The New York Times and every-other-author-with-a-brain is stealing my less than original thunder. It seems everyone who is no one has taken to blogging and online book tours to promote their slice of the literary kingdom. I’m fairly certain the New York Times’ Kara Jesella was quoting my publisher’s marketing mantra when she wrote “[i]n an age of budget-conscious publishers and readers who are as likely to discover books from a Google search as from browsing at a bookstore, the blog book tour makes sense. Although a few high-profile authors have had their books sent to bloggers — James Patterson recently promoted a young-adult book this way — most of the authors are lesser-known and less likely to be reviewed in the mainstream press.” And sweetie, I am here to tell you, even if you are reviewed, it’s not always pretty. But I digress.
Blogging master, Jason Kottke, has an insightful article on the Origins of Virtual Book Tours that shows author ingenuity and publisher-driven-madness as far back as 2000. Now there are literally hundreds of sites, such as Authors Blogs, Book Slut, Book Daddy, Book Tour, or Girlfriends’ Cyber Circuit, just for starters. So what’s left for a girl that hates following the mainstream? At this point, I’m thinking original advertising would require a N’Sync Reunion Tour live from the Moon with all the members wearing Growing Up Moffett t-shirts. Maybe Lance could get his rocket ride then.
Alas, as I don’t see the reunion tour happening this side of Justin, it’s looking like I’m going to have to take that mud wrestling debacle on a virtual tour. Other suggestions are appreciated. Just keep them remotely clean. I’ve got a thirteen year old sister who reads this and still thinks I’m decent.
