Blogger: Mary Keeley
We talk a lot about the importance of writers promoting your books and advise that this becomes your full-time job when it releases. Equally important is timing book promotions to reap the greatest return for your effort. You need a plan. I’m going to focus on blog tours, media outlets, and libraries in today’s discussion.
Blog Tours
As Facebook’s logarithm changes continue to limit free access to your 
followers, blog tours have become increasingly popular and for good reason. They effectively reach the followers of all the blogs involved in your tour. Begin your blogger list by commenting on author blogs early in your writing process, and as you cultivate good relationships among those with whom you are comfortable, offer to exchange guest posts and agree to reciprocate on their future blog tours. Keep a list of their mailing and email addresses.
Whether you have a traditional publisher or are self-publishing, request or order advanced reader copies (ARCs) early in the production process to ensure you have them when it’s time to mail books to blog tour participants. Bloggers don’t usually mind getting the un-proofed copy of your book because they realize if you wait to send them the final version, they won’t have enough time to read and review it by the book’s release date.
At least a month before your book’s release, send a blog tour announcement to the bloggers, stating the launch date, which is your book’s release date, and ending date of your tour, which usually is several weeks later. Invite them to sign up to review your book and give them a week to respond. Offer to do a guest post for them during the week of your book’s release and offer a give-away or drawing to their followers, perhaps an autographed copy of your book. You’ll benefit the bloggers in return for their participation by attracting increased activity on their blog. Here is an extra tip: write your guest posts well in advance of the blog tour because you’ll be very busy those few weeks before and after your book’s release date.
Mail your ARCs to participating bloggers as soon as possible with a cover letter thanking them for their participation and your email address for responding to questions they may have.
Financial cost: Minimal. Depending on how you’re publishing (traditional or self-publishing), you might have to purchase the books you mail and/or pay shipping costs.
Radio and TV Outlets
These media outlets prefer to receive the final version of books. If you’re working with a traditional publisher, consult with the PR department. Request that your local area radio and television stations be added to the publisher’s media list. The PR department may arrange to have copies of your published book mailed directly from the printer to these outlets. This can save almost two weeks time by bypassing delivery time from the printer to the publisher’s warehouse and then from the warehouse to the outlets.
Financial cost: Same as for blog tour.
Libraries
I want to dispel the myth that having your book available in libraries discourages sales. It may actually work the opposite way for a couple of reasons. Readers who are first introduced to your book at their library and enjoy it are known to then purchase a copy of their own to re-read or give as a gift. Individual libraries and library systems also purchase multiple copies. These sales add up, and those books are not returnable. You won’t be shocked by negative sales numbers to libraries on your royalty statement like you could be by large numbers of returns from big box sales outlets.
Contact libraries about loading in copies of your book several months before your book’s release date. Many writers ask how to go about doing this. Library Insider is the best resource available. Check out the many options and tools they offer on their website, libraryinsider.com.
Financial cost: You can choose from a wide range of options that suit your budget.
In this era of publishing when the number of books available to readers has multiplied exponentially, discoverability is an author’s greatest challenge. If you self-publish, you are your sole means of book promotion, and traditional publishers do only a fraction of the promotions authors used to rely on less than ten years ago. Setting aside funds or using a portion of your advance to hire a publicist is a wise investment to consider. Ask your agent or author friends and mentors for referrals. A publicist is especially important for authors who self-publish because many publications and Internet sites won’t review books submitted by self-published authors. However, a reputable publicist may gain access for you. And a publicist knows all the ins and outs of timing book promotions.
What have you been doing to prepare for promoting your next book? What do you need to begin doing right away? If you have participated in an author’s blog tour, how did it go and what will you do the same and differently in your own blog tour?
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Great post!
I’d add scheduling book signings to the list. Many bookstores (notably Hastings outlets) love to have local authors on hand, and will bend over backwards to be helpful. You’ve generally got to bring your own copies and consign them, but it’s not a huge price.
I have a feeling that it’s a lot easier to organize a blog tour in the field of authors’ blogs. In the area in which I write – marriage and relationships – I’d be very hesitant to approach my peers for more than a brief review or quick mention, simply because they’ve got an obligation to stay on topic. I’m the same way; I have a pretty big readership because I stay consistent, and have had feedback to this effect.
I may be totally wrong here – thoughts?
Finally, if you get to do a radio interview, one suggestion…sit up straight. Otherwise your diaphragm compresses your lungs or something, and you end up sounding like Donald Duck with a cold.
Andrew, you’re right. Choose blogs for your tour that reach your target audience. If your audience is consumers, it’s not only easier but more strategic for your blog tour to be among other author blogs because that’s where your readers hang out. If you’re writing a book for professional peers, choose bloggers in that group for your tour.
I make an effort to promote for my writer friends, and have done one or two blog tours. I enjoy them,but I do recall one was scheduled around a time when wasn’t home. Doing a blog tour post from Bolivia would not have worked. As hard as it was to find the time to hit an internet cafe, there’s a slight difference in the South American Spanish keyboard. As in “What’s the Spanish word for send???”
