Writers in the Storm

by John Peragine

Next month my book Max and the Spice Thieves launches, and one of the main events, especially during the time of Covid, is a virtual book tour. The days of slogging a trunk full of books from bookstore to bookstore are far and few unless you are a celebrity. Traditional Publishing houses don't pay for them like they used to, and the turn out at many events can be a little depressing.

Virtual book tours have taken up the slack and are growing in popularity. These virtual tours help an author get their book in front of the right people: book lovers. In addition, they are connecting to people who like books in the genre they write.

What is a Virtual Book Tour (VBT)?

A VBT is when an author shows up on a blog during a particular period of time. VBT times vary. Some last a day (Book Blitz), and others run a month or longer. Most tours last a week or two and often occur right before a release to create a buzz.

There are few different ways you can appear on a blog during the tour:

1. A blogger reviews and rates your book.
2. You write a short guest post on the blog.
3. An excerpt of your book appears on the blog.
4. You are interviewed.
5. You share your top ten list (usually the theme is picked by the blogger).
6. A blog features your book trailer.

One way a book tour can engage people (readers) is with a raffle. Authors give away copies of their books, swag or a gift card. In order to be entered, the reader is required to like a FB page, or follow a Twitter account, or give their email address. Tours often utilize Rafflecopter, which collects the entries and picks a winner at random.

Should You Do It Yourself?

My short answer is no, unless you have a lot of time and connections. There are thousands of book blogs and it could take you forever to organize a great tour. You must find the right blogs for your book, contact the right people, and set up a date to promote your book on their site.

If you do chose to try to set up your own VBT, here are some things to consider:

1. Be very very specific about your genre. Not all book blog sites provide reviews.
2. When was the last time a blog was posted?
3. Do the books on the site look like yours?
4. What is the response of people to posts? Is there any engagement?
5. Is there a fee?
6. Do the posts look professional?
7. What country are they based?
8. How many posts do they have?
9. How long has the site existed?
10. What are their rules for book reviews and blog tours?

You must decide when you want to do your blog tour and then you can reach out to the blog owner to see if they are willing to be a stop. You will have to coordinate the raffle, all the blogs, the interviews, excerpts, and everything else. A successful book tour is often set up a month or two in advance.

There are sites that list other sites that do blog tours and book reviews. Often these sites have outdated information and many of the blogs no longer exist or haven't had a post in six months or more. The other way is good ole searching for blog sites through Google, which can mean a lot of kissing frogs before finding your prince or princess.

A Note About Reviews

I wrote a blog about book reviews in January here at WITS, sharing my thoughts on bad reviews. When your book is being reviewed for a book tour, you might get a bad review. It is a risk you take, so you might ask to read the review before it appears on their blog (and before featuring it on your blog tour).

Be sure to send the reviewer your book in plenty of time to read it and get a review back to you. Not everyone is going to love your book, but remember that you can choose whether to promote them as part of your book tour.

Preparing for Your Blog Tour

Most blogs are not going to announce ahead of time that you are going to be visiting their site, so it is up to you to promote your tour. You may want to create a banner, and promote it on all of your social media channels. When you are closer to your tour date, release your tour list with links.

Let the readers know about the prizes. Share that they will be able to get some great behind-the-scenes looks at you and your book.

Hire a Virtual Book Tour Company

If you are like me, you'd rather be writing your next novel than trying to set up a blog tour. There are a number of sites that offer blog tours. They do all the hard work for you. They have relationships with many bloggers and post your book for bloggers to sign up to be part of your tour. This means that they are used to doing book tours and more importantly they are interested in your book.

The price tag for these tours ranges from (approximately) $80-$300, depending on how many blog tour stops you want and if you want any extras. Often these blog tour companies concentrate on particular genres, so again check out their other tours. Read the information carefully about what the tours consist of before you send any money.

Here are my top Virtual Book Tour companies. (In no particular order)

1. Rockstar Book Tours
2. Xpresso Book Tours
3. Pump Your Book
4. Bewitching Book Tours
5. Goddess Fish Promotions

When it's all over, remember to thank your blog hosts. This is extremely important because (a) is it polite and (b) they are the gatekeepers of your potential audience. It's always important to be respectful of the gatekeepers!

Have you done a Virtual Book Tour? What was your experience? Please share it with us down in the comments!

About John

John Peragine has published 14 books and ghostwritten more than 100 others. He is a contributor for HuffPost, Reuters, and The Today Show. He covered the John Edwards trial exclusively for Bloomberg News and The New York Times. He has written for Wine Enthusiast, Grapevine Magazine, Realtor.com, WineMaker magazine, and Writer's Digest.

John began writing professionally in 2007, after working 13 years in social work and as the piccolo player for the Western Piedmont Symphony for over 25 years. Peragine is a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors. You can learn more about his books at JohnPeragineBooks.com. 

His newest book, Max and the Spice Thieves, will be released on April 20, 2021. Click here for a free first chapter. 

by Eldred Bird

I write a lot of different kinds of short stories and flash fiction, but when it comes to novels, I’ve pretty much kept my train on the adventure/mystery track. It’s my comfort zone and the place I run to for longer works.

But I’m stepping out of my comfort zone with my latest work in progress. I’m taking on the challenge of a new-to-me genre.

When I say new-to-me, I don’t mean as a reader, but as a writer. I’ve read plenty of fantasies over the years and am currently reading a wonderful series by Northern Ireland author Stephen Black. As I eagerly await his third book (in edits as we speak), I figured it might be a good time to try my hand at the genre as well.

It has been a tremendous learning experience already.

4 Key Pieces of Advice

1. When switching genres, do your research. Find authors who share your target audience.
2. Read, read, read…then read some more. Don’t just read the stories—read between the lines.
3. Pay attention to things like description and pacing.
4. Get a real feel for the genre and then get to work.

Let’s share the experience of genre switching together.

Further reading: James Preston’s recent post here at WITS (that helped inspire this one!) – Switching Gears in Your Writing.

Genres and Sub-genres

When I set off on this new writing journey, the seed of a story was already germinating in the fertile folds of my gray-matter. I knew it fell somewhere on the spectrum of fantasy, but the question was where?

Knowing the sub-genre helps define the target audience and what they expect from a story. Sure, I could just start writing and figure out where it fits later, but the more I write, the more I find having a target keeps me from wandering too far and losing both my own and the reader’s interest.

I was surprised to find out just how many sub-genres fall under the fantasy banner. Wikipedia had no less than 53 different fantasy categories listed, and I managed to turn up at least two dozen more through other sources.

After rooting through the pile, I determined the details of my story best fell into the realms of Crossworlds Fantasy and Low Fantasy, with a taste of Thriller as well.

Target acquired, now on to the next step.

World Building

My stories generally take place in the “real” world in contemporary times. Making the move to fantasy requires a shift in thinking about the story setting.

• Where will the story physically take place?
• What are the physical laws of the location?
• What are the inhabitants like?
• How do my characters get there?
• How do they get back?

And most importantly, how do I work in all these details without resorting to the dreaded data-dump?

My world doesn’t involve magic, so no need to develop that system, but the story does have its own quirks. Staying consistent required me to build a “Rules of the World” document, something I’ve never done before. I broke the sheet up into three main areas: physical location, inhabitants, and laws of physics.

As I create new details other categories will surely follow.

Further reading: Alex Bledsoe had some great tips about fantasy world building in this post: 5 Practical Tips for World Building.

Your Cast of Characters

I’ve been told creating characters is one of my strengths as a writer. By the time I have a rough idea for a main character, they’ve already begun to speak and tell me who they are. When fully developed, these characters  take up residence in my head and help me write their story. Often, the secondary characters step out of the shadows and introduce themselves when needed. And the villains…well, the villains are a little different.

As I’ve said before, I usually write mysteries. In a mystery, it’s all about following the sleuth as they work to uncover the true villain. That villain may not be revealed until near the end of the story. When I write a mystery, I don’t usually know who the true culprit is until my main character does (I like to surprise myself).

Jumping into this new genre requires a different approach. I needed a different kind of villain. Plus I must reveal them much earlier.

Angela Ackerman’s post, Does Your Villain Have Well-Developed Motivations, helped with this one.

One of the big drivers for any villain is motivation. Why do they do the awful things they do? Some feel wronged and others abused. Some of the most memorable villains see themselves as the hero in their own story.

For my tale, I needed to develop a villain who saw himself as benevolent, but better than the common man. He also needed to be charismatic, inspiring followers to see him in the same light he sees himself.

Plot

This is always bug, but even more important when delving into a new genre. My best advice is do your research and read popular books in that genre.

Genre readers generally have specific expectations and if you’re not meeting them they will knock stars off your reviews in a heartbeat (if they bother to review at all). But don’t just read the bestsellers. Look for those hidden gems from new and independent authors who have collected a significant number of four-star and five-star reviews. Odds are they’ve done something to push the genre’s boundaries without going far enough over the line to lose the reader’s interest.

Voice and Point of View

Often different voice is needed for different genres. One way to accomplish this is through shifting point of view.

