planning a virtual book tour

I’ve been learning much from D’vorah Lansky during the past 4 weeks in her 30-day Book Marketing Challenge. Although I haven’t had time to properly digest all the material, the one thing that has really motivated me in the course material, is to plan a virtual book tour for my chocolate travel book, “Chocolatour: A Quest for the World’s Best Chocolate.”

D’Vorah has suggested that I find blogs that have a complementary audience to mine and approach them with hope that a guest post, offer of an interview by Q&A, or live interview via audio or video be offered during the course of the pre-determined dates of the virtual book tour.

I’ve begun this process and have received some positive responses. I’ll have to put more effort into moving forward with the project after I’d reread D’Vorah’s book, “21 Ways to Launch a Successful Virtual Book Tour.”

If your blog’s audience meets any of the following criteria:

  • loves to read about books and authors
  • supports independent publishing
  • loves fine food and culinary delights
  • is enthusiastic about the pleasures and creativity of artisanal chocolate
  • is interested in travel and culture
  • is excited about the health benefits of power foods such as pure dark chocolate …

I think they would be interested in Chocolatour. Please get in touch with me and let me know if you’d like to collaborate with me on this exciting venture.

I will prepare customized content to meet the unique interests of your audience.

I have a substantial following on Twitter and other social media platforms and will be happy to cross-promote the event so that it is a win-win for all concerned.

Here’s looking forward to hearing from you, and to a fruitful collaboration!

Doreen Pendgracs

Known throughout the Web as the "Wizard of Words", I've been a freelance writer since 1993. I researched and wrote Volume I of Chocolatour that won a Readers' favourite Award in 2014. Always enjoy experiencing new destinations and flavours.

56 Responses

  1. I would love to host you on my blog, Doreen. Who doesn’t love chocolate and books?

    I love the idea of your quest for finding the world’s best chocolate – what an adventure!

    Thanks for reading,

    Sarah Butland
    author of Arm Farm, Brain Tales and Blood Day

  2. An update to everyone who was interested in this post: I’ve got the hosts for my virtual book tour lined up and we’re ready to begin on June 23rd. Please see this post for details: chocolatouring-virtual-book-tour/.

  3. alison says:

    Doreen-it’s great to read about how you are going to market the book. I wish you the best of luck and think there is a spot on my blog to feature you on a new column I will be introducing. Please remind me if you don’t hear from me about it!

  4. I enjoy reading about your book and your never-ending energy in writing and marketing it. Fun to follow along on this adventure.

  5. In our virtual worlds (which is ever increasing!) having a virtual book launch is a brilliant way to extend your reach so as to meet your reader –
    I love that you’re putting out the call to suitable niches, as you’re so right – the production of the product itself becomes an increasingly small part of its success when faced with getting it out to its market!

  6. Jan says:

    Hi Doreen! You had me with the words ‘dark chocolate.’ Yes, I love the stuff and indulge almost daily. Have spent a lot of time on your site and quite enjoy it. Have signed on for updates. As my audience is Boomer women – we may be able to put our heads together for future joint projects. I look forward to connecting with you later. I have a friend in England who is a nutritionist. You may want to partner with him on a project in the future. So many possibilities! Cheers!

  7. Your virtual book tour sounds like a great idea and awesome way to promote your book. I wish you much success!

  8. Michelle says:

    I bet you’ve already thought of all this, but what about all the health and Yoga resorts in Hawaii especially at the 5 star hotels that have health programs? Having spent a month at Yoga Oasis on the Big Island of Hawaii to receive my Yoga certification, I know they are always looking for healthy AND good tasting food. I would have paid a lot for a sliver of chocolate after detoxing from all sugar, (and anything that tasted good), for a month. Good luck!

    • Hi Michelle and thanks for your suggestion. Yes, I have some partnerships in the works, and have your theory in kind. I’ve already been to several spas who ARE offering pure chocolate as an on-site diversion. Although my focus is more on artisanal chocolate versus pure raw chocolate, both can be healthy as long as the sugar and additives are limited. I should look into the Yoga Oasis as I’ve found the Big Island to be extremely chocolate-friendly!

