Having forgotten to learn the difference between a blog book tour and a virtual book tour, I’m going to use both here. After working for the past few weeks (months) my blog book tour is about ready to launch. I’m too new to blogging to have attracted a lot of attention here, but I’m working at it, and hope this helps not only bring readers to this blog but to those who have agreed to host my first real virtual book tour.
It’s a case of old dogs to new tricks, me and this entire computer wired generation. On the other hand, this old dog has used plenty of computers in my time. I began (1971) with an IBM Selectric Typewriter connected to an automatic reader that used punched paper tape reels. They were programmed with a form letter with spaces left for me to add personal information. At this time I worked for a yachting manufacturer on Long Island, New York. The setup was behind my desk. I also worked on an electric typewriter performing other tasks while my “computer” clattered away. When it paused, I swung around, manually typed in the personal information, it came back on and worked away. In this way we prepared and later mailed thousands of promotional letters on our yachts .
My next computer came from a young friend who will remain anonymous. She was what we in those days called a Hippie and lived in the back end of nowhere with her hubby. (Ozarks, 1980s) They had an outdoor kitchen and two rooms above. Her computer had a small six or eight inch square screen and no hard drive. But it did have programs and floppies on which to work and a daisy wheel printer that printed slower than I type. Long story short, she ran away one night leaving her husband, who worked in offshore oil drilling in Louisiana. She called me and told me the computer was mine. He called me and asked if I could come out and go through her books to see if I wanted any, and did I want to buy her computer. I didn’t have the heart to tell him about her call, so paid him $50 a month for a year for that set up.
I wrote a couple of books or more on it after having written my first three on a Sears electric. In fact, I wore that thing out. Then I went to work for a newspaper that used Mac computers to type stories but not to layout the newspaper. As the years passed, I learned more and more and finally replaced my old computer with my first PC. Living in the woods, I didn’t have Internet when my first six books came out, but finally did get Dial Up a few years ago.
Six months ago we got DSL and a year ago my husband insisted I replace my old desktop with a laptop. I feel like I’ve learned a lot in all that time, but most of my learning has been aimed toward writing and not learning all the complex workings of computers. So, here I am, trying to have my first blog book tour for several reasons.
1. To save gas
2. To save effort
3. To reach more readers
4. Because it sounded like a blast
Number four soon changed from blast to a heck of a lot of hard work. But I’ve almost finished writing all the posts for my guest hosts, and now that final step. Talking other bloggers into hosting my first tour. They should want to do it just because I’m so green and they feel sorry for me, but that won’t be the case. Nor should it be. Better if they want to do it because they like my two books that will be the subject of the tour. Or maybe they just want to see what in the world this old broad could possibly come up with.
Thankfully I have made a lot of friends in the 23 years or so I’ve been writing, and most of them are kind. So, let’s just see what happens when my tour begins July 21. I will post the schedule as soon as it’s filled with eager blogger hosts. I will be forever grateful to all those who see their way clear to give me a moment of their valuable time to post my effort on their blog.
Thanks to Dani at Blog Book Tours in Yahoo groups for all her invaluable help and mostly for her patience and support.
Well, gang, here goes.
PS Tonight, one day late, our family will have its annual Independence Day Celebration at my daughter’s house next to ours out here in the Ozarks where our noise and music won’t bother anyone. Results and maybe some pictures next time in this space.
Love everyone out there,
Velda Brotherton 