The Real World of Virtual Book Touring

As CEO and founder of Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours (plug, plug), I know how much work goes into setting up a tour and monitoring it the entire month one of my clients is on one. It’s so much work that I’m sure you – the innocent reader or even the seasoned pro – have no idea just how much work it involves putting a virtual book tour together for many authors at one time. Even if you have set one up for yourself, multiply that by about seven or so more and you’ll see just how much work it really is.

As tour coordinator, I spend 81 hours a week on these tours. I am fielding incoming inquiries and sending out applications on top of answering whatever questions they may have. I’m taking each client and evaluating which blogs they should appear on and querying blog hosts and setting up dates for them. I’m keeping a spreadsheet on each one and keeping their tour schedule updated as well as keeping everyone on a calendar so that I can see at an easy glance just who is going where on what day.

Not to mention helping my clients set up blogs, learn about tags and how to promote their blogs as well as updating my own blogs where they have their own tour pages and doing weekly updates so that they can see at a glance where they are going to be that upcoming week.

And the list goes on.

But, even though I am the one to lay out the groundwork, the work is still not done. For every stop, the authors must either answer interviews or write guest posts for these approximately twenty blog stops. Then, they must advertise their stops and keep their blogs updated as their tour goes along. It’s not as easy as it appears as you’ll find out, but it's all part of the package.

I asked my present and past clients if they realized it would be so much work even when someone else sets their tour up for them. Their answers will surprise you, and hopefully, help you to understand the real world of virtual book touring so that you’ll go into it with your eyes open.

“To be honest, the answer to the question is no,” says Elena Bowman, who toured in July ’07 for her book GATEKEEPER’S REALM. “I didn't think it would entail that much work. Frankly, I didn't know what to expect myself, Pump Up Your Books, or of the tour. I wasn't even sure when I received all those questions if I could answer them sufficiently and when I did, were they interesting enough. I don't know why I thought the questions would be the same for each and every blog, but I found out quick enough that it wasn't. I also didn't realize that because of the tour I would be setting up my own blog. My only problem is what to put up on it. But I am learning and I must admit it is kind of a fun thing to do.”

Vicki M. Taylor was one of the authors in the second month of Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours. I was still green, learning the ropes, and we ran into a problem or two, but none that couldn’t be corrected. When I asked her if they were what she expected, she said, “Dorothy, when I first considered a virtual book tour, I thought it would be each blog host putting together a page of my information or interview questions/answers and I’d “show up” to each page on the right day. It is that. And a whole lot more. Keeping the schedule up to date is a big issue, as well as keeping everyone’s interview questions separated and answered appropriately and on time. I know that for everything I did on my end, you did double or triple the work. And, I only had my schedule to worry about. You had many more to handle. The hard work continued with making sure I blasted my blog schedule all over the Internet every day to let everyone know where I would be so they could join in the discussion if they wanted. It was difficult to keep thinking of new ways to promote so I didn’t get tired of it and everyone else didn’t get tired of it either. And, finally, adding information to my blog about each stop on the tour every day. Luckily, I had tried to clear my schedule as much as possible before my VBT. I recommend that to anyone who is considering one. You’ll be busy. Clear your schedule. You’ll be happy you did. Would I do it again? Sure I would.”

Kim Baccellia is on tour this month (August ’07) for her book, EARRINGS OF IXTUMEA. She says, “No, I didn’t. I don’t think people realize how much work it is to promote your book. Jeez, writing the book is the easy part!!! I really thank Dorothy for putting my virtual book tour together. I’ve had a few other writers ask me if I did this. My writing mentor was very impressed. But I told them I wouldn’t have even known where to start. Sure you can ask a few friends to host you, but how to get the schedule together without going crazy? There’s no way I could have done the tour by myself.”

Marilyn Celeste Morris, who toured in April ‘07 for her book ONCE A BRAT and again in July ‘07 for THE WOMEN OF CAMP SOBINGO says, “Yes, it's a lot of work, but worth it. I think maybe getting more organized on my part would help it not be so hectic. I have made folders (real folders, not virtual) and printed off my answers to the questions the blog hosts ask me. Then I put the date on it in pen/pencil when the post is going to appear and the date it was sent. I know it's a lot of paper, but sometimes having a hard copy somewhere on your littered desk is truly comforting, knowing you did answer the questions someone had sent. I also find it interesting to see the different kinds of questions some people can ask.”

Dwayne G. Anderson who is busily answering questions and writing guest posts for his tour in September ’07 for his book PARTIALLY HUMAN says, “Yes, I knew I would have to pitch in and do my part; although, at least they do the hardest work for me.”

“I had no idea the virtual book tour would be so much work for you!” says Judi Moreo, author of YOU ARE MORE THAN ENOUGH: EVERY WOMAN’S GUIDE TO PURPOSE, PASSION, AND POWER” who is touring this month. “It was only after we got into it and I saw the amount of time it took for me to answer all the questions, did it dawn on me that you had done even more work setting it up. This tour has been great for me as it has made me really think about my answers and now that I am doing a lot of interviews in person, I feel as though I have already written out my answers and practiced them, so my in person interviews are going much better than they would have without your virtual book tour. I’ve told everyone that you’ve done more for me than the publicist I hired for a great deal more money. Your work has certainly been effective. Thanks for everything!”

