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My Halloween novella The Vampire and the Vixen makes its world-wide debut just about a month from now on October 16. It's been out on Kindle for awhile, but next month it will be available in many more markets. As I've done in the past, I'm in the process of setting up a blog tour to celebrate and promote its release.
Some people use a professional blog tour organizer, but I've always done my own. I don't solicit spots, but when someone posts about blog openings I e-mail and ask if they have something available in my time frame. This has always worked well in the past, and I usually wind up with anywhere from six to a dozen stops. Having a book with a holiday theme is also helpful. This time around I'm also jumping on with some Halloween-themed special events.
So far I have three set up and an e-mail out on a fourth. Not too bad since I really only started thinking about this at the beginning of the week. One of my other blogs, Authors by Moonlight, is also doing a Harvest Moon Reads special event for the month of October, so I'll have an extra day over there to post an excerpt and offer a contest.
Many of the sites I'll 'book' do like to have a give-away of some sort. I usually do an e-copy of the current book or sometimes an autographed paperback of one of my back titles. For my tour for The Vampire and the Vixen, I'm also going to include some swag 'prizes' and send out book marks and postcards, which will hopefully generate some interest in my other holiday e-books (I have a Christmas one and a Thanksgiving one.) and my paperbacks as well.
This weekend I will get to work on writing my posts for the various blogs. For one in particular, I need to write a piece of Flash Fiction. I already have an idea and have jotted some notes, which is exciting in more ways than one. It's been a long time since I've written anything new. My WIP is sadly languishing. Hopefully writing the blogs and the Flash piece will get the juices going and stir up my muse.
I wish there was a way to make a definite connection between a blog tour and sales. Tours definitely get your name out there, but what I notice on many of the blogs I've guested at in the past is they tend to attract fellow authors, which is great, but perhaps not as many stand-alone readers. And if other authors are like me, there are only so many books you can buy, even if we wish we could support everyone.
But no matter what, it's always exciting to be in the publicity stages with a book.
Until next time,
Happy Reading!
Debra
www.debrastjohnromance.com
Good luck with the blog tour, Debra. I tried a professional one this time around. I definitely reached new people; not sure it made any difference in sales, though.
ReplyDeleteI do try not 'double up' and visit a place I've already been for previous tours in an effort to reach new folks. Although by now some of my earlier tours were three or four years ago, so I can probably start revisiting at this point.
ReplyDeleteWere you happy with your experience going through a professional organizer?
Best of luck with the blog tour, and with your new book, of course. Like you, I don't know whether blog tours have any effect on sales. The problem, as I see it, is that there are now so many authors making blog visits (and advertising their books on social media and yahoo loops), we've reached saturation point! But we still have to try everything, don't we?
ReplyDeleteThat's what I'm thinking Paula...there are just so many of us out there, but until someone comes up with another way...we do need to try what we can and what's available to us, right?
ReplyDeleteDo you know anyone who has had a 'street team'? I've heard of these, but am not sure exactly what they do!
ReplyDeleteI was happy with the experience. I was able to do a blog tour and a review tour, so I feel like I got a lot out of it.
ReplyDeleteGood luck from me, too, Debra. It's smart to write the blog posts ahead of time. Then you can focus on responding to questions. I think readers and writers appreciate that sort of individualized attention.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of a street team. Maybe I'll check into it when I have a spare moment.
ReplyDeleteAna...I do try to pop in and answer questions and/or respond to comments for each blog stop.
I was sure you did, Debra.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate a response to a comment. Sometimes leaving a comment takes work--finding the place to do it, dealing with Yahoo.
I always respond to comments, here on HWH, on my personal blog, and whenever I do a guest blog. Not sure the commenters ever come back to look at my replies though!
ReplyDelete