My friend SJ Rozan posted an interesting explanation on her blog about how book tours work. The idea is you’re sent to cities where you’re popular to jolt the sales even more… or to cities where you’re not, to create a jolt where you haven’t gotten one before. Or you’re sent to a particular city because other authors on the publisher’s list will be there at the same time… or because a bookstore requested you… or because…well, just because. In other words, she can be sent anywhere and doesn’t have much of a say over where she goes. But, she writes, there are some authors who do…
The exception to this is authors like Lawrence Block, who works out deals with his publisher where he takes the tour budget, rents a car, books the tour himself, marathon drives and does about three times as many cities as they would have sent him to. You can only do that if you have a certain amount of clout and the soul of a long-haul truck driver. I also understand that Stuart Woods pilots his own small jet on tour, and won’t go to cities where he can’t land. This may be an urban legend, though.
Yep,Yep, yep,
I’m glad that I’m here in Los Angeles. I probably get to see more authors than most other readers in other parts. Only problem, the credit cards take a beating too.
However, it has been a while for Rozan. I’m hoping for a little one-on one basketball time too.
Speaking of tours, how was Rossmore(sp?)
Disregard the Rossmore question, I now see it below. Maybe The next time I will read all the posts first.
And here I thought all authors pretty much had to set up their own tours.