The following excerpt is from the Louderlines 28-Day Book Launch Programme. Day-by-day prompts to build your audience and a great book launch and all the tools you need. Try it free for 14 days.
A blog tour is the most structured form of the outreach work in this phase, and when it is run well, it is one of the most effective things you can do in the weeks surrounding your launch.
The concept is simple: over two to four weeks around your publication date, a series of bloggers, newsletter writers, and online creators each publish content featuring your book on a different day. Each post goes live on a pre-agreed schedule, creating a rolling wave of fresh coverage across the internet rather than a single burst that disappears in 24 hours.
What a blog tour stop can look like:
Not every stop needs to be a review. A mix of formats performs better than a string of identical reviews. Offer your tour hosts a menu of content options: an extract from the book, a guest essay on one of the book’s major themes, an author Q&A, a character interview, a “top ten” list tied to the book’s subject matter, a playlist you listened to while writing, or a cover reveal if the timing fits. The post that fits naturally into a host’s usual format will perform far better than one they have had to wrestle into shape.
The logistics:
Start booking your tour hosts six to eight weeks in advance. Once your outreach list is built, flag which contacts would make strong tour stops alongside your podcast and newsletter pitches. Send a dedicated blog tour invitation that explains the tour dates, the content options available, and exactly what you will provide: cover image, author photo, book summary, buy links, and whatever specific content they request.
Create a master schedule document, a simple spreadsheet works fine, listing every confirmed stop, their publication date, their URL, and the content format agreed. Share it with each host. Provide everything they need in a single email. A blogger who has to send three follow-up emails to get your assets will not volunteer for your next tour.
During the tour:
Share every single stop as it goes live. Post it to your social media, include it in your newsletter, and tag the host. This reciprocity matters. Hosts who see you amplifying their work become advocates. Hosts who feel like they were used and forgotten do not.
Keep a record of every stop with a live link. After the tour, you have a permanent bank of coverage to reference on your website’s press page and in future pitches.
Tools for coordinating blog tours:
- A spreadsheet or calendar
- Reedsy Discovery (reedsy.com/discovery), connects indie authors with professional reviewers
- The Write Reads (thewritereadsblog.wordpress.com), UK-based blog tour organiser for fiction
- Rachel’s Random Resources (rachelsrandomresources.com), one of the most active blog tour companies in the UK
- Goodreads groups (goodreads.com/group/search), search your genre to find communities with active reviewer members
Today, make a list.
Research at least 30 potential blog tour hosts. Look at who reviews books like yours, who interviews debut authors, who has an engaged comments section.
Open a spreadsheet. Create columns for: name, blog/podcast/newsletter, URL, audience size (rough guess is fine), contact info, and status.
Now fill it. You are looking for: book bloggers in your genre, podcasters who interview authors or discuss your book’s themes, newsletter writers whose audiences overlap with yours, fellow authors who might do a swap, and niche bloggers related to your book’s subject matter.
Do not just think “book world.” If your novel is set in a bakery, reach out to food bloggers. If it is about running, find fitness communities. Think laterally.
Aim for 30-50 names. You will not hear back from all of them, and that is completely normal.
Schedule them 2-4 weeks around your launch.
Do not just do interviews. Pitch different formats.
Create a graphic and schedule that you and each party can share.
Each day pitch 15 people for your blog tour.
Send personalised pitch emails to your top 15 blog tour prospects today. Not a template blast: personal, individual emails.
Here is the golden rule of pitching: make it about them, not you.
Do not send a mass email that screams, “I wrote a book, please promote it.” Instead, show that you have actually read their blog. Mention a specific post you enjoyed. Explain why your book would be a great fit for their audience specifically.
Offer options: a guest post on a topic their readers would love, an author interview (provide suggested questions), an excerpt from the book, or a giveaway for their readers.
Keep the email short, warm, and professional. And follow up once after a week if you do not hear back. After that, move on graciously.
Pitch 15 more people.
Send another round of pitches, the next 15 on your list. This time, include podcast hosts and newsletter writers alongside bloggers.
Podcasters are hungry for guests. And a podcast appearance is gold: it is intimate, it builds trust fast, and episodes stay online forever.
When pitching podcasters, do not just say “I wrote a book.” Give them an angle. What is the story behind the story? What unusual expertise do you have?
Do not overlook smaller podcasts. A show with 500 dedicated listeners in your niche is worth more than a show with 50,000 listeners who do not care about your genre.
A few days later go back through your outreach spreadsheet. Anyone who has not responded gets a gentle, brief follow-up. Something like: “Hi [name], just circling back. Completely understand if the timing is not right. Let me know either way!”
One follow-up is fine. Two is pushing it. Three is spam.
Also check in with anyone who said yes but has not confirmed dates or content yet. And make sure your street team has everything they need.
Organisation is not glamorous, but it is the difference between a launch that hums and one that stumbles.