One thing I’ve been doing, and concentrating on doing it the culturally acceptable way, is building a framework of friends and family within the Native American community. One place I’d LOVE to go? The Wiconi Family Camp Pow Wow, where Native believers engage in culturally appropriate worship.
To have Christians of many tribes take my work and share it at home, all across North America?
Now THAT is a blog tour, a book signing, hands on distribution and networking. 😉
Correction: you make fantastic and effective efforts to promote for your writer friends. 🙂
Jennifer, your framework of friends in that community spreading word-of-mouth promotion for your book is worth gold. You also have a large potential audience of readers who love historical fiction inspired by actual events, which a well-planned blog tour can reach. It’s easy to understand why authors are so busy during the months before and after their book’s release date.
Mary, I love the way you’ve shared suggestions and time frames! How helpful for us, your readers. 🙂
I haven’t done a ton, yet, to promote a book. I’m working on building a platform. But I’m probably haphazard in the way I am doing it. 🙂 I am enjoying meeting other writers, and building friendships. I’ve done a little in the way of promoting others’ books, but I’m still figuring out what I think will work when it’s my turn. I enjoy helping others. It’s been fun to see what other authors are doing to promote their books. I’m sure I’ll take some of their ideas to use when it’s my turn to promote books.
Jeanne, I’m sure you are taking notes on other authors’ activities that might work well for you. Keep collecting email addresses and commenting on other author blogs, and you’ll be ready when your time comes.
Good timing on your post, Mary. I was just thinking this morning that I’d like to find more blogs written by book reviewers, not just to form relationships but because I love reading about books. Some, I understand, have quite a large following. Thank you for the tips.
Meghan, now you have another motivation to get acquainted with those bloggers. Enjoy growing your list, knowing you’ll be ready when the time comes.
For my first release I put together a blog tour myself. It was a lot of work that I didn’t particularly enjoy. For my next one I’m paying someone else to do it and she has an ever-growing list to cull from. She can get me in front of thousands more target readers than I can do on my own.
I’m self-publishing, and once I have my book out in paper I’m going to see what I can do about getting it in local outlets. Need to talk to my library system too.
Talking about this leaves me wondering, where do you find the time to read other author’s blogs? If you’re keeping a list just to use them later for your book’s promotion then what kind of contact have you had with them so they might want to do that? How do you establish friendships with that many people?
My thoughts, too, Linda. While I would love to share support, I don’t want to milk relationships for personal gain without giving something in return. And with recent health issues, I haven’t even been writing on my own blog! So I haven’t even considered blog tours, reciprocal or otherwise. 🙁
Very helpful, Mary. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Diane.
I felt late setting up media for my new release for boys, but the publisher was great at sending out the copies as I received responses and ended up with a dozen the month of release (this month). I piggybacked with another book that came out earlier and mentioned it too. Most hosts wanted to interview me about both books. For some books I am able to coordinate articles to release when the book does-that is trickier and when a magazine uses themes it needs to have a match at the right time.
Karen, thanks for sharing. You are a perfect example of the success an author can have connecting with many bloggers and media. And I know one of your hallmarks is that you are always mindful and diligent to reciprocate.
Does anyone here have an experience with a publicist that they would be willing to share?
Thanks, Mary. Excellent suggestions. I need to be more proactive in this. I write both marriage and family enrichment non-fiction and more recently mystery fiction novels – it’s hard to know how to best build a following because of the diversity.
Nice excuse, right? Nothing happens if I don’t start. You’ve encouraged me.
Hi Mary,
I had a historical romance release this week! I agree, friendships in the writing community are invaluable for blog tours and cross promotion.
Mary, I don’t know how ARCs work in all situations, but with CreateSpace, you’re only allowed to purchase five proof copies. They cost the author the same as the final approved copies do–discounted, of course. The only other way I can see in my situation is to print out copies at home which would probably cost even more per copy. I’m still trying to figure out a reasonable way to do this on my frayed shoestring budget! My only other idea is to make the e-book edition free for a day for all reviewers/helpers/etc., but that can only happen after the book has been published (I only do Kindle). I’m open to suggestions!
I just finished writing the page numbers for my next book – so it will be a few weeks or a few years before I start planing my advertising strategy.
(The numbers look great! I used the Comic Sans font)
Great post! I just want to add something from the other side, since I’ve had a book review blog since 2006 (Monday Morning Books, http://bmorrison.com/blog). Please be sensitive to the blogger from whom you’re requesting a review. They probably have several dozen books backed up waiting for a review, so don’t expect them to turn it around immediately; give them lots of lead time. Also, be aware that the reviewers have personal tastes too and may refuse to review a book, either for a personal reason or for lack of time. Don’t take it personally! We all love books and want to get them into the hands of readers who will enjoy them.
Thank you for voicing your support of the library system. When our small public library hosts a guest author to book club, our Friends of the Library usually purchase a copy for each book club member and the library can usually pay mileage expense for the author. We also promote author events on our Facebook Page, Twitter and in the local paper. Book club attendees buy additional books by the author if the author sets up a display table. I love hosting and promoting guest authors.