your tour and the tour dates.

·         Are you going to run a contest during your book tour?

·         Decide whether or not to offer giveaways or discounts. I usually use Rafflecopter to run a giveaway. It’s easy and picks the winner at the end of the tour.

·         Make a list of prospective hosts and research them. Hint: pull from your well of blogger author friends who write in the same genre as you do. You’ll be able to pay them back when they do a book tour.

·         Write an invitation and send to your top prospects.

·         Correspond with hosts and send confirmations.

·         Set-up a schedule of tour stops.

·         Post schedule on your blog or website.

·         Plan your promotional strategy, and include your tour hosts. Some may want to do a review. Others may want to share an excerpt. Do up a top ten list or dream cast based on your book. There are plenty of ideas to draw from!

·         Write articles/posts and send to your hosts at least ten days in advance. Don’t forget any images you may want to include.

·         Set-up a daily routine to follow during your book tour.

·         Finally—this is a must—make sure you COMMENT on each of your host’s blog. Check in periodically to see if anyone has commented, and reply to them. This is a common courtesy, and your hosts are going out of their way to help support you and your book.

BTW—my virtual book blog tour for The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis begins June 17^th and finishes on June 26^th. I’ve hired Sapphyria’s Book Promotions to do most of the leg work on this one. It should be a blast! I’ll be posting the tour schedule on my blog in the near future, so stay tuned!

Thanks a heap for reading my blog. Authors, if you have time, please leave a comment and share how you go about organizing a virtual book blog tour. If you’re a reader, please share what you enjoy about virtual book blog tours? The giveaways? A chance at winning an awesome prize? Engaging with the author? Finding a new author? I’d appreciate your input. Cheers!