8 Tips for Virtual Book Tours

Are you an author trying to promote your book?

Have you considered organizing a Virtual Book Tour that caters to your audience?

If so, continue reading.

If not, I would suggest exploring the pros and cons of a Virtual Book Tour. There is no shortage of marketing companies that will charge you a fee to organize a Virtual Book Tour. If you are on a tight budget or you would like to become more engaged with your social media contacts, research the ins and outs of the process and then decide if it is feasible.

After doing a Google search and listening to a couple of webinars, I streamlined the advice and started planning my tour. With considerable effort, I made wonderful connections around the world and was able to promote May This Be the Best Year of Your Life to my target audience. Patience and perseverance were my guiding lights. In the end, I was pleased with my tour and would like to share what I learned.

Instead of writing about all of the steps that are outlined by countless others, I will focus on 8 helpful tips that I learned from my experience

8 Tips for Virtual Book Tour

• Timing of the Tour- Ideally, the tour should start soon after the book is published. This is problematic for self-published books that do not have an exact publishing date or books that encounter unexpected delays. At the present time, Amazon does not presell self-published books. Without the ability to sell copies, it is not wise to promote a book unless you are willing to handle the pre-sales directly.
• Approaching Participants-If you do not have an established platform with active followers, the ability to connect with strangers will require more patience and perseverance.

First, identify your audience and create a list of influencers who fall into the specific categories.  If possible, connect with people that you communicate with already.

Second, write letters that address each sector and identifies a specific connection. Not everyone is familiar with the concept of a virtual book tour. Include some basic information to avoid confusion.

• Specific Instructions- The introductory letter as well as future correspondence should clearly state what is expected. If the instructions are unclear, there will be an increased chance of misunderstandings.

Type of participation- book review, interview, guest blog, etc.

Time frame- exact dates of tour

Complimentary book- included or not

Obligation to read the book

• Dealing with no responses and rejections- Disappointingly, many people may choose not to respond. A follow up letter can be sent a few days later. Kindly respond to rejection letters. Some people may accept a complimentary book, but choose not to follow through. Be prepared for this situation.
• Coordinating Appearances 

Establishing guidelines- assigning specific date, agreeing on formats for guest blogs and interviews

Images- book cover, head shot, or others

Giveaways- decide how many and details

Links- to author website, Facebook, Amazon, or others

Additional expectations- review or comment on Amazon, Goodreads, AskDavid.com or other review sites

• Creating links between sites It is beneficial to create as many links as possible. Consider adding an event page to your author website and writing an introductory blog for each day of the tour. Use social media to promote the tour.
• Handling inaccurate information– Take a neutral stance and avoid confrontation. If an interview question is totally wrong, point it out to your host since it will affect the way you answer the question. Inaccuracies in a book review are a different story. If a reviewer did not comprehend a passage accurately, states incorrect information, or misquotes your words, it reflects on his/her competence as a reader and a writer. Anyone reading the book will see his/her errors. Unfortunately, a review may influence potential readers. However, multiple reviews should negate any outliers.
• Negative Reviews- Not everyone is going to love your work. Try to see the person’s perspective. Does the criticism have merit? Think about it and then move on.

If you have any questions about Virtual Book Tours, please contact me at info@sandrabornstein.com.

MAY THIS BE THE BEST YEAR OF YOUR LIFE is available on Amazon.

Check out my book giveaway on Goodreads. Sign up by February 4 and be eligible to win a book.

If you enjoyed reading my memoir, consider posting a review on Amazon, Goodreads, and/or AskDavid.com.