Now that you've written and gotten the book published, what's next? How do you go about marketing your book and you don't actually have the funds to purchase marketing packages to get your book noticed and read? One of the best answers is a virtual book tour.
The benefits of having a virtual book tour include not having to face crowds if you are not the most extrovert type of person, virtual book tours also provide you with a wider reach. Using the internet can be an awesome tool for authors to promote books. Virtual book tours are also good to help you find opportunities (such as awards and author spotlights) to increase awareness and find new readers. In this post, I'm going to share some tips on how to go about setting up a virtual book tour for your book, especially if you're a new author. Tip #1: HOST YOUR OWN TOUR. If you haven't established many relationships in the "author world", and are not sure where to find existing tours; host your own. Virtual tours can be as short or long as you like, but a good rule of thumb for virtual tours is 3-4 weeks. You want to give yourself a chance to reach your audience and get into your "groove" about sharing your book. Tip #2: USE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS. Facebook is one of the top platforms to join and use for your virtual book tour. You can create an event page for however long you want to schedule your tour and share blurbs with small bios about your book's main characters, share information about you as an author, and host a Q&A for your attendees. Instagram or Twitter can also be used in your book tour. Share links, graphics of your book cover, book characters, situations, themes, locations, etc. can be added with brief content on these platforms. Tip #3: BLOG SPOTLIGHT. There are various ways to use a blog to spotlight your book. If you have a blog of your own, post on subject topics or do character analyses on your blog and share the link back to where readers can purchase your book. Seek out other authors or bloggers to interview you or feature your book on their "book of the week". Tip #4: JOIN AUTHOR GROUPS OR BOOK CLUBS. This is one great way to get to know what people like to read. It is also a way to get to know other readers and authors. Networking is an important factor in not only promoting your book, but getting sales. Most clubs and social media groups host book fairs or feature fellow authors in the group. Also engage with other authors on their book tours, blogs, spotlights, etc. Be open to share links and ask to be featured on their blog. Tip #5: PODCASTS OR RADIO TALK SHOWS. Reach countries all across the world by adding a podcast or radio show to your tour. Feature your book on your own show or seek out shows that are related to the genre of your work. Make sure you provide them with some basic information, such as the name of your book, the release date, a picture of your book cover, and a brief summary or blurb of what your book is about. Schedule a time when you're going to be on and let your audience know about it. Send email invites or invites via social media. Tip #6: GOODREADS OR BOOKBUB. Have you ever thought about using Goodreads or Bookbub as a way to host a book tour? Goodreads has a blog as well for you can set up your questions from readers or other authors. Host a Q&A on your book on your profile page. Host your freebies such as e-books, workbooks, gift cards, and other promo products on your Q&A or add a quiz or poll to your platform to promote your book. Whether you're hosting your own virtual book tour or going through another venue, make sure that you are prepared to share and answer questions. Create a calendar of your tour "stops" so that your readers can follow and join you on the stops of your tour. Reach out to bloggers, media specialists, newsletters, radio stations, book clubs, and other authors to find existing book tours to join to help you get acquainted and comfortable with networking online in regards to your book. Most book tours are free, but there are some that may require you to invest financially to be a part of the tour. Whichever route you choose to take, put your passion on the web and share it! Make sure you post your links and don't forget to create an CTA (call-to-action) with each of your stops to get your readers engaged and to drive traffic to your book site.
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