Do It Myself Blog – Glenda Watson Hyatt

With two virtual book tours under my belt in promoting my autobiography I’ll Do It Myself, I’m now have a better sense of what contributes to the success of this kind of book promotion.

My first virtual book tour “40 Blogs in 40 (Business) Days” was way too long, particularly for my first attempt at this kind of marketing. My new blog still had “Wet Paint” signs and I had only 10% of the appearances confirmed when I headed out, which added to the excitement of the experience in that I literally didn’t know where I was headed next. It meant I was scrambling to find bloggers while I was answering interview questions, which meant many late nights. No wonder I ended up with bronchitis for a month at the tour’s end, losing the momentum I had built over the eight weeks.

The second tour “Summer Sojourn” was only two weeks and was much more enjoyable. Because my blog is more established, finding willing hosts within my target market was significantly easier. This time I headed out with 80% of the appearances confirmed; the other two dates were easily filled thanks to the networking I’d been doing. Book sales also dramatically increased.

On the “Summer Sojourn” tour, a theme unexpectedly arose that most of the hosts continued. Seeing where my Ferrari 360 Spyder would take me next added another dimension to the experience for the readers, encouraging them to follow the tour more closely. Amazing! I couldn’t have planned that magic better if I had tried!

From my experience, the key to successful virtual book tours is short, targeted and themed. I’ll keep this in mind while I plan my British tour. Watch for details in a few weeks!