Hi Reader,

If you read my last email, you know I've been sharing advice from my recent speaking engagement about book marketing at the AWP Conference in Baltimore. One topic the moderator mentioned is book tours, but naturally I got so carried away that I didn't address it. So let's talk about book tours!

The truth about book tours

Book tours do not sell books, or at least not enough books to justify the amount of money it costs to do a book tour. But you should still consider doing one, if you can.

Surely you must be thinking, that doesn't make any sense! But I can explain....

The real reason publishers pay for book tours

Publishers know that book tours are not an efficient way to sell books, yet they continue to fund book tours. They aren't being idealistic or foolish, these are pros who are highly-focused on the bottom line. So why do book publicists still go to the trouble to book hotels and expensive flights for book tours if they don't sell books?

The answer is simple: a book tour is not about selling books. It is a publicity stunt. You probably know that if you are planning a signing you should alert the local media. Authors think this is so that more people will attend the signing. Publishers want that too, but the priorities are backwards. We don't contact the media because there is a signing. We have the signing as an excuse to contact the media.

One problem with book publicity is that once a book is out, it lacks urgency. A journalist who is vaguely interested in your story is more likely to respond to a different pitch because that has to be responded to this week. Whereas, your offer of a review copy can be delayed indefinitely.

Whereas, an author on a book tour is going to be in town for a very limited time. In that short window, the producer can have you live in their studio, with higher production values. A writer can interview you face to face. You can demo your new cooking book live on their national show. If they are interested, the media knows they have to grab you before you take off for the next stop.

The urgency of the matter gives the book publicist a legitimate reason to follow up. No one likes to send or receive a generic follow up email that repeats the initial offer. But if the author is only going to be in town for a brief window, then it is entirely reasonable to follow up with the media contact in a way that might otherwise be perceived as pushy. The publicist has a genuine need to know.

Additionally, because they are expensive book tours have a bit of cachet. It's a subtle marker of quality because it indicates significant time and energy is being invested in the success of this book. The journalist can surmise that if such effort has gone into the PR, then the book's production has likely had several rounds of edits. The longer the tour, the more impressive the book appears.

The event itself is an excuse to contact members of the media. The urgency and the cachet combine to make it far more likely that such outreach will be successful. At best, a book signing seldom brings out more than 40-50 people, only a fraction of whom by the book. But if the book is featured on a podcast, TV show, or magazine that reaches thousands of people, that can result in a big sales boost. Achieve this in city after city, and you might even get a bestseller.

That's why publishers still pay for book tours.

What's better than a book tour?

Can't afford to launch a book tour? I can tell you several ways to get the same benefits. But I try to keep these emails brief so I'll cover that in the next one.

I'm going to be on another panel this Friday, at the Publishing Professional Conference in Oakland.

I love this conference! It's just a single day, but packed full of good info and people who make their living making the books we love.

Sincerely,

Karma Bennett
​WordPressBlogsForWriters.com​
​KarmaBennett.com​

Feel free to respond directly to me. Part of why I do this is to keep in touch! If your response is also useful for others, I may share it on social. I am most active on BlueSky if you want to chat.

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