Do Virtual Tours Really Help?

I'm happy to say the World of Ink Author/Book Tours that we started at Stories for Children Publishing have been pretty successful. We did two in December and now we have one going on this month as well. Both authors in the Dec. 2010 World of Ink Tours said they had a lot of traffic to their sites, sold a few books and felt they really made a dent in their online presence/social networking.

For those who have been wondering if virtual tours help or not, I have to say they do help. But they are only one tool in your marketing plan. I also did a virtual tour last month for my picture book "Babysitting Sugarpaw". I sold a few copies, did a couple of giveaways on mommy blogs, but what I noticed was the traffic to my author site and the emails from schools for visits increased by 15%!

That was really nice. I'm currently lining up some visits for the Spring, so I'll have to let you know how those turn out later.

Anyway, if you would like to follow a virtual tour to see what they are about here is a blurb on the one I currently have going on through Stories for Children Publishing.

Cheryl Malandrinos is a freelance writer and editor. A regular contributor for Writer2Writer, her articles focus on increasing productivity through time management and organization. A founding member of Musing Our Children, Ms. Malandrinos is also Editor in Chief of the group’s quarterly newsletter, Pages & Pens.

Cheryl is a Tour Coordinator for Pump Up Your Book, a book reviewer, and blogger. Little Shepherd is her first children’s book. Ms. Malandrinos lives in Western Massachusetts with her husband and two young daughters. She also has a son who is married.

Jan. 2011 World of Ink Tour Guest Cheryl Malandrinos is doing a virtual book tour of her children's picture book, "Little Shepherd". Learn more about Cheryl and her book at http://storiesforchildrenpublishing.com/CherylMalandrinos.aspx

You can find her tour schedule at the link above. If you do stop by, please leave a comment so we know you did.

I'll also keep you up to date on how the virtual author/book tours go with the World of Ink Tours along with my own trails and successes this year.

Also, don't forget every Wed. is our guest post and every Friday is an interview with others who are traveling down the road to publication. I'm planning to share some insight on the SFC Team this month so be sure to stop by so you can learn about those who help me behind the scenes of Stories for Children Publishing, LLC.

VBT-Guest Author Spotlight Donna McDine

Donna McDine is an award-winning children's author, Honorable Mention in the 77th and two Honorable Mentions in the 78 th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competitions. Her stories have been published in many print and online publications and her interest in American History resulted in writing and publishing The Golden Pathway. Donna has two more books under contract with Guardian Angel Publishing, The Hockey Agony and Powder Monkey . She writes, moms and is the Editor-in-Chief for Guardian Angel Kids and Publicist for the National Writing for Children Center from her home in the historical hamlet Tappan, NY. McDine is a member of the SCBWI and Musing Our Children. What excites you most about your book’s topic? Why did you choose it? The Underground Railroad was a pivotal time in American history, one that should never be repeated. It is my hope ...

Five Tips for a More Marketable Children’s Picture Book Manuscript by Mayra Calvani

The world of children’s picture book publishing is extremely competitive. If you’re an aspiring children’s author, you need to make sure your manuscript is in excellent shape and has all the elements editors and agents look for before you begin the submission process. Here are five tips to make your picture book manuscript more marketable: Start right with the problem. Many times beginner writers begin a picture book with back-story. It’s okay to have this back-story in the first draft, but be sure to get rid of it when you edit. Back-story is unnecessary 90% of the time and it only serves to slow down the beginning of a story, making it weaker. You want to grab the reader right from the start. So don’t be afraid to begin your story at the heart of the problem. It’s okay to set the stage with a sentence or two—but no more! Have a protagonist readers can relate to. Generally, children like to listen to stories about other children or animals with children’s characteristics. ...

Interview Friday with Author Donna McDine

Donna McDine is an award-winning children's author, Honorable Mention in the 77th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition and two Honorable Mentions in the 78 th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition. Donna’s stories and features have been published in many print and online publications, and her first book, The Golden Pathway , will be published through Guardian Angel Publishing as well as her second book, The Hockey Agony . Ms. McDine is a member of the SCBWI, Musing Our Children, and The National Writing for Children Center. VS: Donna, thank you for being my guest here on The Writing Mama today, we have worked together in the past at Stories for Children Publishing, however, I hear you have a picture storybook coming out this year and possibly another book in a year or two. Since working with Stories for Children Publishing and its many divisions, you seem to be even busier than before. What is it like being a writing parent with kids still in the house? Don...

VS Grenier ~ Award-Winning Author, Speaker & Podcaster

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