It’s a Wrap! How I Survived my First Blog Tour

A blog tour? Not too long ago my first reaction would have been: “What’s that?”
Now, less than twenty-four hours after the last of my tour hosts posted their blog, I lean back and reflect on five days of social media buzz.

Thirty-seven blogs featured my book in what they call a ‘Book Blast’. Since my manuscript is still listed on NetGalley (https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/160777 ), I chose not to ask for reviews and provided my book blurb, cover, bio, social media contacts and a number of excerpts instead.

One of my hosts was so intrigued that she requested a review copy and posted an absolutely fabulous review today. Check it out at http://www.harliesbooks.com/posts/review-of-where-sleeping-lies-lie-by-m-naidoo-w-a-rafflecopter-giveaway-historicalfiction-authormnaidoo/#comment-18794

If you’re thinking about a blog tour for your book, here are a few morsels of wisdom I took away from this experience:

If your budget allows, find and work with a tour organizer that specializes in your genre (super important!). Organizers worth their salt will tell you if their bloggers don’t fit your kind of book, but I wouldn’t rely on it.
Disclose if your book contains trigger themes. Good organizers know their bloggers and if there are certain themes that they won’t touch, even though your book might be in the genre they usually read. Examples would be illnesses like cancer or MS, drug overdoses, domestic violence, etc. Anything your blurb doesn’t say but might be an issue should be mentioned.
Prices and promo packages vary greatly, so do your homework and compare what you are paying for. Check the reviews and track record.
Start your research early. Tours usually have to be booked far ahead of time. Some organizers even offer a discount for bookings eight to ten weeks before the scheduled date.
If you leave it too long, your desired dates might not be available – plan ahead
Work closely with your organizer, ask questions and provide whatever material they ask for early
If your book is not released yet at the time of booking, provide the sales links, ASIN or ISBN as soon as they become available, so the hosts can include them in their posts
Each morning visit the blogs of the day and thank each host for posting, common courtesy really
Check back during the day or, if you don’t have access, in the evening and respond to comments, engage and thank those that have commented
Like, tweet, and share the heck out of the blog posts, promote the tour on all your social media channels, blog and talk about it. Do as much as you can and as you’re comfortable with
Follow the bloggers on their social media channels to establish an ongoing rapport

Is this a comprehensive list?
Probably not. If you have any good pointers, please comment on this blog. I’d love to add action items for any future tours and other authors.

So how do you know if all of this was worth it?
For the number crunchers out there that deal in impressions, ACOS, cost per clicks, and sales numbers, I’m sorry to disappoint. The immediate value of a blog tour lies in shares, follows and likes, tweets and retweets, in website visits, conversations with bloggers, peers, and potential readers, in spreading the word about your work and in increased name recognition. As such, it certainly has been effective. It has been fun, exciting and exhausting! My hosts had been asked to have their blogs up by 4 am Eastern Time. I’m on the West Coast, so I have literally been running on fumes since the tour started…

One measurable indicator of the tour’s reach would be the number of hits when you google your author name and book title. Do this before, during and after the tour to see if it has increased. Note the number of followers on your Instagram, facebook, twitter, Goodreads, and whatever other profile you have before the tour and after. I have seen a marked increase all across my channels.

Will all this eventually translate into sales numbers?
Time will tell, I certainly hope so. Keep in mind that a blog tour is only one tool of many. Combine it with other marketing efforts, and the effectiveness increases. There is one thing I have come to realize since starting this journey: No matter what the countless self-publishing books out there say, it is a marathon, not a sprint. I’m in it for the long haul, already looking forward to the next book and taking notes as to what not to do next time.

A huge thank you goes to my wonderful tour organizers Marianne and Judy @ http://www.goddessfish.com/ I would never have attempted to put together the line-up of amazing blogs that featured “Where Sleeping Lies Lie”. In appreciation and as a resource for other authors, here are the links:

Please consult their individual submission guidelines if interested.

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