The Book Tour Begins

The invisible stage, that is...

By Caitlin Rother

I’m thrilled to announce that today marks the beginning of a three-month book tour for my upcoming release, DOWN TO THE BONE, the story of the McStay family murders, which comes out on June 24.

After months of planning, today I start the invisible stage of the tour, which entails doing daily podcast and media interviews for video and audio podcasts, TV, and social media trailers that will run in the coming weeks. I’m also writing essays or guest blogs for other websites in between writing my own books, which will soon be submitted to my agent and publisher, (i.e., haven’t sold yet), to keep the income-producing and creativity-generating machine churning.

While some authors can afford to hire pricey publicists to plan and carry out book tours, I cannot. So, I do virtually all that work myself, with the aid of a publicist employed by my publisher, who has many other authors on her list.

That entails calling on every librarian, bookstore events coordinator, reporter, book blogger, podcaster, TV and radio producer I’ve worked with on previous releases, and then giving them what they need, in whatever format, whether it’s an hour-long interview, or what have you.

I only just finished a book tour for an updated book that came out a few months ago, during which I teased the upcoming release of my new book, so I got a bit of a head start. Just like I’m going to use this opportunity to tease my next release, HOOKED, the first in my new “Katrina & Goode” thriller series, in January.

The updated edition of BODY PARTS came out in February, and it was the first book I had to promote since my last title, DEATH ON OCEAN BOULEVARD, came out in 2021, when bookstores and libraries weren’t doing live in-person events due to COVID. That tour was almost entirely virtual — 42 stops in all, which are all listed by link on my virtual tour calendar blog, if anyone cares enough to go back and read, watch, or listen.)

Before that, the last book I wrote on my own (i.e., that wasn’t co-authored) and had to promote came out a decade ago. Suffice it to say that many of my contacts have moved since on to other things, so I’ve had to make new contacts in the constantly shrinking media and the constantly evolving world of publishing and promotion. I gave up trying to maintain a current email list a long time ago, but I do my best.

In other words, I’m working as a full-time publicist, author, crime commentator, and blogger right now. (Btw, does this count as a blog? Because I’ve got one on my website as well.) I rely on my book of lists, where I keep track of what I need to do and check off each line after I’ve completed it. Sometimes, I write in tasks once I’ve finished them just so I can check those off as well. I even make lists at the end of the day to show myself that I’ve worked hard enough to allow myself to veg out and watch some more “Law & Order SVU” episodes.

To be honest, it’s a struggle just to reach the same people I reached before, because they have left social media platforms or moved jobs or have simply disappeared to places unknown. Retired or unplugged, perhaps? Or they just don’t want to read true crime anymore because our world has too much chaos these days and all they want to do is escape into their gardens.

So, I keep plugging away, trying to get the word out about my upcoming book talk/signing events for the release of my first solo hardcover that took me 12 long years to finish, and can only hope that people will want to read.

Every day, I read on social media that many other authors are struggling these days too, because self-publishing and hybrid publishing has filled the world with people who have written books, expanding the number of titles (and Amazon rankings) to the tune of millions. Many of them give away their books for free or at rock-bottom prices, just to get a boost in those rankings. So, it’s a numbers game, too. Add algorithm player to my list of jobs.

I’m proud and humbled to say that enough people continue to read my books that I’ve now got 16 titles to my name. But it’s still a hard job to get the word out about them in such a crowded marketplace. People want to support you when it’s your first or second book, but that enthusiasm fades with time, or they think you don’t need their help or support anymore. Trust me, we can always use the help, and we always greatly appreciate it. Because without readers to support us, we authors are nowhere.

As isolating as it is, I love what I do and I will continue to do it for as long as I am able. Please believe me when I say this: I appreciate every single reader, friend and fellow author who helps me stay on this path, because I don’t know any other life. Namaste.