Monday, June 3, 2013
Book Blogger Confessions - Book tours, cover reveals and guest posts. (Monday, June 3, 2013)
Book Blogger Confessions is a meme that allows book bloggers to discuss issues unique to what we encounter in the blogging world. Every 1st and 3rd Monday of the month we will post a question and invite you to answer, comment and discuss opinions and different views.
Please keep the dialogue courteous. No bashing!
If you would like to participate in this meme sign up below and please feel free to to grab the button to include in your post with a link to For What It's Worth Reviews or here at Midnyte Reader.
Question: Do participating in book tours/cover reveals and author guests post drive traffic to your blog? What type of problems have you encountered when hosting them? (please keep it civil - no names or calling specific people out) As a blog follower, are you ever turned off by these kinds of posts? How much publicity is too much?
Answer: Personally, I don't see book tours, cover reveals and author guest posts as being a huge factor (or a factor at all) in driving traffic to my blog. In fact, there are many times I don't get any comments at all on those types of posts. That being said, that is not the reason I usually pass on them.
The types of problems I've encountered while hosting them - not many luckily. But that's also because I don't participate in a lot. In fact, I usually pass on book tours and cover reveals. I really pass on reviewing a book for a book tour, because I usually never have time. I also don't like the committment and feel pressure. I think I've only participated in one cover reveal. I guess I figure, why bother? People will see the book when it comes out anyway and there are other blogs who will have it, not to mention either the author and/or website or Facebook page. I love pretty covers, but if I want to read a book it doesn't really matter what the cover looks like.
Sometimes I will participate especially if I'm provided all the material. If an author, publisher or book tour organizer provides me a synopsis, blurb, guest post and accompanying pictures, I'm very willing to help out as long as it's a good fit for my blog.
Author interviews are more work, and I usually only participate in them on a one on one basis. I also don't like really long interviews and I don't like seeing the same questions on a bunch of other blogs. Unfortunately, I'm a bit leery now of putting my time in making up questions, because of a negative experience, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't in the future.
The biggest problem I've had is when a publicist approached me for a book tour and I put a lot of work into the interview I was asked to do and then I never received a response. I followed up to see what happened and was told that it was put on hold and they would get back to me when they proceeded. Never happened. I was kind of put off by this. If it was me as the publicist I would have notified all parties involved so as as not to let them sit there and wonder. It just seemed kind of wonky.
What are your thoughts? Do you like seeing these kind of posts on blogs? Do you participate with them on your own blog?
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15 comments:
It seems some people have been totally indecent to you. I think anyone would be put off by that! I don't *like* to see it on blogs as a general thing but I'm happy that it's an option & I appreciate it when I know it's in moderation. That shows the blogger isn't just posting for the sake of it! Even giveaways should be in moderation otherwise the motives of people who are following you are less than true.
I don't want to go off topic, oops. Did I thank you for RTing my post BTW? If not, thanks! :D
I liked reading your response, since I was curious to see how people liked participating in tours. I haven't done one for a long time --- and I'm sorry that you had the experience where you did a lot of preparation and then got no response. How frustrating!
wow no comment back from publicts regarding the tour. I would have been put off by that too :(
I personally haven't participated in a tour but I do enjoy following some of my favorite authors on their interviews and character chats. But I do do cover reveals for some of my authors. And most of the time I just post up those I'm anticipating on my own just for shares. If there are to many of the same thing I'll probably look at just one blog and pass the others.
I do a few tours, but only for one company. There are a dew books I get excited about and want to be part of the tour to cheer them into the publishing date. I do not do cover reveals.
You already know I feel the same as you about covers and their reveal...As for interviews, I usually like them if I already know the author from a past books, or I am already drawn to the book for some reason...but I still prefer reviews. Honest ones ;). And I did notice the repetitivity, if not in the questions, in the answers! I understand that an author can't provide a bunch of totally fresh answers for every similar question she/he receives, but the paste and copy thing puts me off. You're a writer, for goodness sake. Use some synonyms at least!
Sorry for your book tour incident. Did the book come out after that, or it's still on hold with the tour?
I'd be frustrated and irritated if that happened to me. I don't do interviews because I'm too lazy to come up with questions but I will do the occasional tour and/or spotlight if the book holds some interest for me. I enjoy seeing them on other blogs but only in moderation. I prefer blogs who have a good mix of reviews, tours/spotlights/etc and their own personality thrown in the mix. If a blog only posts promo piece after promo piece I get a little turned off.
I've never done an author interview as it seems like an awful lot of work to come up with original questions, and how annoying to put in all that work for nothing! The publicist should have at least notified you! I don't really see the point in cover reveals, but like blog tours as long as they don't swamp my Reader.
Well that's rude to never get back to you. Ironically that just happened to me with an author who kept pursuing me about an interview. I had loved the book too. oh well.
I didn't feel it was a HUGE deal, that the publisher never got back to me, but I can see it ticked everyone else off, lol. Seriously though. It was a one time thing.
@Amy-I agree with you about the giveaways too.
@Jo-It seems that not a lot of people like participating in tours...well the people who participated in this meme and commented anway.
@Julie-I was put off, but I guess it was no big deal.
@Kipha-Yes! Usually I see one post and then pass on the others. Which is unfair to the others, but there is only so much time in a day.
@Sheila-I do feel good when an indy author wants a way to share their books. They are usually so nice. I've never participated in a cover reveal either.
@Roberta-LOL! That was funny! You have a point. A writer should be able to come up with original content, but I can understand how it might not be possible.
@BarklessWagmore-Ha! I don't love coming up with interview questions either. I actually usually keep my interviews pretty short. The reason-I don't love reading interviews so the shorter they are the better in my opinion.
@Alexia-See above! : )
@Karen-That is ironic. It's too bad since you loved the book.
EEEP!! I never had much bad experience with blog tours but I don't really participate in them because yes, I don't like the restriction blog tours put on you. Especially for a review stop, I'll feel obliged to write good things about a book that I don't REALLY enjoy, it's just like cheating my readers > < I'm fine with author interviews because the good ones let us really learn about an author! :)
Alicia @ Summer Next Top Story
I like what you said about author interviews, I don't always read the posts because most of the time it's a standard interview that quite a few blogs are posting. I don't want to see the same thing on a bunch of blogs!
I'm sorry you never received a response to your interview questions - not cool!
I stopped doing blog tours pretty fast. I have to be able to stand behind the book I am promoting, and that was too often not the case. I don't really see the point in cover reveals, those are posted on facebook and well, everywhere. I do like to do some author interviews, but those are my own idea, when I especially loved a book.
And I never follow a whole blog tour, it is just more of the same promo everywhere. I do participate if it is on a blog I already follow but that is it. And when I have seen three posts, I just skip the rest.
Yes, this exactly. Interviews are a ton of work and get some of the lowest traffic for my blog. And I feel more pressure to get more traffic on posts that are part of a tour. But, I don't mind them on other people's blogs.
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