![\"Brook](\"http:\/\/www.georgiahill.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Brook-Cottage-Books.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nI have to admit to feeling a little confused. I\u2019ve been writing for ten years and for the last seven professionally. I\u2019m no stranger to Facebook, Twitter, forums and other delights that the internet offers \u2013 but \u2013 I had no<\/em> idea what a blog tour actually involved!<\/p>\n The lovely Debbie, who runs Brook Cottage Books, pinged me an email so I \u2018fessed up. She explained five bloggers (keen readers and reviewers and often writers themselves) would host contributions from me over the course of a week. Sounded great!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I was asked if I wanted Q&As, reviews, blogging opportunities or a mixture. I opted for the latter. Over the next few weeks Debbie got in touch with requests for answers to questions the hosts had asked (and there were some really interesting ones) or the odd blog piece. She also needed the buying links to the book I wanted to promote, a brief biography and one or two other bits and pieces. As a writer you get used to having these to hand so it was a straightforward task to email them over.<\/p>\n The week was scheduled for the end of January. I was looking forward to seeing what the bloggers had done with the information I\u2019d given them and, of course, the reviews.<\/p>\n In my naivety, I\u2019d expected one blog post on Twitter a day. And this is what happened. However, it added up to so much more too.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The host blogger posted the link to her site which I dutifully retweeted. To my frustration, I wasn\u2019t able to get on Twitter very much that week but, in any case, I don\u2019t think I could have kept up with the sheer volume of \u2018twittering\u2019 that was going on.<\/p>\n I hadn\u2019t realised that the blogging community is:<\/p>\n a) huge<\/p>\n b) very supportive of each other and of writers and<\/p>\n c) prolific users of social media.<\/p>\n Each tweet was shared and re-shared countless times during the day. Added to the tweets that Brook Cottage Books themselves were putting out, I was all over the internet like a rash. I\u2019d hoped to contact and thank every individual who tweeted and retweeted but it just wasn\u2019t possible. I had to content myself with putting out a brief but sincere general message, thanking everyone, at the end of each frenetic day.<\/p>\n The thing was a monster! But a nice cuddly fluffy one.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The book I was promoting had been out for some time so I wasn\u2019t expecting sales to rocket. However they did. I also gained fifty or more new followers on Twitter. But \u2013 of most benefit was getting in touch with some really lovely, enthusiastic book bloggers. I met one of them in person at a recent booky event and she was even more delightful in person. (You know who you are Linda Hill). It was truly heartening meeting these wonderfully enthusiastic readers who spend considerable time sharing their book love. They do a fantastic job.<\/p>\n Final praise must go to Debbie and Brook Cottage Books. The event was seamlessly well organised and went without a hitch, even though she was dealing with a blog tour virgin like me!<\/p>\n Would I do it again? Like a shot!<\/p>\n If you have a book coming out, and are looking to promote it then I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Brook Cottage Books. Here’s their link:<\/p>\n http:\/\/brookcottagebooks.blogspot.co.uk\/<\/a><\/p>\n Still confused about what a blogger does? Have a look at the sites here:<\/p>\n http:\/\/jaffareadstoo.blogspot.co.uk\/<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/beingannereading.blogspot.co.uk\/<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n