Planning a Cheap AF Book Tour
A year ago I was scouring through blogs and YouTube videos looking for suggestions on planning a book tour on a shoestring. What should I invest in? What would be a waste of time? I had never even planned a vacation so planning to travel to promote my book, Queen Up! was overwhelming. Helpful resources were few and far between.
Fast forward to the present.
I have been traveling most of the past six months and just got back from a 28 day stretch of being on a book promotion road trip. I’ve learned a lot through trial and error and friends who are authors or aspiring authors have frequently asked me to share how to promote a book inexpensively.
If you have a book to promote, or an upcoming book release, here is the advice I wish I had been able to find a year ago. It does not cover every possible scenario as everyone’s experiences may differ. I have pretty unique circumstances, and no doubt so do you. I will share what worked and didn’t work for me so that you can choose if you want to implement my strategies.
I am still planning, still promoting and still learning so I welcome your feedback as well.
Planning the Tour
Congratulations!
Your book is published and you are getting ready to hit the road! When I was first planning my tours, I collaborated with the amazing staff at Conari and discussed areas I would like to go to promote the book. I live in Albany New York and planned to start the launch in places I had already established working relationships with as a workshop leader and Intuitive Reader, so I started relatively local, NY and New England.
My approach to book promotion is similar to my approach to business. As I never was officially ‘trained’ in planning either, I decided to travel to places I was interested in visiting and connect with settings where I was likely to find my ideal audience. It was a learning curve to discover that while Queen Up has several niches (women’s empowerment groups, Tarot community, New Age reader, holistic healing buffs, the Pagan community) the most enthusiastic readers are those aligned with New Age spirituality, Paganism, and interests in Tarot.
I took into consideration what geographic locations I wanted to visit during particular seasons, then looked to see what stores, yoga studios or other workshop venues were around.
One of the first things I learned was to plan but also be spontaneous. Event coordinators are very busy and you may get confirmation on an event after you’ve already planned dates at other venues. If I can add in an event I will, as I want to take advantage of every opportunity even if it means my schedule gets to be haphazard.
My recent 28 day road trip was based on arrangements to do a workshop and day of Intuitive readings at Isis Books in Denver Co. I have been flying around the country promoting Queen Up at other conferences and events and thought it would be neat to take some time and drive from NY to CO, doing events along the way. Cheaper, definitely but also a better way to see the landscape and get to meet people as opposed to hanging out in airports and bus stations.
I used an app called Rome2Rio to help me plan the route I would take, then lined up workshops at other venues in the states I would pass through. Some opportunities came serendipitously at the recommendation of store owners, such as the St. Louis Pagan Picnic which happened to be taking place the weekend I planned to be driving through St. Louis and doing events at nearby stores, so I added a workshop there as well.
If you are planning a book tour, consider the convenient options- what bookstores or appropriate venues do you already have access to? Start with the community you have already established.
If you are several months or even years out from publishing, start cultivating community now.
Some people plan expensive launch parties. If you can do this and want to, go for it, but I don’t believe it necessary. I would rather use my resources to have as broad an impact as possible.
Consider where you would like to go. Are there regions where you have family or friends you can stay with?
Are there areas you want to visit for a particular season? Connect with venues in that area.
I have found it to be effective to plan trips around conferences and conventions or fairs that can give you access to more people and credibility in your genre. Research conventions or conferences that fit your genre, submit a proposal to present a workshop and plan to sign books at a table as well if possible. I have promoted Queen Up at a variety events ranging from the Northwest Tarot Symposium to Pagan festivals and women’s retreats. Once you have the conference or major event planned, seek opportunities to speak and sign books at stores and appropriate venues nearby.
During this 28 day trip, I had three Intuitive Reading days and 7 workshops, one of which was at a festival which also allowed me to fo book signings at an author’s table which I got to share with another author, Robb Chase, who writes fantasy books.
Travel
I’ve been flying a lot to promote Queen Up and have learned inexpensive hacks to make the most of air travel, such as spending the night in the airport prior to taking off to the next stop and avoiding an additional Air BNB fee. Flights midweek tend to be cheaper than flying on a weekend or coming home on a Monday so when possible I plan return flights for early Tuesday and stay in the airport the night before.