I normally write in third person-close POV, but I wanted something different this time—something that would stand out. I’ve seen a shifting POV used successfully and plan to give it a go. The shift will force me to adjust my voice to fit the different POVs.

I decided to use both close third POV and first person. When my MC is in the real world, I will use third person. The fantasy setting will be in first person.

This accomplishes a couple of things. First, the reader will always know which realm they are in simply by the POV, eliminating a possible point of confusion. Second, going into third person for the normal world will allow me to tell the aspects of the story the protagonist is not privy to. In the fantasy realm, I want the reader to share the experience with the main character.

Some Final Thoughts

This experience of stepping out of my comfort zone into unexplored territory is not only giving me a new perspective on writing, but a new energy as well. I look forward to the adventure that lies before me!

Do you write multiple genres? What advice would you give someone who is considering it? Please share it with us in the comments below.

About Eldred

by Barbara Linn Probst

I hate social media. It’s an addictive rabbit-hole.

I just don’t have time. Social media takes away from my precious writing time.

I’m no good at creating those visuals and posts.

I’ve heard many authors—myself included—express our frustration and dismay at the expectation that we will not only produce wonderful books, but also carry out what amounts to a second full-time job as our own marketing team. Most of us don’t mind holding events, whether live or virtual, where we get to engage with readers. Nor do we mind interviews, written or recorded, where we can talk about our books and our writing process. But what so many of us do hate is the seemingly bottomless pit of social media engagement.

Facebook, with all those reader and writer groups. Instagram. Twitter. Pinterest.

“Likes” and “follows.” Comments and messages and shares.

Wouldn’t it be great if someone else could do all this for us?

Someone else can—for a price, and with a few caveats. Whether they call themselves virtual assistants, social media consultants, or author assistants, there are people who will manage your social media for you.

What a social media assistant is (and isn't)

Unlike publicists, who seek media coverage on your behalf, or direct marketers, whom you pay to advertise your book on their sites, a virtual assistant takes over tasks that you could, if you wanted, do yourself or learn how to do yourself. They may do it more attractively, strategically, or frequently—but they have no special credentials like the high-level media connections of a good publicist or special access to important gatekeepers. What you’re buying, in effect, is time—and the freedom to use that time in other ways.

The questions are: How much is that time worth to you, and are there other benefits, besides freeing up your time, that a virtual assistant can offer?

My initial research on this topic

I decided to investigate these questions when I thought about how I wanted to launch my second book, coming in April. My debut (April 2020) had a great launch despite the onset of the pandemic, but I wanted to expand my thinking to consider what I did not do—or didn’t do very well.

The obvious gap, for me, was in the realm of social media. Like many others in my cohort, I didn’t grow up with social media and secretly wished I didn’t have to use it. Being both naïve and overly-aggressive (a bad combination), I made some mistakes the first time around that I still regret. For example, having misunderstood the absolute meaning of “no self-promotion,” I am now banned forever from two of the biggest reader groups on Facebook.

I’ve learned a few things since Queen of the Owls made its way into the world. I now understand that social media is a long game, not a quick grab. It’s about the slow, steady development of connection and engagement. Like all relationships, it takes time and commitment. You have to show up every day, not just on birthdays and anniversaries. And that means a serious investment of energy.

Not everyone wants to do that. After all, there’s no end to what we, as authors, might do to reach out to readers! Another thing I’ve learned is that no one can, or should, do everything. I advise those who ask me: “Just do the stuff that’s fun for you, and outsource—or forget—the rest of it.”

And there’s the heart of the matter: what should we do ourselves, what should we jettison, and what should we outsource?

Hiring Some Help

Sometimes the answer is clear. If you want to pitch to the book review editor at The New York Times, you need a professional publicist to do so on your behalf—and even then, there’s no guarantee. Many authors I know are unhappy at what they now consider to be a poor “return on investment” after hiring a publicist at a cost of anywhere from $5,000 to $20,000. They’re wondering if there isn’t a middle ground between spending that kind of money, which most don’t have, and doing it all yourself.

A virtual assistant—someone who can manage author promotion on social media—can seem like an attractive option.  At a cost far below that of a publicist, with a direct appeal to readers that can actually be tracked, social media assistance is a rapidly-growing alternative.

And for those of us, like me, who do have a publicist, a social media assistant can—maybe—take over an important piece of the book promotion that publicists don’t do and that many of us authors don’t do very well.

More research through my network

I decided to look into it. I asked—on social media, of course!—if fellow authors had anyone they recommended. Their responses, including some who recommended themselves, led me on various paths, and I ended up speaking with seven people who offer social media assistance. Some focused specifically on authors; some did not. Most, though not all, required a three-month commitment; prices ranged from $300/month to $1300/month.

