Virtual book tours anyone?

[pdr]

With Don and Puma eagerly anticipating their publishing launches I wondered if they would let us know - if possible - what sort of publicity their publishers plan and if a virtual book tour is part of it?

What is a virtual book tour? Seems very popular right now. Quite a few writers I know do it.

First you find book blogs that might be interested in your book, then you
contact them and send them copies of the book. If they decide to
participate, they usually email you questions to answer, interview
style to post on an agreed date. You can start with the big book blogs like Bookslut or Bluestalking Reader

You can also find blogs that relate to your topic and might also be interested. E-mail them to see if they'd like to be part of a tour, If yes, you give them a tour date and ask them to e-mail you their questions.

Both you and the blogs do promotion.

Comments please. Does this virtual book tour sound like a useful PR tool?

[Puma]

No word on virtual book tour (I honestly hadn't heard of such a thing - but then, I'm a fossil when it comes to new-fangled things.) So far, everything is very conventional - probably biggest book signing coming up in twenty days (my community, the one the novel's written about.) But, thank you for the info, pdr - every little bit of possible PR and promotion helps. Puma

[JenNipps]

I know of two people who put together virtual book tours for writers. I know one is a member of AW, I'm not sure if the other one is.

Blog Stop Virtual Book Tours (http://blogstopbooktours.wordpress.com/) (run by wordsmyth -- I think; it might be wordsmith)
Pump Up Your Book Promotion (http://www.pumpupyourbookpromotion.com)

[pdr]

I've learned one thing already from visiting the site. Get a decent professional photographer to take a series of pictures and use them.

[donroc]

Blog Stop Virtual Book Tours (run by wordsmyth -- I think; it might be wordsmith)
Pump Up Your Book Promotion

They require fees, I have just now discovered -- any idea of their track records? Much of it sounds like what the self-POD publishers promise in the traditional sense.

[donroc]

Are there any blogsters who have reputations so great that when they recommend a book, significant book sales occur?

[Doogs]

Are there any blogsters who have reputations so great that when they recommend a book, significant book sales occur?

That was my question, as well.

[girlyswot]

I don't know about bloggers reviewing fiction, sorry. But I certainly know of some bloggers who, when they recommend a book in their specialist field, shelves are cleared.

[pdr]

I don't think I want to pay and be in a list on a blog for a tour.

The kind of virtual tour I'd like to do is what a couple of novelist friends do. They link their blogs and websites with as many other writers and book reviewers as they can. They link with writers of the same genre or interest areas, and do a sort of virtual tour like that. I gather that a date would be set for one person's day and that author's interviews/chats/rants were on all the sites that day. Some authors offered signed books and similar goodies as prizes for visitors.

As far as sales go these authors have Amazon and their own website sale buttons linked to the tour and they reckon they do get a jump in sales after one of these 'tours'. And no, sorry Don and Doogs, no one can supply me with figures.

Remember these book group things:
www.librarything, www.goodreads.com, www.shelfari, www.aNobii, www.bookjetty.com?
Maybe you can link to one of those for a virtual interview.

[donroc]

Thanks, pdr. As alway you have great information.

[JenNipps]

Blog Stop Virtual Book Tours (run by wordsmyth -- I think; it might be wordsmith)
Pump Up Your Book Promotion

They require fees, I have just now discovered -- any idea of their track records? Much of it sounds like what the self-POD publishers promise in the traditional sense.

For the record, I was partly right. It's wordsmyth.

I honestly have no idea if they're worth the fees or not. I have heard good things about both of them, some from people I know very well.

Creatif (http://jensorganizedwriter.wordpress.com) has been a stop for a few people with Pump Up Your Book Promotion. My most recent guest was Peter Bowerman.

[pdr]

This is the HNS newsletter list of places which do reviews:

Bookpage: http://www.bookpage.com/
Bookreporter: http://www.bookreporter.com/index.asp
Boston Globe Books: http://www.boston.com/ae/books/
Christian Science Monitor Books: http://tinyurl.com/ek7ae
Globe & Mail Books: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books/
Guardian Review: http://books.guardian.co.uk/review/
Independent Reviews: http://snipurl.com/1azeo
Montreal Gazette Books: http://tinyurl.com/2ztfka
National Public Radio: http://tinyurl.com/f42wc
New York Times Books: http://www.nytimes.com/pages/books/index.html
Observer book reviews: http://observer.guardian.co.uk/review/
San Francisco Chronicle Books: http://sfgate.com/eguide/books/
Soldier magazine: http://www.soldiermagazine.co.uk/reviews/books.htm
Telegraph Main Books Page: http://tinyurl.com/eywp
The Times: http://www.timesonl (http://www.timesonl/) ine.co.uk/section/ 0,,923,00.html
Washington Post Bookworld: http://tinyurl.com/dxs8y

--