Dina sent me this link to a New York Times article by Karl Jessella about how savvy publicists and authors are doing tours of blogs rather than tours of bookshops and other live venues:Bloggers have written about books since, well, the beginning of blogging. But a blog book tour usually requires an author or publicist to take the initiative, reaching out to bloggers as if they were booksellers and asking them to be the host for a writer’s online visit. Sometimes bloggers invite authors on their own. In an age of budget-conscious publishers and readers who are as likely to discover books from a Google search as from browsing at a bookstore, the blog book tour makes sense. Although a few high-profile authors have had their books sent to bloggers — James Patterson recently promoted a young-adult book this way — most of the authors are lesser-known and less likely to be reviewed in the mainstream press. ...Felicia Sullivan, senior online marketing manager of Collins is quoted as saying:
If I had to choose, I’d rather have an author promote themselves online. ... You can reach at least a few hundred people on a blog, and save time, money and the fear of being a loser when no one shows up to your reading.The article also says that some blog-tour producers have even paid (shock horror!) bloggers to review books.
An author tour on my blog does seem an interesting idea, provided that the guest-blogged content is relevant and interesting to my readers in Malaysia (who make up two-thirds of my readership). I offer my space.
One Booker long-listed author has already taken up my offer.
I am approached all the time by authors and publishers from the UK and US. Sometimes I'm happy to put up a note about a book, if it is one that I think will interest my Malaysian readers. I would not want to write for money though ... I blog for love and not to be bought. I want to read what I want to read (or what's the point?).
But it would be nice to run some more competitions with book prizes if anyone is interested in sponsoring that!
(Photo from NYT shows author Amy Cohen making a guest-appearance on blogs.)
4 comments:
Sharon, when this next book comes out next year, I will think of thee!
Sharon, if you get too many offers to review, you can pass them on to us to review. I'd love to do it. I also volunteer Kay Kay with his penetrating insight and Sham for those with science themes. The Hari Kunzru Groupie Club can do his book, now that he's your friend.
amir - no probs!
animah - for sure, you're very welcome to post reviews here, and sham ...
The article also says that some blog-tour producers have even paid (shock horror!) bloggers to review books. Nice post.
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