  9. Have fun on your VBT! Sounds like you will do well. Does Prayer and Chocolate go together? Why not? Lol!

    • Hi Kate, and welcome to the blog. Let’s put it this way: I pray I’ll never run out of good chocolate, so I do indeed believe chocolate pairs nicely with everything – including prayer. 🙂

  10. A virtual book tour sounds like a winning idea to reach out to your potential audience. With a subject like chocolate and your marketing strategy you’re sure to have a winner!

  11. I think virtual book tours are an interesting modern book promotion concept. I’d be very interested in hearing about how the process works for you. Maybe a topic of one of your future posts? In the meantime, good luck.

    • Hi Donna: Yes, with shrinking budgets, “virtual” book tours are the new way to go with book promotions. It gives the author the opportunity to meet and engage with the audiences of different bloggers. Think of it in the same terms as the “house concerts” that have become so popular in the past few years where performers come to play in someone’s house or private venue. You have the opportunity to really engage with the audience, and the performer sells their CD’s onsite. I’ll do that with my book, offering a special price to those who purchase my book as a result of a book tour visit. It should be fun! And yes, I will do a blog post to share my experiences as I always do. Cheers!

  12. We love guest posts- if you want to write about chocolate for Santa Fe Travelers- we’d love to have a post.

  13. I’m sure your two books will achieve much success on a topic that everyone loves. You have proved that there are so many different subjects to write about and so much to say. You and chocolate have so much to share, keep up the great work.

  14. Doreen, as you know, I had the good fortune to meet you (and Suzanne Boles) in Honolulu, to hear you speak (about chocolate, of course) and to buy an autographed copy of your book. I need to get up to speed on doing virtual interviews (probably email Q and A’s). If I get my act together, you will be one of the first on my list!

    • That would be wonderful, Suzanne! I’d like to schedule the VBT for June 23-30, so if you could upload something to your site during that week, I’d really appreciate. You know me! I love to talk, so we could do a Q&A by phone (just let me know what number to call) or we could do it by e-mail. Thanks, as always, for your friendship and support. It means so very much to me. 🙂

  15. noel says:

    Promotion is another world on its own once you have completed something significant like this…good luck and I’m sure you’ll learn a lot about the marketing process Doreen.

    • Thanks for your comment, Noel. Yes, when we self-publish a book, our work has just begun! then comes marketing and promotion–equally as important, and just as taxing as the writing itself. That is the world into which I am now immersed.

  16. Hello Doreen, Your blog was an interesting read. What a great idea about a Chocolator. I used to multi-level market Xocia. This chocolate was incredible, cold pressed, raw and healthy. Perhaps you may find an Xocia MXI blogger.

    Feel free to sign up for my newsletter. There link in on the homepage of my website and you will receive a free report about realized wealth and well-being. http://www.jazzyeco.com

    Have a great day.

    • Thanks for your comment, Elizabeth. I have tried the Xocia chocolate, but must admit, I wasn’t overly impressed. But that was awhile ago, so maybe I should give it another try. If anyone out there is reading this and knows a Xocia rep, have them contact me.

      My research has primarily focused on small-batch artisanal chocolate, which is just so magnificent. It’s difficult for anything else to measure up to handcrafted chocolate. Cheers!

  17. Perfect! I shall definitely get a copy of the book because it will make me the shining star of everyone on the tour!! Guaranteed stardom…love it! thanks!

    • Yahoo! Thx so much, Peggy. I made Chocolatour of a portable nature, so that people could take it on trips with them. In fact, one of my readers wrote to say she kicked herself as she’d forgotten to take it along and missed some of the great chocolate shops I’d mentioned for Vancouver. Cheers, and enjoy your chocolate travels …

  18. I think it is delightful that so many of us are interested in a virtual book tour. I had written a cookbook to release as an e-book during the challenge but my publisher tells me it doesn’t go along with my book (Obviously he didn’t read it because Elle’s mom is always in the kitchen cooking up wonderful things in my book!) All you have to do is use the word chocolate and I will forever be a devoted follower! Nervous about finding chocolate in England, Ireland and Scotland this fall…I have visions of sausages and potatoes. I’ll skip the meal any day for a good dessert!! Thanks for a wonderful vision as I approach the end of this blog hop!!

    • Thanks so much for your comment, Peggy! I have a hefty chapter in my book about the wonderful chocolate of the UK. I hope you’ll consider taking a copy of Chocolatour along with you on your trip. Details at https://chocolatour.net. It’s also on Amazon.

