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Are "Author Tours" Still Valuable?
In the simpler days - before radio interviews were conducted by phone and the technology of
satellite TV and the Internet - book sales relied heavily on book reviews and "author tours."
So, in today's world, does the "author tour" still make sense? We believe the answer is, yes!
A publicity campaign should be viewed as a two-part strategy. The first part is a publisher's
in-house efforts. These usually consist of book reviews (minimally) and sometimes an effort is
made to obtain media in an author's home town. These promotional activities are priceless for
jump-starting book sales and providing an author the opportunity to ramp-up his interview
skills.
Taking a Campaign on the Road
But, once a publisher's campaign is over, how is the book "buzz" maintained?
One answer is "author tours." They can be very effective, if you know how to squeeze the most
mileage out of every city. Too often we hear of an author run ragged by a tour composed of
flimsy itineraries and exorbitant costs.
One can avoid this experience by knowing the five criteria of a successful tour and sticking to
them:
1. Anchor each city with at least one interview on a major network TV affiliate. If a major
network affiliate show can't be landed - cancel that city and move on to the next one!
2. Schedule at least one book signing. This will guarantee availability of your book in that city.
Plus the book is often given free prominent display that would otherwise cost a small fortune.
3. Utilize down time by visiting area bookstores. Offer to sign any books in stock. If none are on
the shelf, let the manager know the author is in town on a tour and urge them to order
books!
4. Obtain a minimum of two to three media appearances in each market. Try to schedule these
within a one day period if possible - reducing travel costs and down time.
5. Generate local word-of-mouth by arranging speaking engagements at the local library,
Chamber of Commerce or professional affiliations, etc.
Keep in mind that an author's role is that of a promoter. And they should utilize every moment
doing just that - promoting! Although it can be exhausting, it's the only way to gain control over
book sales and at the same time, maximize the cost of a tour.
Scheduling interviews with the media takes a lot of perseverance. Don't give up if a producer or
journalist doesn't call back at first. Assuming you have a topic that's a right fit for the medium
you're contacting - it takes a good pitch, lots of intention to get through to them and tons of
persistence to get a confirmation!
Sometimes it takes up to fifteen calls to one producer to get a call back and schedule an interview.
Point is - don't give up! Feel free to call me if you need help with your campaign(s).
Wishing you all the best,
Marsha Friedman, President
Event Management Services
Event Management Services
1127 Grove Street
Clearwater, FL 33755
mfriedman@event-management.com
727-443-7115 x 208
James A. Cox
Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
http://www.midwestbookreview.com
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