After you write the story of your heart and go through the painful process of editing... wait it's not always painful...just sometimes...editors do try to be kind. Anyway, the next step is publication, then after that begins another painful process- promotion. Wait... that's not always painful either...just sometimes...when you'd rather be writing. Regardless, promoting is important and this year, actually starting last September, I have been trying virtual promoting over the traditional signing events, etc. I have done a number of those and enjoy them, but circumstances have limited my ability to be out on the road a lot, so I have been out on the Internet. I have been doing tours, guest blogging and a lot of other networking on the Internet, as well as doing some Internet radio. And I found a great site: The Authors Show where I am going to be a guest on Friday, May 29. This is not a plea for everyone to run over there to listen, although that would great, it is a plug...

There are similarities and differences with respect to writing for a blog tour and writing a book. In this article I will examine four aspects of writing and how they apply similarly or dissimilarly to writing tour posts and books. 1. Planning the Content. Tour stops are like chapters in a book. A book with chapter after chapter of the same content would be pretty boring, would it not? After two or three chapters, you would put the book down and figure the author was going nowhere with this story. Same with a virtual tour. Each chapter should have its own story within the larger story. At the same time the whole story and all its chapters should be cohesive. One stop should lead you with interest to the next. Nothing is worse than a month-long dirge of same old same old “Interview with the Author,” or “Meet the Author” posts. I’m sorry, but I don’t need to read for the umpteenth time what your favorite color is or what your five pets’ names are. Maybe give me that information in ONE of...