I am so excited for all the authors putting books out lately! There's been a flux of cover reveals, interviews, giveaways and blog tours! So much to shout about!
Though I'm very happy for everyone, I am concerned that blog tours are becoming saturated. I think we need new, energized ways to promote and advertise our upcoming books! I don't want to bother people with another book launch...coincidentally I found a couple of articles addressing the same thing with helpful info, just in the nick of time!
Here is a post by the savvy Creepy Query Girl she has fresh ideas on what to do to keep blog tours from becoming a stale avenue.
Another group of helpful writers is getting together with the aim of boosting book sales, Stephen Tremp, C M Brown, M Pax, and Christine Rains. They are announcing their project, Writers for Writers on December 6th. Tune in then for more details - it should be BIG!!!
In the new year, I am hosting a few blog tour stops here and I want to do them right and want advice for mine too! Stina, whose blog always has wonderful advice and great writing links, wrote a post about spicing up blog tours and other suggestions to display new books in their best light. Here are a few highlights from her post:
- Covers are important. make sure you send one of high resolution
- Use Goodreads wisely.
- Word of mouth is your best promotion. Not long ago, a blogging friend mentionedEasy by Tammara Webber on her blog. We started talking about the book. Because of that, I bought it and read it right away (even though my TBR pile is out of control). I then told my CP, who also read it even though her TBR pile is as bad as mine. We both love the book and have told others about it.
- Be selective with your blog tours. You are better off having your book reviewed on a major book blog (if possible) than swamp your blogging circle with a blog tour.
- Keep your promotion small, unless you can spread it around so it’s not hitting the same people again and again. Every so often, subtly remind us about your book. I might not buy it right away, but the reminder later on might be all I need to pick the book up. This is more effective than over promotion, which tends to turn some people off a book.
- If you’re going to do an interview, KEEP IT SHORT.
And speaking of word of mouth...I nominate M J Fifield to do a regular review vlog! You heard me, woman! She reads books quick and is honest and witty schmitty! She's the total entertainment package! Or maybe a regular review post - M J, people would send you ARCs just to have you review them on your blog! They'd have to book her in advance for their blog tour! She's that good!
And finally, for Sensational Haiku Wednesday, some encouragement and fun - anything but DULL.
All writing, all day
cramps the hand and dulls the brain
take breaks to recharge!
The light is on but
no one is home, the mind needs
exercise to write
Sad faces and yawns
indicators of party
that needstequila livening!
And finally, for Sensational Haiku Wednesday, some encouragement and fun - anything but DULL.
All writing, all daycramps the hand and dulls the brain
take breaks to recharge!
The light is on but
no one is home, the mind needs
exercise to write
Sad faces and yawns
indicators of party
that needs
35 comments:
Thank you for this fabulously informative post - and for making me aware of the Blog Tour Exchange - that's awesome!
That's why for my third book I intend to do something really different. No idea what that will be now, but I'm sure something will hit me!
mmm tequila...
Great post, really enjoyed. Gona go checks those links out, thank you :)
I really think you've nailed it. I think the impact of blog tours is faltering. Great list of options, thank you!
Promotion is tough. I think it's scarier than rejections. Those you can shrug off (after a good cry). You can't shrug off promotion.
I already know what I plan to do when I release my NA novel next year. It won't be a big blog tour. I've got other plans. Secret plans. :)
Thanks for the links. I'm curious about the Blog Tour Exchange.
Hey Tara. I understand what you mean about blog tours. I love hosting them, but I prefer to offer up better ideas on the content I put on my site. Like for me, I love tattoos, movies, characters and quotes, so I would love to host a blog tour doing a character interview or post who would play the characters if the book were made into a movie and why or pulling out some great lines from the book and write about them. Just a couple of ideas. So, gearing the content on the blog tours to the host's sites, might be a good idea.
Let me know if I can help.
