As we sometimes do, the Women of Mystery were chatting the other day. Someone suggested that one of us write a post on the nuts and bolts of blog tours. I raised my hand and offered to do so because I have a tour starting July 6th as part of the launch extravaganza for the release of Caught Read-Handed on July 7th.
How does a blog tour start? I am sure that every writer has her own path to blog tour success. I am happy to share mine. The first thing I do, at least six months before the release date of a book, is to contact Lori at Escape with Dollycas into a Good Book.
Lori is a tour guide extraordinaire. I recommend you be prepared to tell her whether you would like to tour for one week or two and what dates work best for you. I will tour fourteen blogs in fourteen days. Most of the bloggers will write a review of Caught Read-Handed and so will require
review copies. In addition, most of the bloggers will do a giveaway of a copy of your book. Again, you or your publisher will have to provide copies. Lori will ask if you want to have a tour-wide giveaway which will be done by rafflecopter at each blog site. I put together a few book/beach related items, including a mousepad, necklace and note paper and took a picture for the rafflecopter. I will be responsible to mail that prize to the winner. Separate from the tour, I have chosen to advertise on Dollycas for two months and I will also do a blog post for the Dollycas blog after my tour is ended. Some of the Dollycas bloggers want me to write a guest post and some sent me interview questions. All of this material plus my bio, any pictures that I think will go well with my posts and anything else I think will be helpful must be sent to Lori a few weeks before the tour starts. I handed them in this morning.
Rafflecopter Prize
Separately, the publicist from Berkley Prime Crime has asked me for several blog posts that she can deliver to her cadre of bloggers. Those are also due weeks before the release date. I submitted them two weeks ago.
Finally there are blogger buddies who are kind enough to invite me to visit their blogs. I try to accept every invitation and, most importantly, I follow every blogger’s rules.
The rules of a blog tour are simple: do exactly what the blogger requests, submit the work on time, comment on the blog shortly after it goes up and then check on it frequently. Comment often. If prizes are involved, make sure they are sent.
Here are some examples of blogs with rules:
I had a request from one blog that I visit them only on a day when I will not be present on any other blog and that the material I present to them be fresh. Done.
Deb Lacy over at Mystery Playground does Drinks with Reads posts on Fridays. It happens that Lori assigned me to Mystery Playground on July 10th, which turns out to be a Friday. As soon as I looked at the calendar I knew that a “drinks” post would be in order. Done.
I keep a separate calendar just for blog tour info. I find it necessary because there are often surprises, such as this mention by Lisa Kelley over at Lisa K’s Book Reviews. Each Cozy Food Friday, Lisa talks about a cozy mystery. Last Friday it was Bushel Full of Murder by Paige Shelton, and includes a fabulous recipe for Shrimp Tacos. On Fridays Lisa also posts and links to two memes Book Beginnings hosted by Rose City Reader and The Friday 56 hosted by Freda’s Voice. I am honored and surprised that Lisa chose Caught Read-Handed as her meme book last week. The Book Beginnings link includes the opening paragraphs of Caught Read-Handed and The Friday 56 includes a quote Lisa chose from page 56 of the book. Lisa was kind enough to let me know that I would be in the memes, so I watched for the post and linked to it here and there.
And that is the final rule. Bloggers work very hard. A blogger who invites a writer to visit a blog is doing the writer a huge favor. In turn, the writer must spread the word to help readers discover that blog. That’s called Fair Play, and it is what the mystery community is all about.
Terrie
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