Review Site Drop Down Menus

Some of you may have noticed some changes to the Market My Novel blogroll.

At the top of the site, you can find a Review Sites in the navigation menu. I've expanded on these lists and Folio Vision installed a fantastic plug in to create drop-down menus for each section. Now, if you want to search for horror-specific sites for a virtual book tour, you can visit the Horror Review Sites menu and click away.

There are several sites listed, including a section for broadcast programs both online.

In coming weeks, I will continue to update the individual sections with new sites. If you have a site to recommend, fill out this form.

As I input them, I check each site to be sure the links are active and the sites fit the category. However, things can change, or I could mistakenly label a site. Use the form to also report dead links or new categories needed.

This took a LOT of work to pull together - especially since I'm doing it by hand. My hope is that DIY authors can use it to start setting up virtual book tours, guest blogs, contests and more.

When I receive a half-hearted guest blog from an author for Book Addict, I get extremely frustrated.

Typically, our guests are booked at least two months in advance - with a few exceptions. Authors have plenty of time to write up something fun and fresh for our audience well before their blog date - and submit it on time.

I won't say that these authors are lazy - though on bad days the thought does cross my mind. (Hey, I'm human!) With virtual book tours, Facebook chats and other social media marketing ventures clamoring for an author's attention, some are simply too overbooked to do a good job at anything they do for marketing.

However, this is no excuse for the growing problems with guest blogs sent to book bloggers. There are some common mistakes I see from newbie and seasoned authors alike, on my blog as well as others. The guest posts are:

• Too short. Do you really think you can create an interesting, must-read piece in two paragraphs, three sentences each?
• Too long. Guest blogs are not novels. Stick to 1,500 words or less, unless your blog host gives you a word count.
• An extended synopsis. Readers don't want something they can easily find on your book jacket. Don't try to dress up your synopsis, either, by writing one or two sentences to make it look like you actually did some original work. Readers - and blog editors - see right through that.
• A sales pitch. People tune out sales pitches on radio, TV and the Internet. Do you really think they will want to read when they see a hard sell in your post? I certainly don't - and I refuse to post them at Book Addict. If anything this tactic will push some readers away from your book. It will also put you on the blacklist with bloggers.
• Poorly crafted. Misspellings, poorly-conceived ideas, random punctuation, ramblings and other problems abound in some posts. At least take the time to read it a second time before you send - or ask someone else to do it for you - especially if you are taking medication for an illness at the time. (Yes, I have had authors (and publicists) send me items while they are recovering from surgery. DON'T DO IT.)
• Unbefitting the blog. I read some very interesting posts that are complete misfits for certain blogs. Research the blog to get some ideas of correct content. Run your ideas by the blog host if you are uncertain what fits.
• Too personal. Readers love personal posts, but sometimes authors can over-share. Be sure your personal topic fits your audience at a particular blog, or ask the blog host if the topic would appeal.
• Not publicized by authors. Blogs always publicize to their readers, but it is always a good idea to promote your posts on your forums, chats, social networks and listservs. Your fans are devoted and will likely stop by - especially if you offer a prize for commenting.
• Late. There is nothing worse than an author sending a guest blog the day it is to post. Like many bloggers, I have a day job. I cannot just drop everything to post it - though my guilty conscious will valiantly get me to try. You should send your posts at least one week in advance - two if at all possible. Better yet, ask your host for a deadline. This not only helps your blog host, but you can easily rewrite it if the topic doesn't fit the blog.

Guest blogging is a terrific way to connect with fans and meet new readers on blogs. Avoid these common mistakes to earn a solid reputation with bloggers, who will be more likely to invite you back.

Most authors are focused on getting placement at blogs and networks for virtual book tours, but lately, several people have searched Market My Novel for information about how to become a VBT host.

It is not as difficult as you think, but it is time-consuming when you first start out. Here are some tips based on my own experiences as a personal blogger and editor of Pop Syndicate's Book Addict blog:

Create a blog. You can create a blog specifically for your selected genre, or integrate virtual book tours into your current blog. Both formats work well, however, be warned that some authors will turn you down if you have questionable content (nude photos, profanity) on your personal blog. You can also host authors in all genres, not just one.

Get a good blog design. A terrific design makes a good first impression. You can find free templates for most blogging programs.

