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In the 'old days,' there was a specific formula to book promotion. A no-holds barred author tour was the answer where the author would go for a winning mixture of television, radio, print and book signings. It was a hold-nothing-back author tour where the writer would 'appear' in a given city and get some combination of heavyweight radio, TV, book-signing and newspaper coverage. When the author left that city, residents knew his or her name and the name of their newly-released title. So!is this kind of intense media blitz still realistic today? Actually, it depends. Depends? Yes!it depends entirely on who's arranging the tour and whether or not they follow the right guidelines. Marsha Friedman, Chief Executive Officer of Event Management Services, a national public relations firm says "In this game there are rules, so make sure you get your PR firm to follow them!" Let's let Marsha share with us her top 5 tips to ensuring a successful author tour!

1. 'Anchor' each city with at least one interview on a major network TV affiliate. Marsha Friedman says, "You really need to land a major network show in order to really get the most value out of your trip to that city. Remember, you will spending money and time to get there, so you need to maximize your efforts. No major network TV? Forget about that city for your tour."

2. Obtain a minimum of two to three media appearances in each market within a day or two. This is a corollary to rule #1 and the real meat and potatoes of an author tour. Friedman adds, "The whole point here is to get you to reach a sort of media 'critical mass' when appearances on different media come together over a day or two, you have a nice shot at becoming a kind of household name in that city."

3. Schedule at least one book signing. This will guarantee availability of your book in that city. Plus book signings always generate the kind of excitement and promotion that might otherwise cost you a small fortune. Marsha Friedman adds, "This is a great way to create a combined effort with your other media appearances." 4. Use your down time and visit area bookstores. Unless your PR agency is an absolute wizard, you're going to have some down time in a given city. So spend it visiting bookstores. Marsha Friedman says, "If your books are in stock, offer to sign them. And if they don't carry your books, let the manager know you're available for a book-signing bookstores adore promotion-minded authors."

5. Increase visibility by speaking at relevant functions. Here's another way to take full advantage of those hours after you do that interview on the six am morning news: Arrange speaking engagements at the local library, Church, Chamber of Commerce or professional affiliations these groups are usually clamoring for interesting speakers - especially those with a hot new book that's just been released! Gearing Yourself Up to Be a Promoter! Maybe, when you started writing, nobody told you that you'd have to be a promoter, too. But that's just the reality of successful writing. And when it comes to author tours, you really have to get into it, promoting your book most of your waking moments (to maximize your time on the tour).

So as you can see, author tours are a fabulous way to get the word out about your book and drive sales. Just make sure that whomever you use to schedule them follows the 5 tips above! If you would like to learn more about gaining national and local media exposure for your company, product or service, without the financial burden of monthly retainers, Marsha is here to help . Feel free to contact her directly at mfriedman@emsincorporated.com or visit her firm online at http://www.emsincorporated.com. As a PR expert Marsha Friedman has the ability to get the media attention that you desire without budget busting monthly retainers.