Virtual Book Tour Option Helps Self-Publishing Authors Jump Start Marketing Efforts in the New Year

Feb. 8, 2011 - PRLog -- Outskirts Press, the fastest growing self-publishing and book marketing company, today announced their new Virtual Book Tour Option as a way for authors to harness the power of social networking and the blogosphere to promote their books.   Outskirts Press published authors can take advantage of this efficient and cost effective virtual book tour to reach new audiences and new readers for their books with minimal effort.

Rather than packing the trunk with their books and trudging across the country from bookstore to bookstore and radio show to radio show, Outskirts Press authors will make their appearances in the blogosphere and on social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and YouTube, to name just a few of their virtual tour cyber-stops. Unlike a physical tour, which ends the moment an author closes the bookstore door or switches off the microphone, a virtual tour lasts forever because an author’s appearances stay permanently archived and are therefore always available for internet searches.

“Authors participating in our Virtual Book Tour will also receive a special Spotlight Appearance on our Outskirts Press blog,” announced Outskirts Press Director of Author Support Kelly Schuknecht, “as well as have their own Book Tour Video uploaded for viewing on the popular Outskirts Press YouTube channel.”

After Outskirts Press announces each Virtual Book Tour to the blogosphere, Outskirts Press then forwards every inquiry they receive in response to each author appearance.  Outskirts Press also registers their Virtual Book Tour authors with a clipping service so that they’ll receive an immediate notification each time their book title appears on the Internet.  Authors will then know to re-visit that site immediately so they can participate in the comments that have resulted from their appearance.

To streamline the entire Virtual Tour process and to make it as effortless as possible for their authors, Outskirts Press provides each participant with a Virtual Book Tour Packet.  The handy kit includes all of the materials an author needs to follow up with bloggers quickly and easily and schedule future “appearances” with them.  In most cases, that appearance would include a book review, an author interview or both.  

About Outskirts Press: Outskirts Press offers high-quality, full-service self-publishing and book marketing services for writers and professionals who are seeking a cost-effective, fast, and flexible way to publish and distribute their books worldwide while retaining 100% of their rights, 100% of their profits, and 100% of the creative control. www.outskirtspress.com.