Let people know what you want. Can authors submit books for review? Can they query you to be on your blog? What genres will you accept? Do you do interviews or host guest blogs? Have a very blunt FAQ about your criteria.  Have a prominent graphic or link above the fold so people can find it easily. Use a site like EmailMeForm.com for queries. I use the free service on this site for the Market My Novel question submissions.

Create content. When first starting out, you want to populate your blog with as many reading-related as you can. This can include personal book reviews, links to author Web sites and interviews, publishing news, a reader-oriented blogroll, book trailers and more. Show authors and publicists that you are serious about being a virtual book tour host.

Ask authors to drop by. Query authors you like about doing an interview or guest blog. Then, expand your network by joining groups on Ning or Yahoo specifically for authors. Ask members of those groups if they would like to drop by. Query your Facebook and Twitter followers. Visit open critique group or author meets in your community and network your blog. You can get low-cost business cards at VistaPrint. (Personally, I like the refrigerator magnets best. They go like hotcakes and are less likely to get lost.) Don't get insulted if authors turn you down. It happens. When first starting out, don't expect every bestseller on the New York Times list to come to your blog. It just isn't going to happen. However, don't hesitate to ask, because you just never know when one of these authors will be available and want to chat.

Promote, promote, promote. You cannot promote your blog enough. Use every social network to let readers know who is hosted at your blog. Post your tour stops on event Web sites and ask authors to include them on their Booktour.com account or Web site, and to promote to their fans. Also, consider creating a Facebook Fan page and put the widget on your site. A fan page is useful if your readers are different from your Facebook friends.

Hold contests. One of the best ways to get readers is to hold contests. Ask authors you host to donate books for contests. Use programs like Twivaway to promote on social networks. This may not happen in the early stages of your blog, but as you build content, you build a reputation. That reputation will give an added boost to your request for contest books - especially with in house publicists.

Get contributors. When I first started populating Book Addict with author interviews, I was the only one doing it. It was a LOT of work - but definitely paid off. Pop Syndicate developed a reputation among authors first, then publishers, for being a premiere virtual book tour host. Now, I have several contributors to the blog who cover a variety of genres, including publishing news, interviews and guest blogs. Contributors not only help with the work load, but they also help with publicity. The more people on your blog, the more people who are promoting it. That immediately expands your network to new readers, which drives up hits and makes your blog more attractive to authors.

Optimize for SEO. Some authors will only come to your blog if you have good Alexa and Google rankings. You don't have to be a Google geek to get good SEO. If you have WordPress, install the All in One SEO Plugin. It does everything for you. You can also install a Google Analytics plugin, which puts this important free service right in your WordPress dashboard. I can safely say once I switched Market My Novel from Typepad to WordPress I immediately saw a spike in new readers. Blogger is also a good platform to use. Since Google now owns Bloggers, the search giant is certain to immediately index all pages on this platform. Blogger has added some new features that make it better than the beginning, but it is still limited in functionality. If you want to get more in depth into SEO, check out this post from Webconfs.com.

What tips can you offer a newbie virtual book tour host?

Historical romance author Emily Bryan was kind to invite me to her blog. Check out my post, "Nightmare Authors Make Virtual Book Tours Hell."

If you have time, please leave a comment to help me thank Emily for hosting.

I am a big proponent of online marketing. While you may not see a glorious, adrenaline boost to sales, it goes a long way to branding yourself and your books or series of books.

There is a fantastic article about the bad side of online book promotions at Backspace. This author - who remained anonymous - had the same problems some other authors did when it comes to online promotions. It simply didn't work.

Book Marketing Buzz, however, offers an excellent counterpoint to this article.

My take: Online marketing is GREAT. It doesn't work for every author in every genre, but the majority do see an increase in hits at Amazon and their blogs and Web sites.

However, when you are building an audience, you are not going to hit it big with your first effort. That is a one-in-a-million shot that doesn't happen for everyone. Building a strong online presence not only brands yourself and your work, it also lays the groundwork to build a supportive, attentive fan base that buys your books, blogs about them and recommends to others. Ultimately, that leads to more sales.

Don't expect miracles with your online campaign. Be prepared to dig in for the long haul and reap the rewards further down the road.

Other articles on this topic at Market My Novel:

What's Your Brand? A Candid Sitdown with Rob Frankel

The Dos and Don'ts of Virtual Book Tours

Today, I found an interesting blog post about why book signings are not effective.

The author lists the following as reasons:

• Sales are short-lived
• Book stores don't market signings
• Books will be put on a back shelf - not a front table - after a signing
• Too much time and effort for little return

The author recommends festivals and book clubs  as a venues for signings, and touches on the potential of virtual book tours for sales.

What do you think? Do signings work for you? Does it depend on the author, genre, location of signing?

Share your thoughts by leaving a comment.

irtual Book Tours are a hot-ticket item for authors who want to beef up or rejuvenate sales, make connections, create an online presence, find fans and more.

Every VBT publicist has a different strategy. Different strategies work for different authors. Some basics about virtual book tours are always the same. Today, Cheryl C. Malandrinos with Pump Up Your Book Promotion sits down with me to explain her theories about virtual book tours and the dos and don'ts of successful tours.

What is a virtual book tour?

A virtual book tour is where an author promotes her book at a variety of blogs during a specific amount of time. Pump Up Your Book Promotion offers tours for one month or two. 

Bloggers act as tour hosts and come up with interview questions, review the books, or ask the author to draft an article that will be featured at their blogs on certain days. We occasionally use podcasts (Internet radio interviews) in our tours and have recently introduced the V-log, where an author creates a video that is featured on a blog during her tour.  Here is a great and unique example:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFLktcMIc24

How are VBTs used?

A VBT is a promotional tool that creates a buzz for your book, helps with name recognition, and allows authors to reach a wide audience. Like an in-store book signing, a VBT gives authors the opportunity to tell potential readers about their books. In addition, VBTs increase hits to their websites and/or blogs, and increase their page ranking in search engines.  VBTs definitely have their advantages:

• No travel expenses
• You don’t have to leave the comfort of your home
• You reach a much larger audience than at an in-store signing
• Some blogs are syndicated out to larger sites, and therefore, increase your potential reach
• Information about your book remains online for as long as the blog does


Are authors in certain genres going to benefit more from virtual book tours than other authors?

Our client base has included both fiction and non-fiction authors in a variety of genres. I can’t say that I’ve seen certain genres of books perform better than others, but I can say that those authors who consider their tours a success are the ones who play an active role in their VBTs. By this, I mean to say, that authors who provide thoughtful responses to interview questions, engaging guest articles, and who make the time to promote their tours and which blogs they will be stopping off at each day, express greater satisfaction with their tour experience.

The ever increasing number of return authors we have seems to indicate that many of our clients are happy with the results of their VBTs.



 What makes a successful VBT?

Creating an online presence is crucial to survival in this ever changing and quickly advancing technological world. If done correctly, potential readers will easily be able to find authors’ books using Google.

While an increase in sales is important, there are additional benefits to VBTs that can’t be discounted. The first that comes to mind is networking. Authors have the chance to engage other writers in conversation, in addition to reaching out in a personal way to potential readers.

Some of our clients have gone on to become regular contributors to blogs that hosted them during their tours. This provides additional online exposure for the author’s work. One of our clients credits his virtual book tour for opening the door for him to write for magazines, having his books considered for film, and starting his own Internet radio program. He is currently working with A&E’s Biography Channel.

The other wonderful thing about virtual book tours is the overwhelming support of authors on tour from other authors.  The journey to publication can be difficult at best, but in the virtual world authors have the support of other authors who visit them during their tours and offer them words of encouragement.

Just like with any good promotional tool, VBTs help authors with branding and name recognition.



How do you book virtual book tours?

I spend the majority of my working hours browsing the Internet for appropriate blogs.  We use ranking sites to determine if a blog would be advantageous to our clients, but we also give thought to how good of a fit the blog is for the material, how well the blogger promotes her site, and the blogger’s knowledge of SEO. 

What is a good length of time for a virtual book tour?

Most of Pump Up Your Book Promotion’s tours run one month, but we also have a two-month package. I’ve also seen some companies run tours for shorter periods of time. The author has to consider how much time he has available to commit to a tour before he can decide how long he will tour.

 Is the payoff better than with a traditional tour? Or is a virtual book tour a supplement to a traditional book store tour?

We’ve had authors who have been approached during book store signings because the reader heard about their books while they were on a virtual book tour.  Virtual book tours can be used in conjunction with other promotional tools to increase name recognition.



What are reasonable expectations for virtual book tours?

The main goal of a virtual book tour is to create a buzz for your book.  Think about the average Internet user, he wants information and typically he wants it fast.  He plugs some keywords into Google and gets about 12 million hits.  Most likely, he’s not going farther than the first three pages of his search to find what he’s looking for.  And this is where virtual book tours help authors, because when they stop off at blogs that are updated regularly and the blogger knows how to use SEO, their name and the titles of their books move up in the Google ranks and make it into those top three pages.

I want to address two important points here.  The first is that there is an idea out there that a blog has to have a huge amount of traffic to make a difference.  That’s not necessarily true.  I had a friend who blogged at a website that had a traffic rank on Alexa of under 25,000.  But the percentage of readers who actually visited blogs on this site was under 3%. 

Smaller blogs with loyal followings can play a much more important role in creating a buzz for a book than a huge site like the one I mentioned above.  A lot of these bloggers know each other.  Word of mouth is still a very powerful way to promote books.  In addition, bloggers are excellent networkers.  Huge sites don’t need to network as much as the smaller sites to promote their blogs.  And let me tell you, there are some bloggers out there that spend as much time promoting their blogs as they do posting to them.

The other thing that I want to address is the concern that if you only sell a handful of books, your tour wasn’t a success.  Perhaps the greatest advantage of a virtual book tour over an in-store book signing is that people can continue to find out about your book a long time after your tour is over.  Just tonight, I used keywords to search Google for some of our clients who had toured at the beginning of 2008, and on the first page of search results were links to interviews and reviews they received while on tour with us. 

Virtual book tours work!

Do authors sometimes expect too much from a virtual book tour?

At times they do.  We’ve had clients who assume virtual book tour companies have access to radio and newspaper contacts.  One client thought we could get him in touch with Oprah.  I wish!

Virtual book tours lead readers to books.  They create an online buzz where people begin talking about the book, authors are sharing their stories behind the book and its characters, and reviewers are providing their impressions to help potential readers decide if they want to spend their hard earned money on this book.

When will authors see a return on their cyberspace investment?

One of the greatest advantages of virtual book tours is what I mentioned earlier: a reader can find out about your book long after the tour is over.  Unlike a traditional book store signing where you have one shot to promote your book and convince someone to buy it, information about your book remains online for as long as the blogger maintains her blog.  Authors can continue to reap the benefits of a virtual book tour long after it’s over, so it’s not a cut and dry formula.

But when authors take what we have shown them about book promotion and continue to apply those principles, they can keep the momentum going and continue the buzz we’ve created for a long time.

Is it better to hire a virtual book tour agency, or to do it yourself?

I don’t know if better is the right word, but what it boils down to is this:  do you want to spend your time writing or coordinating a virtual book tour?  Having coordinated tours for over a year now, I can tell you, they are a lot of work.  You have to find the right blogs, contact the bloggers, mail out review copies, complete interviews and guest articles, then follow up and handle promotion of your virtual book tour; in addition to everything else in your personal and professional life.

For those authors who prefer to focus on things other than coordinating a virtual book tour, there are companies like Pump Up Your Book Promotion who can help.

How can an author find a good virtual book tour company?

If you plug “virtual book tours” into Google you get over 12 million hits.  Smaller VBT companies are popping up all over the Internet as entrepreneurs see the popularity of this fast growing promotional avenue for authors. 

Authors have to beware of what they’re getting into and for how much.  Prices for virtual book tours vary widely and you have to know that a company can provide what you’re paying for and that they actually follow through on it.  Do they know SEO?  Do they promote your tour and how?  Are there testimonials on their website and/or will they provide referrals?

These are some of the things authors need to find out before investing money with any virtual book tour company.

What are some dos and don'ts authors should know before venturing out into virtual book tour territory?

Do’s


• Be sure you can commit time to working on your virtual book tour.
• Have ARCs available for reviewers.
• Investigate your tour options and decide which company and package best fits your budget and available time.
• Look for testimonials on the company’s website or contact them for referrals.

Don’ts

• Don’t sign up for a virtual book tour until you can commit the time to prepare for it.
• Don’t  plan your tour so close to the release date of your book that review copies might not be available.
• Don’t stop promoting your book in other unique and interesting ways just because you’re planning to go on a virtual book tour.

What else would you like to add?

Once new and unknown, virtual book tours have become a typical promotional vehicle for authors seeking to reach a world wide audience.  Not only are virtual book tours a great promotional tool, most of my clients tell me they’re fun!

Cheryl C. Malandrinos is a contributing writer for Writer2Writer.  Her articles help writers increase productivity through time management and organization.  A member of Musing Our Children, Ms. Malandrinos is also a reviewer for the Muse Book Reviews.
 
Cheryl is a Tour Coordinator for Pump Up Your Book Promotion and interviews authors and editors at her blog,  The Book Connection.  She lives in Western Massachusetts with her husband, two children, and three pesky cats. 

Recently, I put a shout out in author forums for book trailers. I was surprised at how many authors e-mailed me back - many of whom had toured with me at Book Addict, but did not provide a trailer as part of their media kit.

Granted, some did not have trailers until now - and did not think to send them out to all of their book tour hosts when they were up on YouTube. Others had them and simply did not think to offer them as part of their tour.

Before you set out on your virtual book tour, make a detailed list of all items in your media kit. Know that kit by heart. Post it online for easy access. Be sure your blog hosts have access to every single bit of information. Make sure it is more than enough. Trust me. It is always better to work with too much than with too little.

If you add important features after your tour - like a book trailer - be sure to notify blog hosts who may want to post the trailer or other items, even if it is not an "official" tour. Bloggers are eager for fresh content and some may opt to post it immediately, instead of making you wait for another tour.

Need more info on media kits? Read my post, "Create an Effective Media Kit."

As a book reviewer for Pop Syndicate - and the virtual book tour host at Book Addict - I am approached by authors every day to review titles.

Earlier this year, I was approached hard and fast by an author desperate to have her true crime book reviewed at our site. She found me from a post at another author's blog. She e-mailed several times and I told her to send along a copy, and I would get to it after I reviewed a few other books.

This author expedited shipping (even though I told her it would be at least a few weeks before I could get to it) and e-mailed a few times to be sure I received it.

I was nearly ready to review it when I received another e-mail from her. She asked if I had reviewed it yet, and I said no, it was next in line. At this point, I was getting a little frustrated. It had only been a few weeks, and this was not a new release; it had been out for nearly eight months. There was no rush for us, and her persistence was becoming annoying.

Then, the author e-mailed back a response that not only angered me, but will forever keep her from being reviewed again at our site. Here is what she said:

I sat back in my chair, reeling from the audacity of this self-published author. She pursued me hard to get her book into our review system, then believed she would tell us not to post a bad review and we would do it?

Out. Rageous!

You can do everything you can to get your book in the hands of reviewers, but never, ever expect to dictate the final outcome of the review. Reviewers who are worth their salt never guarantee a good book review. Unlike the paid writers who expound the virtues of really crappy cinema on movie posters and DVD covers, most book critics take the time to read, compare to other works in the genre and write an honest review.

Needless to say, I did not review this book. I handed it off to someone else because the author's attitude angered me so badly. I politely decline to review anything else from the author, or pass it along to other reviewers.

Now, some might ask how this applies to marketing plans for authors. Quite simply, this author created a PR nightmare for herself. Her dogged pursuit was overkill, and her final statement so outrageous I refuse to review her again. Our site nets thousands of page hits per day. I guarantee there are not a lot of other review sites willing to take on self-published authors for reviews or virtual tours. This is one major virtual pit-stop no longer available to this author.

Do you really want to burn bridges because of your attitude? Think, before you send that next email. It is OK to follow up with reviewers to be certain they received your book, and ask about virtual tour dates, but that is IT. Daily e-mails and arrogance do not endear you to reviewers.

Links are the bane of my existence. As a virtual book tour host, I receive documents with embedded links, links in parenthesis, in bold face type, surrounded by quotation marks... the list goes on and on.

First, ask your host how they want you to send hyperlinks. If they don't have a policy, make one of your own. When sending links to your VBT host, keep them consistent and easy-to-read. Here is one good way to send a link:

 If you have several sites to share, do not put them in paragraph form. Share them as a list. For example:

Do NOT make your VBT host run out and find links for your posts. This is time-consuming and not at all fun. Plus, you know what you need links to. Your host may pick the wrong link, not realizing your intent until your post is already live.