Guest Post & Giveaway: Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour

Today I have Donna Huber here on the blog.  Many of you know her as Girl Who Reads.  Usually she’s on the other end of things, setting up and coordinating blog tours and book blasts, tweeting, hosting guest posts . . . but now it’s her turn.  Read about the new book, take a look at the guest post, and be sure to enter the giveaway.  Enjoy!

Summary:

Plan a successful blog tour while keeping your sanity

From the publicist who introduced the world to Fifty Shades of Grey, Donna Huber is now revealing her secrets to successful blog tours. She shares tips and tricks learned through organizing over 30 tours, blasts, and promotional events for nearly 50 independently and traditionally published titles.

Secrets revealed in this quick read include,

Planning stage decisions
Different types of tours
Recruiting bloggers and keeping requests organized
Best practice communication tips
Tricks to making a great guest appearance
How to organize a fun (and legal) giveaway
Actions to take during the tour
Next steps once the tour is complete
Virtual tour and other promotional opportunities
When to hire a professional

In this easy to follow manual, Donna does not stop there. She spills even more of her blog tour secrets to help authors get the most out of their events by providing,

Tour checklist
Tour invite tips
Step-by-step guide to creating tour graphics
10 broad guest post topics
25 sample interview questions

Author Blogging is Different than Book Blogging

Not all blogging is the same. It will make working with book bloggers easier if an author understands the differences between an author blog and a book blog. The biggest differences between an author blog and a book blog are the purpose of the blog and the product they are promoting. Because the purpose and the product are different, the strategy employed is different.

The Purpose

Both an author blog and a book blog want to build a readership, but for slightly different reasons.

An author blogs to connect with their readers. They reveal insights about themselves and share news regarding their writing projects through their blog. While they may also spotlight other authors and talk about books they are reading, they do it all for one purpose – promote their book(s).

A book blogger also wants to connect with readers. While some may share personal insights about their lives, the focus is on books, authors, and reading. The purpose of a book blog is to promote others and the blog itself.

The Product

The product the author is promoting is separate from their blog. When authors post on their blog, they are hoping it leads to their book being purchased. The blog is just one component of their larger platform and marketing plan. The blog in many ways serves the same purpose as any other media coverage.

For a book blogger, their blog is their product. Everything they do is to bring readers to their site. A book blog is part of the media industry just like magazines and newspapers.

How do magazines and newspapers make money? Through subscriptions and ad revenue. Most book blogs are not behind a paywall and, therefore, not generating funds through subscriptions (though they could distribute through Amazon Kindle). They are left with generating revenue through ads, which means they need to drive readers to their site and keep them there.

The Strategy

Because the purpose and product are different for authors and bloggers, so is the approach to blogging. An author only needs to blog a few times a week to keep their blog’s ranking high in search algorithms. A blogger may need to post more than once a day to entice readers to their site, but also to have them stay there longer.

Think about the media sites you visit, is there only one new story a day? Not likely. TMZ.com posted 6 stories on June 20. My local paper has posted 7 stories in a 6.5 hour period on their site. Why should a book blog be any different?

Promotion & Passion

While there are differences in purpose, product, and strategy between author blogging and book blogging, there is common ground – promotion and passion for the written word. Working together can help both garner a growing readership.

About Donna:

Bio:
Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the blogger behind Girl Who Reads where, in addition to book reviews and author appearances, she writes the popular blogging advice series, Tips on Thursday. She has worked as a freelance publicist since 2010 assisting publishers and authors with their marketing and publicity needs. Most notably, she was the publicist for The Writer’s Coffee Shop Publishing House edition of Fifty Shades of Grey and Fifty Shades Darker by E. L. James.

When she is not doling out blogging advice or promoting the next bestseller, she can be found spending time with family (particularly the four legged, furry members), rewatching Downton Abbey and Harry Potter, or trying to make a dent in her never ending to-be-read pile.

Social Media Links:

Twitter – https://twitter.com/girl_who_reads
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pages/Girl-Who-Reads/273856382671730
Blog – http://www.girl-who-reads.com
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17980343-secrets-to-a-successful-blog-tour

Schedule:

July 29 Fresh Pot of Tea http://alisondeluca.blogspot.com/ Review & Guest Post

July 30 Sarah Aisling www.sarahaisling.com Guest Post

July 31 1 Book Lover's Opinion www.1bookloversopinion.com Guest Post

Aug. 1 What Shall We Blog About Today? http://kenowinsky.blogspot.com Review & TOp 10 List

Aug. 2 Jude Ouvrard Www.judeouvrard.com Interview

Aug. 3 Jamie Sheffield Www.jamiesheffield.com Interview

Aug. 4 From the desk of . . . R.E. Hargrave www.rehargrave.com Interview

Aug. 5 All That's Written ... http://lucypireel.wordpress.com/ Top 10 List

Aug. 6 Italian Brat's Obsessions http://itlnbrt.com Review & Guest Post

Aug. 7 Author S.A. Jones www.authorsajones.com Review & Book Promo

Aug. 8 Karen Pokras Toz http://kptoz.blogspot.com Guest Post

Aug. 9 Lisa Bilbrey Www.lisabilbrey.blogspot.com Guest Post

Aug. 10 Elizabeth Lawrence  http://elizabeth-lawrence-author.blogspot.com/ Guest Post

Aug. 11 Aria Glazki Writes ariaglazki.blogspot.com Guest Post

Aug. 12 Rose & Beps Blog http://rosebeps.blogspot.it/ Guest Post

Aug. 13 Cabin Goddess http://cabingoddess.com/ Review

Aug. 14 Killer Chicks http://www.killerchicks.org/ Interview

Aug. 15 Twitter Party 8 pm eastern #GWRchat

Aug. 16 Library Girl Reads & Reviews http://librarygirlreads.blogspot.com Review & Top 10 List

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