Air travel has limitations though. It’s expensive, and you have no transportation when you arrive at your destination, so Lyft, buses, trains etc. all become added fees. I don’t mind doing this when crunched for time, but I figured I would give myself a month to drive to and from Denver and space out my other events to allow for travel and rest times.
Originally, I planned to travel solo but my partner was able to join me and we had a blast, plus he was a huge help trading off driving. One of my limitations is that I have a mild TBI and driving more than 3 hours at a time is difficult and can lead me to get migraines. I discovered that driving in the Midwest is especially painful because of the direct sun and lack of shade.
Other benefits of driving include transporting my own supplies and books rather than paying the cost of mailing a stash to the venue in advance and then paying to mail the remaining books home.
Are you in a hurry or can you afford to take your time and drive or take the bus or train? Do you prefer to transport your own books and avoid mailing them in advance? Do you want to do some ‘sightseeing’ during the tour or are you more interested in getting long distances in a short amount of time?
One of the benefits for me of air travel is it gives me long periods of time in airports where I can work on freelance writing so I can technically work while I am traveling. The downsides are the cost and my aggravation with TSA and the rampant classism that is inherent in air travel.
Housing
One of my main motivations for driving this recent trip was to cover two expenses at once. We camped out in the car for more than half of the trip. I only booked Air BnB’s the night or two prior to events and during time that I had actual events. In other words, if I didn’t have to be showered, well rested and full of energy the next day, we slept in the car the night before. This made traveling incredibly affordable.
I know for some people this would not be an option. Not everyone is physically capable of doing this. We drive a Toyota Yaris 2 door and it was a tight but cozy fit. My partner is 6 feet tall, I am just over 5 feet and there was actually extra space with both of us in there.
We would pile the luggage into the front of the car and sleep on Styrofoam mats and sleeping bags in the back. Prior to the trip we picked up an oversized dog bed at Ocean State Job Lot for under $30 and this was helpful but some parts of the car’s seat back were still uneven and uncomfortable so we also added the additional foam mats while on the trip, for $9.99 each. For added cushion we also bought a foam mat people sometimes use for gardening which we found at a discount store for $2.00.
We also brought a tent in case we found a camp ground to sleep in, but along the way we discovered Pilot Travel Center and Flying J. On other trips I’ve stayed in my car overnight in Wal Mart parking lots. Some stores allow boondocking, some don’t.
It was because a store didn’t allow camping our first night that we researched and found a nearby truck stop. If you have never been to a truck stop, the image you may think of when you hear those words might be a filthy, unappealing place crawling with potential predators. The places we stayed throughout our trip were clean if not sparkling clean. Pilot in particular also offers amenities in some locations like a lounge, tv, washer and dryer (for a small fee) and showers (for $12 each). The showers were spotless, they are cleaned between reservations.
They also have stores with food, snacks and souveniers and of course gas. The stops offer free wifi but videos are restricted and the connection is often slow. For a small fee you can upgrade your wifi. This allowed me to get work done while we were at the truck stops, as well as relaxing, showering and doing laundry.
There is no fee just for parking overnight. While on the road my partner hooked up makeshift ‘curtains’ in the back of the car for night time as well. We were pretty comfortable and even when it was 97 degrees in the daytime most of the nights were nice and cool.
Our other accommodations included staying in 4 different Air BNB’s. If you aren’t familiar with Air BNB, it is extremely affordable accommodations in someone’s home. Your host may or may not be home during your stay, and may or may not have other rooms rented out. Each listing is different and experiences vary. Our first Air BNB had a hot tub and pool and in suite bathroom. Another had a shared bathroom, another had a door that didn’t latch when you closed it. In total I spent about $500 for accommodations for the entire trip. That is 28 days on the road with $500 and the cost of a few showers at truck stops along the way for the equivalent of ‘housing’. Also that total factors in the two of us, most of the Air BnB’s charge a little extra for additional guests so if you travel solo you could get away cheaper.
Food
As previously mentioned, part of my strategy for planning book tours is figuring out where I want to go. In that way I plan to put myself in places I find interesting. Some people view business travel as a working vacation but for me it is more work and less vacation. I don’t usually get to do much sight seeing and I tend to not treat it as ‘vacation’ with the exception of maybe looking for spots near the ocean and spending an afternoon at the beach if I can.
