Time was that the term “author tour” signified traveling from city to city to sign books in bookstores across the country. Today the author tour has been replaced by the blog tour, a cyber-tour whereby an author can travel around the world without leaving the comfort of her own home. 

As a promotional tool, the blog tour is relatively new, but despite its newness, it has developed into one of the most effective marketing strategies in the publishing industry. The key to a blog tour’s success depends on certain factors: 

1) On what blogs will you be appearing? When choosing blogs for your blog tour, select those that will target your readership. For example, if you write fiction, choose blogs that cater to readers of fiction. 

2) What is the size of the blog’s readership? Blogs with a larger number of readers give you a wider audience for publicizing your book. But don’t discount blogs with smaller readership. Some of those readers may be heavy-hitters in the publishing industry, people who have a very large circle of influence in their own right. 

3) Does the blog allow for comments? Blogs that allow for comments are generally more popular than those that do not. When readers can post comments, they feel as though they are an important part of the blog. And they are. If you tour on a blog that posts comments, be sure to respond to those comments. Nothing excites a reader more than to be able to communicate directly with the author of a favorite book. 

Do you use blog tours as part of your promotional strategy? If so, what tips can you offer for maximizing a blog tour?

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