The book industry is in a different place. The ebook and self publishing revolution has come. The online book blog tours have come. So here's a thought to ponder: What is too much? What is too little?
New small press/indie/ epubs are popping up like weeds. Authors have choices up the yin yang! There's so many places that offer promotional opportunities, such as an array of blogs.
I've debated on dabbling in some of this myself. I have a blog of my own now, Storm Goddess Book Reviews & More, and I'm trying to think of as many ways I can help with promotion as I can. I've debated starting my own online book tours company. That's what prompted my thought of what is too much or little?
What would YOU like to see out there for help for authors? What have you noticed that works or doesn't work if you have opted to utilize some of these tools. What do you think authors could use more of?
I want to learn. I would love to know. This is your time to share.
Thanks,
Nikki
12 comments:
I thought about doing a blog tour company myself. I mean, what's really required? You mostly need people willing to host, the ability to make graphics and a basic knowledge of scheduling and deadlines, plus good communication skills.
But I'm trying to focus on my own writing, scheduling and marketing, so that's probably not the best idea I ever had.
I haven't done a blog tour, although I've been scheduling my own interviews and posts. I think touring probably saves some of that hassle, so in a way it's a good idea.
I think the idea of doing an online tour company, maybe just for indie writers, is a really good idea. I know the established big publisher writers get a lot of requests from blogs but I think a lot of the smaller press and indie's get overlooked. Good post!
I'm in the middle of my first blog tour and though I like the fact that I was booked on some blogs from people I didn't know, it's still time consuming filling out the interviews and so forth. But fun :)
I have a friend who is a virtual assistant and I like that idea too. She sets up the blog tours, posts your blogs (you write them up), makes trading cards, researches publishers, gets you set up on goodreads and builds your website, makes book trailers...the list is endless...pretty much anything techie. Such a time saver. Not that I can afford her yet, but I do have her provide services ala carte! lol It's a great time saver for someone like me that isn't techie at all.
I appreciate her so much, and hope one day to employ her that I have her advertisement listed on my website if anyone is interested. She's a JILL of all trades :)
I'm with Christine as far as the virtual assistant is concerned. Sounds like a wonderful time saver. And really, anything that will save my time for writing is what I need. I'm just starting a blog tour and looking at the number of posts and interviews I'm going to have to write I'm not seeing a lot of time for writing my next book anytime soon. Such a juggling act!
I'm all for anything that saves time and allows me to write. Great post!
Any method to get your book in front of readers is a good thing. But any good thing takes good time away from writing. If you start your company, make sure you have sites that have lots of followers for more impact.
Thank you everyone for you input. I have a lot to think about. I am dabbling in so many things and don't want to over do it, but I just get excited about things! Lol.
Thanks for stopping by!
As a writer - the thing that keeps me away from my story is promo. Kind of a catch-22 - I have to promo to sell my books. But if I promo I can't write more books to sell. Going to one place that would set up promo tours would be quite a help.
I'm all for the setting up of a tour company, but I'd love to see one that is more reasonable for people like me who don't have a big budget to start out with. That's why I currently handle it all myself - because I can't afford what others charge presently. And to have someone else do the legwork for me would allow me more time to work on my next book.
Great discussion, by the way.
Wow, this is a wicked discussion.
Margay has brought up a great issue--price. I also can't afford prices of most tours. My one and only tour I could only afford a week long one. I don't think that is long enough. Just when your book starts to get in people's faces then the tour is over.
But another issue for me is time. My own writing has been sadly neglected because of promoing. And I'm terrible at it, so I love having someone take care of it for me.
Nikki, I say go for it! I would love to do another blog tour this summer.
What a good post. What I have been seeing lately on the web, is a lot of websites that are for indie authors supporting one another. This was started by the Writers' Guide to Epublishing website by DD Scott. All of these help us indies to help one another and we can learn from us. What I think is not good for promo, and have read that authors don't like, is when other writers keep promoting their books in FB and Twitter all the time. Now and then, or just once when the book is out is fine.
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