Industry insiders are calling it a sign of the times: More and more publishers are encouraging authors to promote their books online in what is being called a virtual book tour.
The way it works is simple, and the benefits are huge. Authors who decide to go on a virtual book tour work with a public relations firm that specializes in online promotions. The agency works with websites and instructs the author to answer questions online, write blog posts on approved websites and send books to online reviewers one month prior to the tour. Diligent authors who post information on the websites per the instructions of the agency can appear on more than 20 blogs in a one month period. The benefits of a virtual book tour to authors are immense; authors are able to work from home without the costly travel expenses. The results are remarkable: Authors who participate in virtual book tours are reporting higher sales and significant savings in promotion.
Critics of virtual book tours bring some legitimate concerns to the table. According to a BusinessWeek article by Sarah Lacy, there’s nothing like face-to-face interaction when promoting anything. Authors should not give up on traditional book tours; by doing so, according to Lacy, publishers are throwing away “a powerful tool.”
Dorothy Thompson, who works for Pump Up Your Book Promotion, a full service public relations agency specializing in online book promotion, sees the virtual book tour quite differently, saying “What is truly so spectacular is that every day there are more and more venues online opening up to market your book.”
You can read the full article here.
Do you think that virtual book tours are a trend in a green-age of publishing, or the wave of the future?
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