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| Xpresso Reads Book Tours Button |
Fast forward to now, and the Ruby’s Fire Tour. I decided to hire a tour host. Xpresso Tours was highly recommended, and I’m glad I went with them because Giselle took me way beyond my own group of readers and bloggers. Well, I also had those wonderful supporters who I could now go to to help host. They'd already read Fireseed One so they were naturals to go on and read the companion book, Ruby's Fire (I call it a companion book rather than a sequel because it takes place years later, and with a different protagonist so you don't need to read book one to read book two). Giselle tweeted the tour stop every morning, and was always there to answer any questions. Plus, she designed a cool tour button. The tour hosts were amazing too: so many great blog are out there and it was big treat to discover each one and see what they had in store. Another interesting thing was that I realized that the publicists of my colleagues who publish traditionally are trying to get their clients' books reviewed by the same bunch of bloggers that the indies go to! A true democratic process.
You want to get sales from curious readers, and you also want to create buzz. They say it sometimes takes potential readers a few times of hearing a book's name to buy, so the more your book gets out there the better. Not to say you should bludgeon folks with ads about your work. It should be balanced with guest posts on writing tips, and helpful sharing of your experiences. The book tour host will help with that too, by suggesting a spicy variety of content.
Below are my last two stops on the Ruby Tour. Go say hi! And think about reading and reviewing Ruby's Fire, and spreading word. I'll give you a big virtual hug. Wishing you the best of luck in putting together your own book tours! I'll be back on Monday with some interesting news. Until then, thanks to all who helped in the tour, and a hearty thanks to Giselle at Xpresso. Last chance to enter the Rafflecopter below for a Kindle or other prize! Stay tuned for prizewinner announcements.
Oh, and what are your thoughts on book tours? Any wonderful experiences? Cautionary tales?
Marked by Books: Sneak Peeks and BONUS mini-review!
Brooke Blogs: Review
For the whole lineup
I'm all set for my third and final one. I've never used a service though - always set them up myself. And variety is important. There are only so many interview questions you can answer and still keep it fresh.
ReplyDeleteAlex, I agree! But some of the interview questions still throw me for a loop!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad the blog tour was a successful one, Catherine. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm touring my tween paranormal in October with a tour host. I just don't know enough bloggers and readers to do it myself. They know so many places to go.
ReplyDeleteRuby's Fire is on my TBR list, hopefully soon. Have fun the rest of your tour.
It sounds exhausting, Catherine, but you're doing a great job. :-)
ReplyDeleteI've toured a lot this year, and I've put together a huge one for October. It feels a bit overwhelming, but the hosts are always so wonderful. Glad to hear yours went well. :) Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteUgh trying to get help on blogs.. glad i found your page.. Thank you
ReplyDeleteI appreciate being able to sit back and learn from your experience. There are so many avenues and options available these days!
ReplyDeleteBev, good luck with the tour, and I hope you like Ruby's journey! Christine, yes, it IS both overwhelming & wonderful. Grayce and Crystal, glad to help give some tips.
ReplyDeleteI've participated in two book tours via my blog, both for indie writers. I really enjoyed helping raise awareness for their work. I'm glad yours is going so well, I've been lurking from the sidelines the whole way!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Adrianne and everyone! It was a fab tour, and eek, I have 3,494 Rafflecopter entries! Stay tuned to find out the prize winners.
ReplyDeleteI haven't toured yet, but it sounds like yours went very well! I'll have to check out Xpresso and see what they offer. So far, I haven't shelled out any $$ on promotion; but with so many of us out there hawking our wares, it's getting difficult to stand out otherwise.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the recommendation, Catherine. Yours was so well done!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad your blog tour went well! I've done my own for each of my releases and I definitely hear you on how much work they are! I wish I had a bigger promotional budget, thats for sure. I'm a bit torn as to whether they really help sales, but they are great for getting the word out, and having some fun :)
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