      If the book is not in your budget, there are plenty of free posts about chocolate in the UK at https://chocolatour.net. Have fun and enjoy!

  19. Doreen, who isn’t interested in chocolate? I can only imagine how much fun you’ll have on your virtual book tour! Please keep us posted so we can follow along, and help to promote your book.

    • Thanks so much, D’vorah! I really appreciate the offer. And thanks again for the marvellous course. You know you’ve really hit the mark when you receive as much positive feedback as you have rec’d.

  20. Hi Doreen,
    Congrats on getting going so quickly. I’m impressed. I have spent the past 5 weeks just trying to keep afloat! Now to put thing into practice, and yes, a virtual book tour is one of my priorities.
    Do hope all goes well for you. Let me know how it works out? You can find me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/shirley.m.corder. Leave a comment so I know to ‘like’ you back!

    • Hi Shirley and thanks for your comment and encouragement.

      I have indeed now ‘liked’ your FB author’s page. But I liked it via my personal account, as I’ve been told that likes via a professional page don’t count. You’ll find my author’s page at https://www.facebook.com/Doreen.Pendgracs.author.

      Cheers, and best wishes.

      • Thank you for the visit to my FB author page Doreen. I have returned the complement. And yes, you’re right. This was one of the MANY things I learned this month – how to ‘like’ authors’ pages from our personal accounts.

        Blessings!

  21. Woo hoo! Congrats on building your VBT! That was my biggest takeaway, too. Scary but exciting, right? Best of luck with your tour and your book!

  22. How exciting! It looks like you are well on your way. Good luck with your book tour.

  23. Doreen~ I love how you have operationalized what we have learned to make it work for you ..and how you are stretching beyond what you have known before.. am sure you will get some great responses!

    • Thanks, Christine. Yes, the Book Marketing Challenge really did make us stretch past what we normally might think of doing. I’ve fallen behind on my marketing efforts, and I think the idea of a Virtual Book Tour will help me reach readers with whom I’ve not yet connected.

  24. A.K.Andrew says:

    You’re really tackling this book marketing by the horns doreen. Good for you. Drop me a line and let’s see if you think my blog would be a good fit and what I would need to do. As you know my focus is fiction but certainly I do focus on authors. Either way you have my admiration for this venture that’s for sure.

    • Thanks so much, A.K. As we were teamed up on the Writer’s Process Blog Hop just recently, your readers are likely already aware of me and my book. But thank you so much for the offer! I will try and line up some stops on the virtual book tour where the readers will be completely new to Chocolatour. Thx again for your friendship and support.

  25. Debbie says:

    Wishing you all the best with your chocolate travel book tour.

  26. A virtual book tour sounds like a delicious idea for you, Doreen. Best wishes!

  27. I see that we chose a similar topic, Doreen, and I’m interested in how differently we approached it. Thanks! Now, I want some chocolate!

    From the BMC Blog Hop! When I can, if you put up your FB series or author page, I LIKED yours and would appreciate a reciprocation: https://www.facebook.com/TheSpannersSeriesbySallyEmber or a FOLLOW: http://www.sallyember.com Best to you!

    Sally

  28. Doreen, as a big chocolate lover, I see your book as a wonderful and magical adventure! YUMMMM! Sorry to think that my blog is not about these pleasant topics 🙁 Good luck with your tour, I’m absolutely positive, a lot of people will love to have you and to read you!

  29. Yum, your book sound good! What fun to travel and eat your way through the worlds chocolate!!! I would think that many other food focused sites would welcome you!

    • Thanks for your comment, Kathryn. Chocolatour will hopefully appeal to anyone who enjoys culinary travel as well, as my goal is to establish chocolate travel as the new niche. Thx for stopping by.

  30. Thanks for your comment, Kathryn. The first volume of Chocolatour was published last fall, and I’m now researching volume II while trying to market volume I. It is indeed a massive task I’ve given myself! I’ll drop by and visit your blog as well.

  31. Kathryn says:

    Hi Doreen,

    I’m hopping by via the D’vorah’s blog hop! Yes, the time involved in marketing is outstanding. Can’t we just write our books! However, with things like D’vorah’s challenge and tour it makes it a little easier to get out and do these things.

    Good luck on your book!

    I can be found at: http://www.kathrynvwhite.com/blog/easy-ways-to-market-your-books

    Cheers!

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