I also spoke with two people who offer “social media coaching”—with far higher price tags—but am not including them here because that service is quite different; nor am I including the many webinars and workshops that are available, for free or at minimal cost, to teach authors how to enhance their own social media skills. I didn’t want someone to coach me on fishing techniques; I wanted to hire a fisherman.

I encountered a number of models—different ways of working, with different price tags and different strengths and drawbacks.  I ended up selecting someone who seemed to be the best fit for my needs and style. While she hadn’t worked with authors, specifically, she was creative and flexible, which were two priorities for me.  I didn’t want someone with an expensive prix fixe package who required a three-month minimum commitment, as many did. I wanted to be able to explore and ramp up slowly, which this VA allows me to do.

So far, it seems to be working well. I come up with the concepts and she executes them—a division of labor that’s letting me keep to a reasonable budget, since she charges by the hour. On the other hand, there are possibilities I’m electing to forgo, such as analytics, story reels, optimization strategies, and so on—on the premise that no one can do, or cover, everything. For now, I’m simply outsourcing the creative part, which requires skills that would take me too long to learn to do well. If you’re curious about what she’s done for me, you can see some of her animated and musical posts on my Instagram wall, which I often repost on Facebook as well.  (Note: I also post on my own sometimes, and only use her to create posts that I couldn’t do myself.)

Considerations for your decision

How you decide to approach this question will depend on your goals, budget, the demographic you want to reach, and your personal style. What’s best for me might not be best for you, so here are some questions to ask yourself:

• Do you want to turn over your entire social media presence to someone else, or do you want to be an active partner in developing the content of the posts? Are you looking to outsource entirely or to collaborate? Will you be adding personal posts, as well?
• Do you want to do your own captions and commenting, or do you want someone else to learn how to represent you and comment as if they were you? Are you looking for someone you can trust to be your voice?
• Which platforms, and how many platforms do you want to engage on? What is your target audience of readers, and where do they tend to hang out?
• What sort of frequency are you looking for in your posts? Do you want to include stories, links to video or audio, questions for discussion, follow trains?
• How important are ongoing analytics to you? Do you need to have quantified data on a regular basis? If so, how do you plan to use that data?
• What other marketing strategies do you have in place, and how central or important is social media in that overall plan?
• What time frame are you willing to commit to?
• How much money are you willing to spend?

Final Thoughts

In all cases, it’s important to remember what a virtual assistant cannot do. Since a VA has no access to your phone, she can’t post photos of you doing book-related things. Her posts will, of necessity, have a certain “artistic distance” to them.

Again, it’s a matter of knowing what you’re good at and have time for, determining a budget, and finding someone who suits your temperament and goals. You might even decide that what really makes sense is to manage your social media yourself, and that’s okay too.

And there can be unexpected benefits—for either or both of you. Since my forthcoming book—the one my VA is focused on promoting—is told through the eyes of a musician, a lot of the posts are music-related.  We’ve used piano music in the background, images of sheet music and pianos.

Here is what my VA wrote to me in a recent email:

“You should know that all of this work around pianos inspired me to start learning how to play. My dad is a musician and plays every instrument in the book, but I stopped piano lessons as a teenager. I have my grandma's beautiful antique piano sitting in my living room, so I downloaded the Simply Piano app and have been practicing every day! I'm loving it! It's something that I have wanted to do forever, and working with you gave me that push I needed to start.”

Is that cool, or what?

Over to you, now …

How do you feel about using social media for book promotion—whether you do that yourself, or see others doing that? Do you think it’s a great way of engaging that you enjoy, or simply a “necessary evil?”

About Barbara

BARBARA LINN PROBST is a writer of both fiction and non-fiction, living on a historic dirt road in New York’s Hudson Valley. Her debut novel QUEEN OF THE OWLS (April 2020) is the powerful story of a woman’s search for wholeness, framed around the art and life of iconic American painter Georgia O’Keeffe. QUEEN OF THE OWLS was selected as one of the twenty most anticipated books of the year by Working Mother, a debut novel “too good to ignore” by Bustle, was featured in places like Pop Sugar, Entertainment Weekly, Parade Magazine, and Ms. Magazine. It also won the bronze medal for popular fiction from the Independent Publishers Association, placed first runner-up in general fiction for the Eric Hoffer Award, and was short-listed for the $2500 Grand Prize. Barbara’s second book, THE SOUND BETWEEN THE NOTES, launches in April 2021.

Top Image by Thomas Ulrich from Pixabay