Secrets of Successful Virtual Book Tours
Quick Tips for Authors Guide
Roxanne Rhoads
Book Description:
Are you considering a virtual book tour?
Not sure where to start or exactly what an online tour will entail?
Roxanne Rhoads, book publicist and owner of Bewitching Book Tours, shares her virtual tour expertise in this Quick Tips for Authors Guide.
Secrets of Successful Virtual Book Tours will guide you in utilizing the best marketing tool available- a virtual book tour, which can create online exposure for your book, jumpstart your book sales, help build your author brand, and expand your network.
In this guide you’ll learn:
- what you should do before a tour
- the components of a great author website
- the best social media outlets for authors to utilize
- tips for building your author brand
- how to write great guest blogs
- what to expect from an online book tour
- the secrets of successful book tours
- how to schedule your own virtual book tour
And you’ll receive in-depth details about what to do during a virtual book tour to guarantee success.
Quick
Tips for Authors- Self Promotion
by
Roxanne Rhoads
Promotion-
it’s a bad word for many authors…downright evil… but a
necessary evil.
A
small percentage of authors revel in the spotlight and have no
problem talking, promoting, and selling.
But
most of us…well we’d rather be writing. And not writing about our
books or ourselves, we simply want to be writing our books.
What
happened to the days when the reclusive author typed away in their
little hermit like abode, sent the manuscript off to a publisher who
handled everything and the author sat back and got rich while writing
more books?
I
think that image is a fairy tale, I’m not even sure if that author
stereotype was ever a reality at all but when I was young that’s
how I envisioned the author’s world. Then I started writing books-
and thought that once a publisher accepted and published my work the
hard part was over. Boy was I wrong.
The
idea “if I write it, people will buy it” doesn’t get you very
far. There are simply too many books flooding the market. Thanks to
the internet and technology more books than ever are being published
every day- and it is very easy to get loss in the ever growing a sea
of pages and book covers.
What
can an author do to stand out from the crowd?
Promotion.
Yes,
there’s that damn word again but honestly it’s what can make or
break your book. The other, I swear, is simply luck, and maybe a pact
with the devil.
I’ve
seen amazing books totally tank in sales and crap books, poorly
written with sentences that run on and are hard to read, make the
bestseller list on Amazon, repeatedly.
Why?
Promotion.
For
the past several years I have been on a quest to learn everything I
can about the book business and book world, from all angles- author,
editor, publicist, reviewer, book blogger, even publisher -and I’ve
learned a lot.
So
what words of wisdom can I share with authors who are looking for the
secrets to book success?
First
of all- web presence.
What’s
the first thing many people do when they hear about something-
whether it’s a book, business, or new product?
They
Google it.
That’s
why an author should have a website- a good one, a professional one
that showcases their author/book brand. If you write paranormal books
your website should have a hint of the paranormal in it- should it
showcase screaming skulls and blood dripping fangs? Probably not.
Keep it tasteful and professional while making it clear you are a
paranormal author, or romance author, or whatever.
Your
website can sell you and your books 24 hours a day, 7 days a week all
over the world. Nothing else can reach as wide an audience 24/7.
The
author website should have 6 key things to be successful- a way to
contact you, your bio, your bookshelf (if you write in different
genres or have a couple different series then you should have
separate pages for each genre or series), a calendar or schedule of
author appearances whether in the real world or online, a page of fun
stuff and/or links that relate to your books, and your media page
which should contain an author photo, media ready bio, sample author
Q and A, and your most recent book cover and blurb.
I
also suggest having a regularly updated blog and newsletter that
readers can subscribe to.
Also
be sure to utilize Author Central at Amazon, you can add your links
and blog feed to your author page.
Which
brings me to the next thing an author needs to utilize…social
media-
Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads- these are some of the most popular
social media outlets for connecting with readers and other authors.
The idea is to build is solid foundation of reader and author
followers. Do this by posting fun and informative tweets and updates-
not just promo. And you can link all your accounts together through
apps at Twitter and Facebook or through outside apps like HootSuite.
An
author should also stay up to date on what’s popular and working in
the online book world-
for example: book trailers, book soundtracks, Twitter parties,
virtual book tours.
Do
book trailers or soundtracks sell books? In my opinion no, but they
are great tools for sharing your book (these would fall under that
fun stuff category above to include on your website).
Virtual
book tours, however, are one of the best ways to spread the word
about your book.
