I’ve signed up for a couple of blog tours to promote my newest releases. Many authors have come to me after seeing a few of my guest spots and asked me if they really did make a difference.
Yes! Blog touring does help!
From what I can see, over all, tours are a great boost to an authors marketing campaign. It gives you the ability to reach hundreds more people who are specifically looking at book info and reviews. Based on the tours I have worked with, I have seen good results and I would recommend them to any author looking to get the word out about their book.
Some essentials…
Your appearances should be geared towards the market that matches your book’s genre. You want your target audience to get the info about your book. Touring an erotica blog with a murder mystery might not work as well as it would with an erotica novel.
Now, there are three types of appearances that you will generally get on a blog tour. A Review, an Author/book spotlight (usually involving an interview), and a guest posting opportunity.
Book reviews are the most helpful of all types of appearances. An author can talk until they lose their voice about how wonderful their book is. It will do a little good and friends and family will buy of course. But, when a stranger speaks up and tells the world how wonderful your book is, people listen. If your book is reviewed by a blog that has a lot of followers and they say something good, chances are people will run out and find your book.
The next best appearance type is the book/author spotlight. This gives people a summary of your work and a chance to get to know you as the author. If they like your summary or what you say in the interview, people might decide to give your book a chance.
Finally there is the guest post. This is where you get to chat up the crowd about whatever is on your mind with an emphasis on your genre and book somewhere in the back burner. It gives people, like with the author spotlight, a chance to know you.
All three spots are exposure and any exposure is good for an author. A well rounded blog tour will include all three of these appearances. If you are a new author considering this option, do your research and find a tour that will work for you. Many services out there offer tours that can be as short as two weeks or as long as a few months. There is a lot out there to help you spread the word.
About The Author
Katie Salidas is a USA Today bestselling author and RONE award winner known for her unique genre-blending style.
Since 2010 she's penned five bestselling book series: the Immortalis, Olde Town Pack, Little Werewolf, Chronicles of the Uprising, and the all-new Agents of A.S.S.E.T. series. As her not-so-secret alter ego, Rozlyn Sparks, she is a USA Today bestselling author of romance with a naughty side.
In her spare time Katie also produces and hosts a YouTube talk show; Spilling Ink. She also has a regular column on First Comics News where she explores writing from a nerdy perspective.