Wonderful post and great haiku ~
rests are part of musical composition ~ wise you are ~ (A Creative Harbor) ^_^
I love this. I need this. Thanks! =)
love the need for more hard liquor in your fun haiku set....
Love the haikus.
And thanks for the shout out.
Your instincts seem right on about finding new and invigorating ways to promote your book. I think sometimes someone tries a new road, it's successful and the rest of us follow without thinking creatively until the road gets worn down. The blog tours are certainly good, but I'm glad to see new inroads in this venture.
Love the haiku as always. I'm feeling like I could use some tequila myself right now to get through NaNo!
I didn't know about the Writers for Writers project, sounds excellent and I can't wait to find out what those guys have planned. They are all such wonderful writers.
Thanks for sharing your advice, I appreciate it!
Great information. Thanks so much for all the links. :)
Thank you for this awesome, informative post! I am bookmarking this page for immediate use.
Love your haiku!
This was awesome . . . now trying to think of creative ways to use a Vlog! Or a cool-themed Bloghop!
Ah, that last haiku says it all. I know the feeling.
Loved finding your haiku; it added just the right touch to an otherwise great post.
Love the Haiku! And thanks for all the great links and thoughts here, Tara. You're always in on the good stuff! And thanks for the promo on your sidebar! <3 <3 <3
These are all excellent points. It's hard to make promotion anything but, well, promotion. New ideas are always welcome. Chin up, I'm sure you'll rock the boat (I'm *still* totally excited for your book!).
I agree with you about blog tours. Too many and it just feels like I'm being hit over the head with the same thing. I prefer interviews, especially when the questions keep changing. That way you learn about the book AND the author.
Great post! I'm going to go check out the Blog Tour exchange, it sounds awesome!
Yeah, I'd never done a blog tour before and I would do it differently if I had to plan it again, like not nearly as many days. Yikes! But it's a difficult animal to tame and understand, especially if you're still a novice like me. Glad I have a PR group handling my other tour stops. That'll be all the reviewers and stuff. Still, my tour gave me big boost and bump when I needed the jumpstart, so it wasn't all bad.
YES, TARA! Blog tours are feeling repetitive - the same thing over and over again. I'm hosting several people over the next few months and I'm trying to think of topics that have not been done before.
Man, I love promoting my fellow writers ever since I started with Nancy S. Thompson! It was fun! Really, it was! The communication aspect of it thrills me :)
Originality goes a long way. Just keeping my blog fresh is so darn time consuming... it never ends.
This is an awesome topic! Very timely. I think keeping it fresh is very important, because they do start running together after awhile.
LOL! I second keeping the interview short. I see a long one, I run. No one has time to read all that.
I'm doing a blog tour next February, but I'm not doing a solid two weeks and will select the blogs carefully.
I second the advice on keeping interviews short. It's an interview, not a full-length biography!!
I agree that word of mouth is a good way to learn about a good book to read.
Cramped hand, dull brain--time, as you say, for a tequila fix!
Dull Butter Knife
Thanks for the quick tips. I'm looking forward to Writers4Writers.
Great post Tara.
No matter what you do count me in! I would love to help you in any way that I can!
Hope you survive the newest storm!
Heather
This is awesome! Always nice to spice things up and keep them from getting dull. Definitely checking out these articles.
And, great new pic, BTW! It's probably not THAT new, but it's new to me! :) Love it!
Thanks for sharing all this great info and advice. I agree, we need to become a bit more creative with book promotions which isn't always easy on a limited budget. And thank you for sharing the links! (:
all this thanks & support! you guys are...whats another word for awesome? looks in trusty writer's friend...going to stop using awesome!
today i saw you are all
DAUNTING!!
makin my day, every day!
I have to agree; there needs to be a few fresh ideas out there. I love helping out other writers, but it's definitely time for a change. Great post and count me in for anything you need help with next year. :)
I certainly agree with Stina's post. It seems so many people are self-pubbing now that wherever I look, I find thinly-veiled buy-my-book posts, interviews, blog-hops, etc. There are just too many ...
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