As a blogger, I decided to attend the How To Set Up an Author Blog Tour workshop, for Saturday's second venue, hosted by Kathryn Trueblood.
The focus of this seminar was on generating buzz on the internet for one's book. Though I don't have a book ready for publication, I thought I'd get I'd be able to improve my knowledge about blogging in general.
Despite technical difficulties, Kathryn is an engaging speaker and gave an informative workshop.
There are several reasons for doing a "blog tour." One of them is, it extends the buzz-life of your book by about three months.
However, before composing a web release, keep in mind the following (gleaned from the class handout):
1. Figure out the relevance that your book offers.
2. Research blogs that cover themes similar to those in your book.
The following are "must haves" on your blog:
1. Your book's cover image must be at the top.
2. The bottom of your web page should contain: The book title, name & contact info of your publisher, publication date, number of pages, the ISBN, price and possibly a logo.
3. Prominently display your offer to give away a free copy, your booking date, live interview, along with your e-mail address and website address.
4. Your photo, preferably a head-shot, and a three-line bio should be at the very bottom of your page.
In addition, these "nice to haves," placed somewhere in the body of the text, will increase the effectiveness (and hopefully your sales) of your blog tour:
1. Excerpts from reviews.
2. Blurbs and testimonials.
3. Your pitch (what the book is about)
4. A self contained excerpt from your book. And finally,
5. Information such as events, speaking engagements, or teaching related to your book.
After looking at my notes, I did a quick Google search and stumbled across two links to help you be a better "blog tour guide." The first was by Dabbling Mum, while the second came from The Book Publicity Blog.
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