Blogging Tip #5

If you're on Facebook and Twitter to promote your writing, you should sign up at Networked Blogs so that your posts automatically feed through to both sites when you publish a new blog post. Those are two fewer promotion steps you'll need to take, and this is one convenience tip of which I heartily approve. Just be careful you don't accidentally hit the publish button too soon. It'll appear on Twitter and Facebook almost immediately, but not the second time it's re-scheduled. Try to place your networked blogs widget pretty high in the sidebar, too, but below those in earlier tips.

Blogging Tip #4

I like to include a bookmark/share button like the one at right from Add This, the most popular free bookmarking service today. Even though many blogging platforms include share links in each post, a button like this gives your reader more options to share your posts with others.

Blogging Tip #3

Be sure you add the widget that allows you to have visible followers like the one at right. Not only is it a good way for your fans to know when you've posted, it makes you look popular when you have lots of followers and that will bring you more followers! This widget should be placed below your Facebook and Twitter connects, but quite high in the sidebar where readers can easily find it.

Blogging Tip #2

Everyone is connecting on Facebook and Twitter these days. Be sure to have your links high up in the sidebar. It doesn't have to be anything fancy. It just has to be quick and easy.

Blogging Tip #1

It's easier for your readers if your blog title is the same as your URL. So Blog Book Tours is easy to find at http://blogbooktours.blogspot.com without too much need to memorize anything. Make it easy for your fans!

The Tale of Oat Cake Crag

Have you read any of the Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter? The Tale of Oat Cake Crag is the seventh in this series. Susan Wittig Albert kicked off her week-long blog book tour yesterday at Straight From Hel (you can still sign up for the drawing until noon). Today we’ll give you an overview of the rest of the week’s visits as well as some insights about how the tour was planned.

Susan’s fans will be following this tour and signing up for a book drawing each day, and also to be eligible for the grand prize if they sign in at each blog daily.

But they are not the only followers of this blog book tour. When Susan wrote her posts for each blog, she also considered any new readers and what their interests might be. On this blog, a post about the various aspects of a blog book tour would be appropriate. That’s what you’re reading right now. Here are some clues about what to expect on upcoming blogs:

Tomorrow (Wednesday), Susan visits The Blood-Red Pencil where the editors daily discuss all the many aspects of writing. So the post was crafted to explain the unusual Victorian narrative voice that the author employs in these Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter. It’s quite an intriguing concept, especially to the many writers who are fans of this blog.

Thursday, Lorna Barrett hosts the tour stop with her regular feature, Pet Peeves Thurday and you can bet Beatrix and her friends have a pet peeve in this seventh book in the series. Find out about it here and be sure to tell us your pet peeve.

On Friday, the Cozy Chicks host the final tour stop and you’ll learn that cozy mysteries (and their protagonists) might be a lot stronger than their cozy reputations lead us to believe. Beatrix Potter enchanted children with her delightful writing and illustrations, but she made history in another way, too. You can find out how by visiting the Cozy Chicks blog.

Do you have questions for Susan about writing a mystery series with a real-life heroine in the starring role? Please leave them here and she’ll be sure to answer them sometime today.

And don’t forget to sign up for the drawing to win an autographed copy of Oat Cake Crag by visiting the drawing page at http://cottagetales.com/blogtour/drawing_0914.php.


Check out the grand prize if you sign up for all five stops.

To buy a copy of the book, click here.

You can visit Susan at her Lifescapes blog for ongoing news about her books and life in the Texas Hill Country. Be sure to visit her often.

Congratulations to Betty S of Seabrook TX, who won Tuesday's BBT blog drawing! And if you haven't entered yet, today's drawing http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com  will be open through Thursday noon.

Next class starts soon

The next blog book tours class starts the day after Labor Day. Cost is $30. Sign up at our Yahoo!Group classroom. Expect to work hard and learn lots!