Playing With the Blog Tour

Blog tours: can they make you or break you?

I did a blog tour (however informal) when my book came out and I can see NO drawbacks to doing one. I think blog tours are excellent ways to get the word out about your book.

Will they sell it? Nope. That's what the blurb, cover and writing are for. But at least they tell people the book is out there.

How do you get involved with a blog tour? Well, you could go the professional, cost-money route. There are a lot of companies who offer different packages and it could be worth your while.

Since I've been blogging a long time, I just asked my blogger friends if anyone wanted to have me over. I was really blessed that many of you did. :-)

I heartily recommend blog tours! In fact, I'm a guest later today at Diane Estrella's blog! (and I said I didn't have a celebrity crush, but I forgot how much I like Channing Tatum! lol).

Would you pay for a blog tour or do your own? Do you like hearing about different books when you're blog hopping?

Comments

Sandra Orchard said…
As a blog reader, I prefer the informal blog tours. If one of the bloggers I respect has read the book and enjoyed it that's far more influential on me.
December 3, 2012 at 8:29 AM
Wendy Paine Miller said…
Thinking of doing my own, but I sense the entire climate of blogging is changing...so we'll see.
~ Wendy
December 3, 2012 at 9:03 AM
Karen Lange said…
Caught you over at Diane's - that was fun! :) Like you, I would do my own blog tour. I imagine it's a bit of work but really worth the effort.

Happy Monday!
December 3, 2012 at 9:23 AM
Lindsay Harrel said…
Like Wendy said, I think I'll just have to see what the blogging environment is like when I finally get a book out. I'm not sure if the blogging interviews are as effective as, say, guest posts. But I don't think I'd spend money to hire someone to do it, regardless.
December 3, 2012 at 9:35 AM
Jessica Nelson said…
Wendy and Lindsay, I agree! Things are changing. I think the effectiveness comes in getting people who don't "know" you to see the cover of your book. When I see a book often enough, I'll usually feel a familiarity for it and end up buying it, even if a year down the road.
December 3, 2012 at 9:44 AM
Jessica Nelson said…
Thanks for visiting, Karen! I'm popping over in a minute.
December 3, 2012 at 9:44 AM
Linda Kage said…
I've set up my own blog tours so far. One seemed to have wonderful results. The others...not so much. But like you said, that's probably the blurb, excerpt, and cover's fault!! Since SOOOO many people are doing blog tours these days, I think that has diluted some of it's impact, but it's still better than nothing!! I still want to try a professional one sometime!
December 3, 2012 at 10:26 AM
Unknown said…
I think blog tours are great when they get you in front of people you wouldn't have been in front of otherwise. I think that's probably the big challenge...and where hiring someone with a wider network comes in handy. As for myself, I'm not sure what I'll be doing yet, but I definitely, definitely appreciate the supportive circle of bloggers out there!
December 3, 2012 at 10:32 AM
Erica Vetsch said…
I did a big blog tour for my first release, and I loved it. But my books were coming out rather quickly at first, and I didn't want to keep pestering my blogging friends every few months to take part in my blog tour.

This last year, I've been pleased that guest blog opportunities have come from bloggers where I've built a relationship through guesting for them before. This makes it SO much easier, because marketing isn't my strong suit, and I hate to feel like a bother to anyone.
December 3, 2012 at 10:32 AM
Georgiana Daniels said…
You do have a great network of blogging buds! I love hearing about new books and when there's buzz surrounding one I'll make sure to pick it up. For my release I'm doing both an informal and a formal one that doesn't cost (which is a huge blessing.)
December 3, 2012 at 10:38 AM
Jessica Nelson said…
Erica, I feel the same way. Like with Julie Lessman, I'll talk up her books because I love them and I've had her before. It does make it easier.

Melissa, the support is invaluable!

Linda, you'll have to let me know hwo the professional one works. :-) As for your books, it could be that your different genres require a different kind of blog audience...? I know some of your books aren't for me but some are. I really loved A Man for Mia.

Georgiana, can't wait to read your book!
December 3, 2012 at 10:40 AM
Loree Huebner said…
I would probably do one. I love hosting the author and learning about the book...

December 3, 2012 at 11:45 AM
Cindy R. Wilson said…
Oh, I would definitely do my own blog tour. That's one of the benefits to making writer and reader contacts ahead of time. There's someone to ask :) Most others writers are more than happy to host you, and do a great job about it!
December 3, 2012 at 11:48 AM
Nancy said…
I would probably do my own blog tour. It's hard to tell ahead of time, though.

I do like to read about the new books that come out, but I also enjoy personal blogs about the blog author's life. They make me smile.
December 3, 2012 at 3:24 PM
Nancy said…
Jessica - I just want you to know that I just reread your Love On The Range. The plot seemed fresh to me and I couldn't wait to get to the end because I remembered that it was smashing. You got my heart when you did the long, extra special good stuff at the end thing. Loved it.
December 3, 2012 at 3:38 PM
Jessica Nelson said…
Nancy, I'm so honored that you reread it!! Thank you for the kind words..seriously. You're making my day. :-)

Cindy, I agree!
December 3, 2012 at 3:59 PM
Heather Sunseri said…
I can't decide what I think about blog tours. I like the idea of a paid blog tour reaching readers I would never reach with my own blog. And by self-publishing it's a little more of a challenge and takes quite a bit of time to do the same thing on your own. So, I'm still considering this idea.
December 4, 2012 at 6:50 AM
Anonymous said…
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
December 4, 2012 at 10:13 PM
Jessica Nelson said…
Heather, I would look into it! See if you can find out about some indie networks too because you might find some great opportunities that way. :-)
December 5, 2012 at 10:08 AM
Stacy Henrie said…
I did a blog tour, and though it is a lot of work to set up :), I met some great reviewers and reached audiences I wouldn't have otherwise.
December 5, 2012 at 12:16 PM
Jennifer Shirk said…
I've done a combination of both. And I agree, it's not necessarily about sales but getting your name out there.
December 6, 2012 at 9:26 AM
Susan J. Reinhardt said…
I like blog tours and would most likely do my own. The professional ones are expensive from what I've seen.

December 6, 2012 at 9:04 PM
K. Victoria Chase said…
I paid less than $50 for a blog tour of about ten stops over a two week period. You're right, it doesn't increase sales and is mainly for visibility purposes. Not sure how many of the repeat commentors remembered my book after the tour, but I'd recommend either getting a bunch of blog friends to help you or paying for an inexpensive tour to help get the word out about your book. Anything more than $50 IMHO is a bit much for one piece of advertising when you have no guarantee of return.
December 8, 2012 at 1:20 PM
Anita Grace Howard said…
As you know ... I did mine on my own, and have some lovely blogger friends who hosted (and one amazing gal who's coordinating it). SO, I'm not out a lot of $. Time on the other hand, that's been an issue...

True, it won't sell your book, but if done right, you might whet readers appetites by showing glimpses of what makes the story special so that they'll have it on their radar and buy it later. HOPING that's true anyway, or I wasted all that time for nothing. LOL
December 10, 2012 at 8:36 AM
Jessica Nelson said…
Tore, thanks for sharing about that!
It's good to know.
December 10, 2012 at 8:40 AM
Diane Estrella said…
I was so glad you were a part of my Meet & Greet tour. Chatum seems to be a popular guy these days....

Can't wait to see the blog tour for your next book too! :O)
December 11, 2012 at 8:06 AM
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