DIY Blog Tour: Making the Cut
Once you've got a good list going, it's time to narrow it down to something more manageable. You want to do this as quickly as possible while keeping an eye on quality.
The best way to see if a blog is a good match for you is to read the most recent ten reviews. You'd be surprised at how much information you can gathers in those few minutes.
Check to see if any of them are your genre. Lots of reviewers say they are open to a wide range of genres, but when you look at the books they actually review, they tend to stick with a slim selection. Make sure your book falls into a genre that's actually being read and reviewed on the site.
How is the quality of the review. Does the blogger give the back cover blurb and rating without any commentary? Do they give way too much commentary with irrelevant information include? Do they include spoilers in their reviews? Do they seem overly harsh or do they give everyone 5-stars? Do they use an attractive format and follow basic grammar rules?
Who is commenting on the reviews? This one is hard, because even sites that generate a good amount of traffic don't always have lots of comments. But if they do, see who is commenting. If their only viewers are other writers this might not be the best place to market your work.
Do they cross post? It might be difficult to tell, but search the side bar for links to other accounts such as Goodreads or Library Thing. Chances are, if they are pointing visitors to these accounts, they cross post their reviews on multiple sites and that's a good thing for you.
How often do they post? If those ten reviews are spread out over 6 months, this site is not likely pulling in the kind of readership you are looking for. Not that smaller blogs can't be a great resource, but someone who posts so infrequently isn't taking their reviews seriously and is unlikely to take you serious.
Use these tips and a good dose of common sense to narrow down your list. When you are done, you probably want to have a solid list of around 30-50 bloggers. This may seem like a lot, but remember, you haven't asked anyone to participate yet. That's coming up soon.
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