Beating the Drum from 4RV       
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July - August 2008 Newsletter
Home   Newsletter Home
Tips and Suggestions

                                Blog Tour Ho!

  The cost and time involved in promoting and marketing books is extensive and
expensive. However, one way to get the publicity "out there" is through blog tours.
Rather than rushing from one city and/or bookstore to another before flying to the
next, authors and illustrators hop from blog to blog, with only their fingers tiring.

 Let me explain by sharing the organization involved in setting up a tour, one I put
together for Trockle, the children's book written by Holly Jahangiri and illustrated
by Jordan Vinyard.

1. Set dates for the tour. Check with the author or illustrator or both (whoever
will be participating to promote the book) for the dates she/he/they can participate.
Some tours last a month, but people often lose interest over that long a period of
time Besides finding enough "hosts" for 30 days is difficult. Two weeks is more
manageable, but for a first tour, a week to 10 days works better. I choose nine
days in September, the 13th through the 21st.

2. Find blog hosts. A blog host is a blogger with one with considerable fans or
following, hopefully. A host is needed for each day of the tour. Of course the better
known the people making the tour, the more likely attracting high profile bloggers
will be. Nine blog hosts are willing and ready for the Trockle Tour.

3. Help inexperienced bloggers with ideas to use. A few ideas include an
interview with the author and/or illustrator; a review of the book with comments by
the author and illustrator, if there is one; allowing the author (and illustrator) to
write a guest blog for the scheduled day. Those suggestions are just that,
suggestions.

4. Have a prize to present to one person who comments on each blog on the
scheduled day. For the example tour, a canvas tote (11 x 8.5") with an image of the
Trockle front cover on one side and the back cover on the other. We limit shipping
to the United States or to Canada because of logistics.

5. Promote the blog tour. The schedule will be posted on every blog being used,
the author's blog(s), the illustrator's blog, the publisher's blog, and on the
publisher's home page. On every blog that will help, notice will be given about the
tour. Everyone who's on Twitter will link to the current blog on its day. Messages
will be posted on email group sites. In the schedule below, a click on the host's
name will take a reader to that person's site.

Sept. 13         Vivian Zabel                     A word from the publisher
Sept. 14         Elysabeth Eldering           
Sept. 15         Aidana WillowRaven    
Sept. 16         Steph Cardin
     Also       Miguel de Luis Espinosa  
Sept. 17         Ian William                   
     Also       Lea Schizas
Sept. 18         Susan Thompson
   Also         Joyce Anthony - first of 4 days
                    1st day - Introduce book, synopsis, etc.
                    2nd day - Author/illustrator bios
                    3rd day - Author/illustrator interviews
                    4th day - Author's choice of guest-blogging,
                                        an excerpt from book,
                                        or book review by host.    
       
Sept. 19         Beverly Stowe McClure          Beverly's 2nd blog  
  Also         Joyce Anthony - 2nd day
Sept. 20         Joyce Anthony - 3rd day  
Sept. 21         Karen L. Syed                    
  Also         Joyce Anthony - 4th day

6. Be sure author, illustrator, editors, publisher, and other friends check each blog
on the tour each day at least once, leaving comments. Those directly involved
should check each blog several times a day to reply to comments by others and to
answer any questions.

7. Be sure to thank all blog tour hosts. One good way to thank those who
participate is to host a stop on a blog tour for them in the future.

Please visit  http://vzabel.multiply.com/journal. Authors and illustrators from 4RV
Publishing are showcased several times a week.

  Wonder if doing a blog tour for Midnight Hours is feasible?
In This Issue

Tips and Suggestions:
Blog Tour Ho!

Coming Events:
Booksignings/ Appearances

New Releases

Books Coming Soon
Coming Events

August 30, 31
Decatur (GA) Book Festival
4RV Publishing Booth 114

Elysabeth Eldering
Jacque Graham
Vivian Zabel

Elysbeth Elderings
Appearances

September 6 - The Open Book,
Greenville, SC - from 3 pm to 5 pm -
doing a back to school
presentation/book signing

September 20, - Aiken Children's
Book Festival, from 10 a.m. to 4 pm,
held at Aiken Technical College

October 24 - 26 I  South Carolina
Conference Writers Workshop
book store
The Hilton Myrtle Beach Resort
New Releases

Lion in the Living Room
by Caelaach McKinna
illustrator A. R. Stone

State of Wilderness
by Elysabeth Eldering
illustrator Aidana WillowRaven

Bubba & Giganto:
Odds Against Us
by Lea Schizas

Midnight Hours
by Vivian Gilbert Zabel
Books Coming Soon

Spider in Our Mailbox
by Linda Asato
illustrator Jordan Vinyard

Being Jacob: First Day of
School
by Suzy Koch
illustrator Aidana WillowRaven

Prairie Dog Cowboy
by V. Gilbert Zabel
illustrator Jordan Vinyard

2nd Book in JGDS
by Elysabeth Eldering
illustrator Aidana WillowRaven