Blog Tour Kick-off For What Does It Mean To Be Present?

By Rana DiOrio, Founder, Little Pickle Press
July 25, 2010

What in the world is a blog book tour?

For those of us who are digital immigrants (vs. digital natives) and who may still maintain a paper calendar, even though we have a PDA and a computer, I wanted to explain a marketing phenomenon that is gaining momentum—a blog book tour. A blog book tour, or virtual book tour, is when an author goes from blog to blog (rather than from store to store as they would on a traditional book tour) to promote a new book. Depending on the author and the blog, coverage may consist of any of the following: book review, Q&A (either posted or live), or book giveaway. Blog tours, like traditional bookstore tours, feature a designated number of “stops,” and can roll out over the course of a week or a month. If you are curious to learn more about blog book tours, by all means follow the Yoda of the topic on Twitter @blogbooktours and take a look at http://quickest.blogbooktourguide.ever.com/ or http://yodiwan.wordpress.com/2009/06/11/whats-a-book-blog-tour/.

What are the advantages to a blog book tour vs. a traditional book tour?

Both the author and the audience get to learn new things from the comfort of their homes in a cost-effective and environmentally-friendly manner. The “tour” lives on forever, so the information is accessible at a later time for other purposes, and it affords the author and the audience the opportunity to plug into communities that matter to them. A win-win for the author and you, the audience.

What is What Does It Mean To Be Present? about?

The book is a refreshing, vibrant picture book that engages all of the senses to demonstrate the myriad of ways a child can seize the moment. The story sparks meaningful discussions about the important gift of appreciation, giving children and adults alike the opportunity to live more fully and richly.

Where are the blog “stops?”

The first week of the blog tour we will be hosted graciously by the following blogs:

• Monday, July 26th - The Smart Mama

• Tuesday, July 27th - The Blood-Red Pencil

• Wednesday, July 28th - Be Well Together and EcoMom

• Thursday, July 29th - The Hippy Mom

• Friday, July 30th - Country Fried Mama

• Monday, August 2nd - Starlight 365

• Tuesday, August 3rd - Walking Nature Home

• Wednesday, August 4th - One Significant Moment at a Time

• Thursday, August 5th - It's Not All Flowers and Sausages

• Friday, August 6th - Book Journey

There are more stops to come in Week 2, so please stay current at http://littlepicklepress.blogspot.com/p/our-blog-tour.html. Special thanks to our blog hosts and to Dani Greer, our masterful chaperone for this tour. If you have interest in participating, please contact her at http://blogbooktours.blogspot.com/.

Very importantly, what’s in it for you?

Here’s why we encourage you to pay attention to our tour:

• You get to learn a lot more about this terrific book, its award-winning publisher and author, and its fabulously-talented illustrator;
• You will be exposed to new blog communities that may pique your interest and/or become terrific resources for you;
• You will have access to special promotions along the way, so you will be in a position to save on some back-to-school, birthday, or holiday shopping; and
• You will have the opportunity to participate in the Grand Prize Giveway.

What is the Grand Prize Giveaway?

We are asking you to please sign up to receive our monthly eNewsletter and to tell us what you think the next book in our What Does It Mean To Be . . . ?™ Series ought to be. The winner will get all three books in the series, all four of our TerraSkin® posters, and a Dabba Walla backpack!
Please click here to enter to win!


Thank you for your interest in our blog book tour and for your valuable feedback about what we ought to write about next.