It used to be that when authors released a book, they’d travel the country, visiting every bookstore known to man to sign their books and meet and greet with prospective readers.
Nowadays, authors still tour, but they never have to leave the couch to do so. Now, they organize online blog tours.
Hell, they don’t even have to put pants on.
You’d be hard-pressed to find many professional authors that don’t conduct blog tours.
Although there is still a considerable amount of work involved, a lot of authors prefer them to physical tours. They save on gas, time, and a lot of headaches.
Blog tours have been common for about eight or nine years. The longer the Internet exists, the more crap people have to sort through to get to the good stuff. In SEO terms, the more you are linked to (and the more quality links you give without becoming a spammer), the more seriously you will be taken in search results.
When someone posts your blog to Facebook, for example, that post gets a boost on Google’s search page. Theoretically, the more people you get to visit your blog, the more people will become aware of your work. Visibility leads to sales. Eventually. There’s more to it than that, but that’s for a different post.
In short, blog tours benefit everyone involved.
They help the author, they help the blog host, and they hopefully offer some great content for readers.
I will be launching my own blog tour in the next couple of months. I’m very close to finishing If I Let You Go and I want people to be more aware of it – not just that it exists, but what it’s about and what I think people will get out of it. I also know that a huge number of indie authors out there aren’t getting the exposure they’d like. I can’t guarantee a huge spike in sales, but I can promise a friend who will help you reach new people.
You may either guest post on this blog or we can have a web interview. In return, I ask that you also feature me on your blog or website. Leave a comment or reach me on Twitter for details.
This blog contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and purchase an item, I may receive a commission. But don't worry - you won't pay a penny more! The money I receive helps me keep the lights on, so thank you!