Your publisher may not have the budget for a book tour, but with a little money and a few contacts, you can easily set one up by yourself. Add some of the creativity you used in writing your book, and you just might have some fun as well.
How big a book tour you decide to launch depends on the resources at your disposal -- and this includes the amount of energy you have for socializing. If you love meeting new people and being at the center of attention, then you’ll enjoy a lengthy tour. If you're a more private person, then keep the scale small and depend more on online book promotion.
If you have lived in a number of cities (or have friends scattered around), start with these places. In promoting The Missing Person, Alix Ohlin arranged readings in cities where she had lived, and especially in the two that featured in the book: New York and Albuquerque. In choosing cities she was familiar with, she ensured that the venues were right for her work, and she had places to stay once she got there. After setting up her mini-tour, she let her publisher know, and they found some money to expand the tour and help with other expenses.
Even if you have few contacts and haven't spent time in many cities, make up for it with creativity. John Wray did a book tour on a raft, sailing down the Mississippi to promote Canaan's Tongue, much of which is set on the river. The outlandishness of the scheme got him extra press, including an article in the New York Times, and drummed up interest in the towns he stopped in. His mode of transportation gave people an excuse to talk to him -- and for him to talk about his book.
If expenses are an issue or you're on the shy side, consider joining forces with another writer. With two people, a road trip is more feasible (and more fun), and you'll have twice as many contacts to support you along the way. And that nightmare signing where no one shows up -- because of an unexpected storm or the big game you didn’t know about -- will be less painful if you have someone to laugh with.
A road trip tour allows you to venture into cities you'd never considered. "This is where the Internet is really amazing," Gary Mex Glazner writes in How to Make a Living as a Poet. "You can type the name of a town and 'poetry reading' into a search engine and in a matter of minutes you will get a list of poetry readings that have gotten press or been written about online. . . . At this point web sites like Tripmaker or Mapquest come in handy. You can look at cities in a certain range from your anchor reading and begin to identify other possible venues." The advantage of doing it this way, of course, is that these readings will have built-in audiences, lessening your chances of a nightmare reading.
If you've been based in one place for a while or can't leave home for any length of time, keep your tour within a certain radius of home and go out for signings or readings on the weekend. Local book promotion has certain advantages, too.
In any case, it's best to start at home, where you can pack the first venue with friends and loved ones -- the people who won't care if you stammer or mumble or read in a frantic monotone. And in farther flung cities, don't let your disappointment show if only a few people show up. Just use the opportunity to connect with the people who did.
Return to "Book Promotion for Creative Writers."