SORMAG Blog Tour

Apr 09, 2009 14 Comments by

sormagtour Tips For Writers Who Are Promoting Online
by LaShaunda Hoffman

As the Princess of Online Promotion, I learned the hard way about what works in online promotion. I will admit there is no right way or wrong way. However the information I’m sharing with you today will be helpful in making your online promotion run smoothly.

Before you began your promotion, set up your promotional budget, so you know what you have to work with. Find the sites that cater to the readers you’re looking for. It makes no sense to advertise on a romance site when you write medical mysteries with no hint of romance.

PROMOTIONAL SPACE

Make time to see what your money is paying for. I’m forever getting messages from authors who say they missed their promotion. Most blog promotions are a one day feature. They usually include a link; however you want to see your promotion on the day its scheduled. Make sure you have the correct date and that you make time to see what the promotion looks like. You can’t make corrections after the fact.

If a site doesn’t have the space for an interview, do a mini interview, which includes a short bio (25 words or less), a blurb about your book (25 words or less) and a link to your site. Don’t forget your picture and book cover.

If you want to see how many are visiting a site – offer a free chapter or article to those who send an email requesting this information. Not only will you get to see who has an interest in your work, you’ll receive new names to add to your mailing list. The whole point of promotion is to meet new readers.

BLOGGING

Blogging is interactive, a way to conversate with new readers. Remember those who visit a blog might not leave a comment, but they are reading. Make the best impression by starting a dialogue. You might get a few questions.

Make time to visit the blog that’s featuring you in an interview or promoting your book. The readers of the blog would love to see that you actually made time to stop by and say hi. The owner of the blog will know you saw your promotion.

Visiting blogs is very important when you do a blog tour. When you visit the blogs on your tour, it makes the tour more personable.

If you don’t have time to visit each blog, don’t call it a tour. When you’re doing a tour, you’re taking time to meet the visitors of each blog. Treat the tour just like you would a live one. Meet new readers, answer their questions, have fun with it.

If you can afford it offer prizes, readers enjoy receiving gifts and this usually draws more readers to the site.

After the tour, ask the sites how the tour went, did they get more visitors than normal? This is a way to judge if you want to do another tour.

CHATS

Some sites offer chats, this is an excellent way to meet new readers, schedule a few during your promotional time. Readers enjoy chatting with authors.

Instead of having a regular chat. Suggest talking about a specific topic. You draw a bigger audience if you talk about something else instead of yourself and your book. Yes you can plug your book through out the chat, but you have their full attention if you’re discussing a topic their interested in.

Online promotion can be time consuming; however its worth the effort when it comes to marketing your book. Remember to have fun and don’t stress yourself out. If you don’t receive any comments, it doesn’t mean no one has visited the site. Sometimes readers just like to lurk.

LaShaunda C. Hoffman,
SORMAG’s Publisher

shaunHello everyone, my name is LaShaunda C. Hoffman and I’d like to thank Ty for having me and SORMAG here today. I started my career in online promotion in 1999 when I set up my first forum. That forum grew into SORMAG – Shades Of Romance Magazine an online magazine for readers and writers of literature.

Over the last nine years I’ve learned from some of the best in the writing business and I’ve learned a few tricks of the trade. One thing I recommend is to try something new. Step outside your comfort zone and do it. You might surprise yourself and see you’re good at something new.

SORMAG – Shades Of Romance Magazine
An online magazine for readers and writers of multi-cultural literature.
Author/Book Promotion/Book Reviews/Literary News
Online Book Tours/Online Workshops/Online Bookstore
Writing Community

Promoting books and their authors for nine years.
http://sormag.com/advertise.htm

Ty, thank you again for inviting me to your blog, I appreciate you letting me introduce SORMAG to your readers. If anyone has a question for me feel free to leave a comment.  I will be checking back throughout the day to answer them.

I invite the readers to become a member of our community.  I’d also like to offer a special report, FIVE TIPS TO BUILDING AN ONLINE PRESENCE. Send an email to sormagcontests@gmail.com with special report in the subject and I’ll send you a copy.

SORMAG BLOG TOUR GIVEAWAY

A SORMAG GOODY bag will be sent to one lucky blog winner who leaves a comment on this blog. (10 winners)

If you join SORMAG’s Community this month, you have a chance to win the following:

$25.00 Gift Certificate to Amazon.com (2 winners)

Or

Much Ado About Reading PROMO AD (value 70.00) (2 winners)

Visit the following blogs for a chance to win.

SORMAG BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE

Blog Tours, Marketing

About the author

Tyora Moody is an author, entrepreneur and the managing editor at Written Voices Blog. Her debut novel, WHEN RAIN FALLS, will be released March 2012 (Urban Christian/Kensington). Visit her online at tyoramoody.com

14 Responses to “SORMAG Blog Tour”

  1. Wanda B. Campbell says:
    April 9, 2009 at 8:47 am

    Thanks for the great information.

  2. LaShaunda says:
    April 9, 2009 at 9:31 am

    Wanda,

    Thanks so much for stopping by. Have a great day.

  3. Fon James says:
    April 9, 2009 at 10:25 am

    Excellent article! I loved the part about not stressing out! I am taking that chunk of advice right now! Thanks LaShaunda!

  4. vanessa richardson says:
    April 9, 2009 at 2:06 pm

    Wonderful, wonderful advice. Thanks for sharing LaShaunda.

    Vanessa

  5. LaShaunda says:
    April 9, 2009 at 2:16 pm

    Hey Fon,

    Good to see you here. Not stressing is the hard part. I had to learn this the hard way while trying to organize this blog tour. One of my stops didn’t post, so what’s a girl to do? Create another one and don’t sweat the small stuff.

    When is the next book girl? You know I have to keep your name out there.

  6. Ty says:
    April 9, 2009 at 2:21 pm

    I need to follow some of that advice about not stressing. As far as the blog tours I know how you feel, LaShaunda. I had a good buddy mention to me to always have a back-up plan when folks forget to post. That’s why, now with blog tours I post more than one stop a day. When things go wrong, they will go wrong! LOL!

  7. LaShaunda says:
    April 9, 2009 at 3:13 pm

    Great Idea Ty,

    I thought of two per day but I knew working full time I wouldn’t be able to keep up and that wouldn’t have been fair. #1 rule always schedule what you can handle. That way you’re not stressed out trying to keep up.

  9. LaConnie says:
    April 9, 2009 at 6:37 pm

    Hi Ty and LaShaunda:

    This is a great post that offers wonderful tips.

    Good job, Ladies!!

  10. Linda Beed says:
    April 9, 2009 at 9:41 pm

    LaShaunda, as always your information is invaluable.

    Thank you for sharing — Linda!

  11. Patricia Sargeant says:
    April 10, 2009 at 5:57 am

    Excellent post, LaShaunda. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your knowledge. Your information is very helpful.

    Best!

    Patricia

  12. Patricia Neely-Dorsey says:
    April 10, 2009 at 12:42 pm

    This is great ..especially for first time authors.
    Very good advice/tips!

  13. LaShaunda says:
    April 10, 2009 at 12:49 pm

    Rhonda, LaConnie and Ms. Linda,

    Thanks so much for stopping. I appreciate you.

    Ty,

    Pick a lucky winner and send me their mailing address and I’ll send them their goody bag.

    Thank you again for hosting us.

    Happy Easter

  14. Keira says:
    April 10, 2009 at 5:37 pm

    I love having authors come back to the blog and interact with my readers. It really helps to build a dialogue. A great way to start one is to end a post conversationally– throwing out a gambit or a question or even a hard statement that just begs to be responded to.

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