Marilyn Meredith, author of JUDGMENT FIRE, who is also touring this month, says, “First and foremost, the blog tour has been fun. I’ve enjoyed answering all the interview questions and trying to come up with different information so if anyone actually followed every blog, it wouldn’t be boring. What is time consuming is promoting the blogs – a very important part of the whole process. If you don’t promote, no one is going to read what you took the time to write. Whether or not it will be worth it, I’m not sure. How I’ll be able to tell is if people head to my website or the publisher’s website or a bookstore and order JUDGMENT FIRE, the book I promoted on my virtual book tour. Most of the work and time fell on Dorothy Thompson and her crew to find places for me to visit. Frankly, I enjoyed the experience.”

“The amount of work was an unknown to me but your explanation and instructions indicated that I would be busy,” says CJ Maxx, author of IN THE ARMS OF A WARRIOR, who is touring this month and will be touring next month, also. “It’s quite a bit of work, especially when you have to juggle your normal day to day activities. It’s interesting work though. It makes me look at my novel from different perspectives, depending on the questions I get. The answer to the question is yes. But, it’s not drudgery; it’s interesting and beneficial work.”
www.cjmaxx.com

PG Forte, author of WAITING FOR THE BIG ONE, and who is also touring this month, says, “I think I probably would have been surprised by it when I first started out, but a few years of promoting myself has left me with a healthy respect for the amount of work writers have to do after the book is written. Yes, these last few weeks have been more intense than my usual promotional efforts but they’ve also been more focused and the time I’ve spent has been much more productive. All in all, I have to say the whole process has been a joy. I honestly think the work Dorothy has put into it has been much, much harder and I truly appreciate that! Coordinating all those details for so many authors – I can’t imagine where she finds the time to do it all. All I had to do was answer a lot of intriguing questions and talk about my book. And while that’s something else that seemed daunting when I was first starting out, now…well, I guess I’ve gotten used to it. I could do it all day!”

“The blog tour did involve a fair amount of work since each of the guest visits required preparation, whether in the form of an interview or some thoughts on the book and/or writing process,” says returning client Caridad Pineiro, author of SOUTH BEACH CHICAS CATCH THEIR MAN, toured last May and will be touring again in September. “However, the pace of preparing that work was not frantic and the amount of work could be done within a reasonable amount of time. Comparing the work to the promotional opportunity, I can say that it was definitely a worthwhile tradeoff.”

Karen Magill, author of LET US PLAY: A ROCK ‘N ROLL LOVE STORY, toured with Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours in June. “I didn’t find it to be too much work on my part. Trying to find different ways to answer the same questions wasn’t easy though!”

“It was and wasn’t a lot of work,” says NY Times bestselling author Jane Green, author of SECOND CHANCE, who toured in July. “Most of the questions from the bloggers were similar or the same, so it was easy to regurgitate your answers. The challenges came in writing essays, which were more time-consuming than I anticipated, but entirely worthwhile.”

“I expected the tour to be work; how could it not be,” says Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein, author of THE TRUTH, I’M TEN, I’M SMART AND I KNOW EVERYTHING! who is on tour this month and next month. “How could I answer questions about my book without thought and time? However, the fun has outweighed the work. I love being on tour. I’m hoping to meet lots of new people and get inspired on so many levels. Who knows I may meet a film producer who wants to make a movie out of THE TRUTH, I’M TEN, I’M SMART AND I KNOW EVERYTHING! After all, now I have a book trailer – that is close to a mini movie. Truthfully, I just want this tour to go on and on. I signed up for a two month tour and Dorothy is willing I’d like to keep going. It is so great to be connected to other people’s blogs and to see how many blogs, and directories my new baby, THE TRUTH, is being connected into. I’m thrilled. Thanks for being there, Dorothy!”

And we come to one more response which so happened to be the inspiration for this article and sums virtual book tours up rather well. Robin Jay, author of THE ART OF THE BUSINESS LUNCH, informed me I was a slave driver. She knows me well. ;o)

She says, “Dorothy, you are a slave driver. I had no idea this would be so much work! I have been writing about 5,000 words a day for you, plus everything else I am working on…wow ~ how could anyone think they could do this alone? At least you are wonderful to work with. You keep me laughing all the way as I work my little fingers to the bone! These blog posts take a little longer than I imagined they would. While so many of the questions are similar, they are never the same, so it’s not just a simple “cut & paste.” Instead, each blog requires unique answers. It’s really fun to elaborate on the various aspects of the past few years, especially since I know these are going to read by other writers. I love the opportunity to help them; however, I’m quite certain I could have written another book by now! Seriously – I would tell your authors to plan on a half-hour at LEAST with each blog, on average, and say 10 blogs or whatever the total is for the tour. That way, they can fully understand what it takes. It’s only been hard for me because I have so much ELSE going on! For instance, tomorrow I have appointments at 10:30, 12, 12:30 and 4:30 – AND I have to go to the bank at some point! Big day…out mostly – I like days like today, that consist entirely of writing. It’s such a creative endeavor, that time just flew. And I’ll tell you just how much I love this. When I was writing that long story for you today (www.bloggingauthors.blogspot.com), I kept thinking, “I’d better hurry up and finish this so I can get back to work!” And then I realized “This IS my work!” That’s pretty cool, huh? When you love what you do – it just doesn’t seem like work. It’s all the other stuff that is a drag.”

When you love what you do. Words to live by. I love what I do and I try not to be a slave driver; but the thing is, I only want what’s best for my authors. The real story behind virtual book tours is that while it requires a lot of work on everyone’s part for it to be a success, a virtual book tour can create an online presence that you’ve never seen before. And THAT’S the real world of virtual book touring. See you in the blogosphere....

Tags: Pump Up Your Book Promotion, virtual book tour, author publicity, book promotion, online book promotion