I Didn’t Know Hosting Tours Was So Exclusive Now.
This is more for my fellow bloggers than blog readers.
I have seen that every other “popular” blogger is starting up a blog tour company. That’s great for them, if there’s a market for it. But as a blogger who HOSTS these tour stops, I have to say I have been extremely bothered by the idea that I have to be CHOSEN to be on the tours I sign up for. I’m very organized with the way I add blog stops
to my calendar. When I sign up for a tour, I immediately add that to the calendar on the date I chose, so as not to double book. But it is extremely irritating when I block off a date, then learn I wasn’t CHOSEN to host on that tour. It means I had to turn down other tours I could have been on, because I didn’t want to make myself too busy. It also makes me feel like I’m not good enough as a blogger, and that I’m not part of the “popular clique” which seems to only choose their bloggy friends to host.
I have been blogging for over a year, and NEVER missed a scheduled tour stop or a deadline for reviewing a book. Though, it seems most book blogs gain a lot of their followers through giveaways, I’d rather my blog stand for promoting books rather than giving them away.
I understand that authors want their books to get the most exposure possible, but there has to be a better way to do things. Just my thoughts for the day.
Posted on November 4, 2012, in misc.. Bookmark the permalink. 9 Comments.
Sweet Southern Home 
So being one who is new to blog hopping or tours and such, what are steps required to be a good stop on one of these things?
A good way to start is to sign up with touring companies that you know will let you post content. Bewitching Book Tours is a great one, as well as Crossroads Reviews and Tours. Once you sign up, don’t miss your scheduled posting date! Once you do that, you will start to get better and better books to promote on your blog! Though I personally like promoting indies 🙂
Thanks, I’ll look into it!
I feel ya. One please I tour with does this. Which is one reason I don’t do this with my company!! All tours can have the max amount of hosts so right now that would be like 70 stops. I NEVER not take someone who wants to post for a tour. Even if all they want to post is a promo. Every stop helps.
I know what you mean. I hate that too. I try not to deal with blog tours that do that because my blog is still growing and they usually don’t chose my blog anyway.
I’m a member of a blog like that and I never get chosen.It looks like the same people each time, so now when I get the emails about new tours with them, I’m like what’s the point.
I’ve been noticing the same thing. In fact, it feels like blogging in general is becoming a popularity contest lately. I’ve been blogging for about two years and have a fair following, but it’s taken me forever to get to where I am because I don’t host many giveaways. I think I post good content, I post regularly, and people seem to enjoy my content, but then I see blogs that have nothing BUT giveaways and they have thousands of followers and get picked for tours and are well known around the internet. I feel like I’m back in high school! I’ve just sort of made up my mind to keep doing what I’ve been doing – work hard, read books I love, review them, host events, have bookish discussions, and just stay out of the drama.
i’m really new to blog tours and hosting tour stops. All the touring companies I’ve worked with so far and most of them have approached me, so I haven’t been rejected directly or anything. I’ve never had to be chosen for a tour date, thankfully.
As a reader, not a blogger, I can tell you that I kind of prefer the blogs that have fewer tours and more actual content. I have a separate email address where I have my blog subscriptions go so that my phone isn’t constantly buzzing when I get updates and it is actually frustrating to me when I see a bunch of emails and they are mostly hosted giveaways or book blasts or whatever they are called.
I like reading blogs because bloggers read the books and then tell you what they think, the other stuff is sometimes fun, but I am at the point where (if I am busy or just frustrated) I will automatically delete an email if it is a blog tour. Especially since the bloggers have often not even read the book they are promoting.
I understand doing the tour if it is a book you really care about, and it is easy to see the difference in a post where the blogger wanted to be part of the tour versus one that has a giveaway attached, or that they just signed up for whatever reason