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 Inc, a national publicity firm says "In this game there are rules, so make sure you get your PR firm to follow them!" Here Marsha shares her 5 author tour guidelines that will help you bring successes to your book's promotion.

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. Just cancel that city and move onto the next."

2. Secure at least 2-3 media appearances within two days. 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. Want to drive distribution of your book into a city. Then this is one of the best methods to do so. 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. When you visit a city, in your spare time check out the local retail outlets for books. Unless your PR agency is an absolute wizard, you're going to have some down time in a given city. Got an extra hour, then check out a local book store. Marsha Friedman adds, "Your books on the shelves? Offer to autograph them! Are you books not on the shelf? Then offer to do a book signing!"

5. Generate local word-of-mouth with speaking engagements. 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. To be honest, promoting is something that you really need to do as an author in order to ensure that your book doesn't get lost amongst the 300,000 published every year! With an author tour, you really need to get promoting and make sure that you make every media appearance and book signing count!

So! yes, 'Author Tours' can be very effective for creating a buzz about your book and generating sales - providing enough quality media and exposure is obtained in each city you travel to. Make sure though, that you follow the 5 tips above!If you would like to learn more about gaining national media exposure for your company, product or service, without the financial burden of monthly retainers, Marsha is available to be of service . Feel free to contact her directly at mfriedman@emsincorporated.com or visit her firm online at http://www.emsincorporated.com. As a public relations expert Marsha Friedman has the ability to get the media attention that you desire without monthly retainers .