You can reach a worldwide audience without ever leaving your home at
a tiny fraction of the cost of a real world book tour.
The
goal is not just book sales but reaching out and gaining new
followers. After a book tour you should see the subscribers list to
your newsletter has grown, you have more Twitter and Facebook
followers, and the number of blog followers you have has increased-
and hopefully your book sales have skyrocketed.
So
what do you do during a book tour? You’ll write guest posts, fill
out and interviews, and sometimes participate in live chats and
podcast and radio interviews at different blogs and sites around the
web. The book tour company will schedule everything.
The
key is choosing the best company for your book- find a company that
has handled many books in your genre and that shows a good track
record. If you only see one or two previous tours done by this
company perhaps you should move on to the next book tour company- and
new ones pop up every day. Do your homework before laying down the
cash. While no book tour business can guarantee sales or great
reviews they should be able to provide you with proven capability,
organization and a certain amount of tour stops based on what you
paid for.
Are
real live book events things of the past? No, not at all.
By
all means go out to local book stores, libraries, seasonal and
holiday events and set up signings, schedule fun events that will
bring people in- work with other authors to create group things that
draw a crowd.
For
instance if you write paranormal books- get out there at Halloween
events and sell your stuff. Set up tables for sales and signings at
Halloween reading and parties at local libraries, (schools too if
your book is kid oriented), hayrides, even haunted houses. Work with
your community to promote your book. You might be surprised at how
many local businesses and event planners will be thrilled to have
something unique and special (like an author) be a guest at their
holiday event.
And
be sure to bring business cards, bookmarks or other promo materials
to all your live book promotions. Pass them out at local libraries
and bookstores too.
The
key is- get out and promote- whether virtually, in real life, or
both. You are not going to get anywhere as an author being a hermit
and hiding in your house tapping away at the keys of your computer.
Publication
is only the beginning of the process…promotion is the road to
success.
Ten
Reasons Authors Should Go On A Virtual Book Tour
By
Roxanne Rhoads
- Going on a virtual tour can help you network with bloggers, readers, reviewers, other authors and publishing professionals. You can build a professional network of contacts through a tour.
- A virtual book tour can help build your author brand and platform.
- An online tour can vastly expand your online presence and visibility as an author. The more you and your book are mentioned online, the more hits readers will find when they Google you.
- You can target niche reader markets. Does your book feature food, crafts, or secondary topic that can be built upon for marketing purposes? Make sure that in addition to the normal book blogs and genre blogs that several of your tour stops are on targeted blogs for food, recipes, crafts or a side market that fits your niche. For instance, Juliette Blackwell’s Witchcraft Mysteries could be featured on sites that cater to vintage clothing or San Francisco because both of those feature heavily in her cozy mystery series. Melissa Bourbon’s Dressmaking Mystery Series could be featured on a sewing blog. Find your niche and target it.
- A tour can build your mailing list and increase your social media following. Include links to your newsletter sign up page and all of your social media profiles so readers can easily follow you.
- A virtual tour can direct traffic to your website. Make sure your website is up to date and full of content for readers to explore.
- Expose your book to readers around the world. Many tour companies have book bloggers in numerous countries. Your book can be showcased around the world 24/7.
- You will have the chance to interact directly with readers via live chats, Facebook events, and comments on blogs and websites.
- Most blogs archive their content; this means it does not get deleted. Your tour stop will remain online indefinitely for readers to find.
- A virtual book tour can increase book sales.
About the Author:
Roxanne Rhoads has been working in the world of online book promotion since 2005. She has worked as a freelance writer, author, book reviewer, book blogger, editor, self-publisher and book publicist. She has a unique advantage of knowing how multiple sides of book publishing and promotion operate.
Roxanne understands how book bloggers work and what they want to make their jobs easier while also understanding that authors need promotion to be streamlined, easy, and less time consuming.
Roxanne shares some of her knowledge in her latest release, Secrets of Successful Virtual Book Tours.
Author Website http://www.roxannerhoads.com
Bewitching Book Tours www.bewitchingbooktours.com
Bewitching Blog http://www.bewitchingbooktours.blogspot.com/
Twitter @RoxanneRhoads
Newsletter Sign Up: http://eepurl.com/0z3z1
Tour Giveaway:
- Bewitching Book Tours' Release Day Blitz or Cover Reveal (winner's choice)
- ebook copy of Secrets of Successful Virtual BookTour
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