Article by Laura Fabiani

The explosion of book blogs on the Web has led to the formation of virtual book tour companies, a business that was non-existent ten years ago. When publishers got on the bandwagon by getting their titles on tour with these companies, the reputation of book bloggers transformed from the simple diary of a book lover to a book marketing platform for authors and publishers.

So how do authors get their books on these savvy book blogs? It’s not as easy as it used to be as more and more book bloggers get inundated (and I do not use that word lightly) with book review requests. To bypass having your pitch ignored or even deleted, you can buy the services of a virtual book tour company who has access to these experienced bloggers. Which one is the right tour company for your book? Here are some pointers to steer you in the right direction:

Article by Laura Fabiani

When I tell people I’m a virtual book tour coordinator, I usually get a blank look, followed by a slight frown as they try to figure out exactly what it is that I do. A few years back, authors may have had the same reaction, but not today. If you’re an author, you know how important online publicity is. Getting your book noticed on the World Wide Web through virtual book tours will get you exposure faster than if your local bookstore stocks your book.

Why is that? Because tour companies target book bloggers from all over the country who read and review your genre. They know how to get your book in the hands of avid readers who spend hours (and I mean hours!) telling others on their blogs what they’re reading and why.

In the last six years virtual book tour companies have been gaining popularity in offering what is now considered one of the best promotional tools for authors. Here are 5 reasons traditional and small press publishers, along with self-published authors are choosing professional tour companies to promote their books: