I'd like to schedule a book blog tour

[Melissa Foster]

Hi! I'd like to schedule a book blog tour for my debut novel, http://www.megansway.com, a work of literary fiction. You can read about it on Amazon.

Unsolicited reader reviews have been great!

I am also the Founder of The Women's Nest, a social and support site for women.

If you are interested, please email me directly [e-mail]

Thank you in advance!
Melissa Foster

[Rachel Connell]

Book tour as in my own copy? Then yes and I'm sending you an email now.

[Melissa Foster]

I'm interested in scheduling a blog tour. That would be a host of bloggers that are interested in either doing a Review and Q&A with me, just a Q&A, or an open Q&A to the participants in your blog :-) I'm hoping to schedule 10-20 of these, and in return I will post publicity and a link to your blog on both my sites - The Women's Nest (over 2000 members, and Megan's Way.

If interested in reviewing, I'll provide a copy of Megan's Way.

Thanks!
PS - Please put BLOG TOUR in the subject line of the email :-) [e-mail]

[Rachel Connell]

I'll send it again then and that sounds wonderful and I'll email you to find out when you can do the Q&A.

[Alison Rotich]

Melissa-

I sent you an email earlier requesting a copy of this book. I would love to do blog tour with you. I will email you again!

[Stacy-Deanne]

Hi Melissa,

Congratulations on your new book! Usually its best to contact bloggers or book clubs for tours before the book's release. It just makes it easier on the author and them. Have you done a thorough search on Google? There are TONS of bloggers who host blog tours. What you must do is contact them personally through email. You should offer them a FREE copy of your book then from there you outline when the visit will be set up. The reason it's best to get it together months ahead is because there is so much competition for blog tours. A lot of bloggers like a chance to review the ARC's of the book then they can know the direction the tour will go in. I'd say the best time to start contacting bloggers is four months before the book is out. This way you are locked. It's best to do it before the book comes out because you can wet readers' appetites with pre-promotion.

BUT DOESN'T MEAN YOU WON'T HAVE A SUCCESSFUL ONE, LOL! Many authors don't realize that it should be a few months ahead. I was mainly speaking of authors who want to target the high-traffic and most popular blogs. With those, you need to contact a head of time.

Most bloggers like to know what writers can do for their blog in return. If some are nice enough (and I am sure you'll get plenty of offers), to secure their blog for you to tour, then make the most out of it. Blog tours are great! There is a science to it though. You must woo bloggers like you would any other reviewer or person of the media. Bloggers have a lot of clout these days and their power is growing each year. May I share some tips?

After blogger's invite you to tour, stay in contact with them. Let them know that you will be available for input, interviews, guest blogging they might want in the future. They will appreciate that in the long run and will be glad to do another tour with you for your future work. Like I said, it's best to send an email of course, letting them know what you want to do as well as what kind of blog tour, time and schedule. What's most important is letting them know what YOU'RE gonna do to promote it.

Make sure you outline all the things you're gonna do for promotion. It's not the blogger's responsibility to promote your blog tour, though some authors think so, LOL. Some authors depend on the blogger to promote and the tour falls flat. You gotta put a lot into it. If you are with a publishing house, get your publicist involved in promoting the tour. If you have an agent, have them spread the word. Ask blogs and sites that aren't a part of your tour if you can advertise the tour on their sites. You might end up getting more bloggers wanting to host you.

I think blog tours are great but most authors think they are not hard work. They are a lot of hard work. You gotta put as much promotion into it as you would the typical type of book tour. You should drum up as much attention and hunger for your book and drive folks to that site. Another great thing to do is write some articles and this will also bring people to your tour.

I just wanted to give some tips that might be helpful to you. Just remember to keep an open line of communication with bloggers and ALWAYS keep it professional and respectable.

Also, I see you have your own support site. That's wonderful because you have readers right there that can help you promote!

Best Wishes!

http://www.stacy-deanne.net

[Melissa Foster]

Stacey,
Thank you for all of the info. I am a marketer, so I totally understand how much there is to do for promotion! But I am new to the book tour arena, and I'll take your route and contact bloggers, providing them with an outline of the marketing as well.

As mentioned, I founded The Women's Nest, a social community for women and we have over 2000 members, I will be promoting the tour there, as well as on my Megan's Way website, Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, and through associations with friends and other on-line sites that announce such things.

I do not have an agent, though I hope to get one! I realize I have worked backwards with this - I did not know that reviews and tours should be done before publication. After publishing my book and THEN researching (live and learn!) I figured that out. I am lucky, I suppose, because I have a few professional reviewers reviewing my book (not paid) and one just wrote back that she adored it and is posting the review this weekend. My hope is that, armed with reviews and publicity, I might find an agent.

Thank you so much!!! And your books look great!!! Please feel free to email me directly anytime, as I'd love to chat and really appreciate your insight!
Melissa

[Park-Avenue Princess]

I just sent you an email...please get back to me! Thanks a bunch!!

Amy

[Katie Downs]

I just emailed you to participate in the blog tour. Thanks for the opportunity!

Katie