As long as there have been published authors, there have been book tours. Face it, books don’t often sell themselves. Strong promotion and marketing is the key to most merchandise sales and it’s no different with books. When a customer looks at a product, most often, it’s very clear what exactly the product is or does. But with a book, the story is hidden inside. Even with an original and eye-catching outer design, i.e., the cover, rarely would a customer purchase such an item without knowing the contents and what they will get for their dollar. So how does an author present the contents to a potential buyer to garner interest in their book?—they tour.
Authors’ book tours are the best way to sell books. But touring is costly and time consuming. Simply filling the gas tank can use up a days wage for most of us. Then there’s the issue of endurance. Yes, you will sell books at your tour stop, but will those tour visitors who don’t make the purchase remember you after the tour event is over—not likely. So how does an author make a “lasting” impression? The answer may be a “virtual book tour.”
Virtual book touring is all accomplished on the Internet—there’s no travel. Authors can tour numerous locations from the comfort of their own homes, even in their jammies if they choose! No gas, no hotels, and no uncomfortable face-to-face contact with potential customers (that’s a biggie!).
The other great advantage to virtual touring is that you are only attracting an audience that’s right for your book, in other words, hot sales leads. When you tour, try to select genre specific Websites and blogs which fall right in line with your topic. So your viewers already have an interest.
The best thing about virtual touring is that it lasts forever. Every tour stop you make goes out into cyberspace for eternity. Search engine results will continue to show your tour stop post and you could potentially be selling books five years after your tour ends. Now that’s a book tour with results! Virtual book touring is hot, it’s new, and it’s here to stay.
Carol Denbow is the author of three books including A Book Inside, How to Write, Publish, and Sell Your Story, and the CEO of Virtual Book Tours at www.authortouring.com. Please visit her Website for writers and authors www.freewebs.com/authorsbox .
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