With this in mind, I don’t look at book tours as a way to get out and do touristy things. If you are able to afford to explore the local cuisine when you travel, that is awesome. But if your book tour is a tour first and exploration second there are easy ways to deal with purchasing food.
My partner and I are both vegan. Usually when I travel alone for work I buy groceries and maybe go to a restaurant once if at all. This time, however, we made it a point to check out vegan restaurants in a few places though the majority of our food was purchased as groceries.
Air BNB’s often give you accommodations including oven, microwave etc. I dislike cooking when I am home and like it even less when I am traveling, as it takes my focus off of my work.
We stocked up on trailmix before leaving and my partner made snack bars which are filling and pack a lot of nutrition. I have also discovered that while a little pricey, vegan hot dogs make convenient snacks because you don’t actually have to cook them. (disclaimer- I have not gotten sick and died yet, results may vary, try this at your own risk….).
Our meals ranged from salad with hummus and salsa to beans, hotdogs and wraps. Other good travel staples include oatmeal, nuts, and powdered potatoes.
It may not be a gourmet meal, but if finances are limited and the most important aspect of a book tour is reaching your audience, then most of the finances go to the actual travel.
Food at the truck stops can be expensive but most places have a grocery store nearby. We occasionally splurged such as one Subway salad, one salad from Moe’s and occasional smoothies or French fries. Salad is versatile and can be filled in and replenished with beans, hot dogs and salsa, keeping it from getting too boring.
In 28 days we spent an average of $18 per day on food, total. That includes the groceries purchased in advance to bring with us.
Sight Seeing
It is inevitable you may want to check out some local interests or tourist attractions while you are traveling and if you can fit it into your schedule that’s fine. I kept to a modest budget which meant anything extra was going to be low cost or free. We visited the Iowa Farm Sanctuary and splurged there in support of their mission, but got to enjoy a fulfilling afternoon. It was really hot that day so after we left we found a local pool nearby where we could swim for about $5.00.
When we visited Lansing Michigan it was also hot and we found Hawk Island Park where you could enjoy the park, trails and swimming in the lake for $5 as well.
On the way home we visited Niagara Falls and I paid $10 for parking in the state park rather than running back and forth to a meter. We took in the sights, I strolled over to Canada for an additional $1 and we got to spend a few hours in a beautiful place enjoying nature.
But is it worth it?
The brutal truth is that if your idea of being ‘worth it’ involves retiring off of your earnings from book sales, especially sales of your first book, you are in for a surprise. Stephen King was writing for years before he made it big. Prior to his breakthrough book, Carrie, he was writing for free and then for small stipends from magazines.
This is not to say your book isn’t amazing, its just that what generates income for most authors are things that may relate to a particular book but seldom the sales of a book in and of itself, especially early in your career. Examples like J.K. Rowling’s success are truly rare.
If your definition of ‘worth it’ involves income, your best bet is to plan your tour so you are combining book signings with other types of events. A paid author talk, workshop or class for example. My book Queen Up is about personal empowerment by working with the energy of the Tarot Queens. As it relates to Tarot and I am an Intuitive Tarot Reader, I line book events up with Tarot Reading events as often as possible.
Explore how you can engage your audience above and beyond book sales. Your book is part of your message but may not be all of what you can do. Have other sources of income to fuel your promotional expenses. Even though you are planning a cheap AF book tour, you will need to pay other bills. I could not bring my cat and three guinea pigs, so I paid someone to care for them during the trip.
I also do freelance writing and rent out rooms in my house through Air BnB. Whatever your main hustle or side hustle is, channel your income to supplement your book promotion income.
Book tours aren’t just about selling books, they are about networking, creating momentum, getting the word out and furthering your career. While on a book tour you could meet someone who helps collaborate on your next project for example.
Plus it is a fun way to explore different parts of the country or the world and get to see the impact your work is having on others.
Be realistic with your expectations. Some events may draw a larger audience, or you may hear crickets. I have done events that were sold out and others where no one showed. Be professional and look for opportunities.
Planning a cheap AF book tour isn’t just about pinching pennies, it is about making the most of your resources. Contacts with a bookseller, book club or venue hosting you are all resources that are highly valuable.
I hope that my experience has given you some ideas on options to consider. Best of luck on the launch of your book!
