Whether you self-publishing your book via print-on-demand, sign on with a subsidy publisher, or accept an offer from a traditional publishing house, it is important to keep in mind that the responsibility for getting out and promoting your book is yours. No one is as good a sales person for your creative product as you, and no one has as much at stake or to gain from it as you. A major aspect of book promotion in traditional houses for top-selling authors has been the book tour. This event normally took place during a given timeframe, usually right after the book was released and right before the official publication date, so as to create as much buzz as possible for the book in a concentrated manner and time. Usually the book tour consisted of traveling in a specific region of the country doing book signings, media interviews, library lectures, etc.

But the economy and the fragile state of traditional publishing has made such activities rare luxuries for all except the very best-selling authors publishers can count on as predictable winners. Luckily the Internet provides all authors with an inexpensive and effective alternative: the virtual book tour.

When participating in a virtual tour, you will be relating to a blogger or more precisely bloggers. That means you need to find several blogs with a target audience that is the same as that of your book. Once you have researched many book and subject blogs, contact a person writing a blog that seems a natural fit to you and let them know your vision of interacting with their blog. You may be able to arrange for an online interview, or you may be able to post your own. Depending upon the kind of blog, the blogger may be willing to do a review of your book. All these are excellent opportunities to connect directly with the people who may be most interested in reading your book.

Remember while contacting blog writers to arrange for the reviews, interviews, and posting to coincide as much as possible by date for the greatest impact. Virtual tours cost virtually no money and present wonderful promotional opportunities for authors. If you plan to arrange one, be sure to notify your publisher who may be able to help or coordinate other efforts to take place at the same time. Good luck.