What Book Tours Are Like in the 21st Century - The Atlantic

For publishers, sending authors on tour is expensive-they have to cover transport, meals, and nice hotels. And perhaps more importantly, touring doesn't necessarily translate into better book sales. It's hard to tell, in fact, what effect they have at all, as sales records don't show what prompted someone to buy the book, only where the book was purchased. With the publication of my two books, most recently The Art of Forgery in June, I've found myself part of a lucky group that still gets to partake in this somewhat fading institution. I've witnessed firsthand how publishers have adapted to a changing industry-by becoming more selective about which authors to send on tour, which promotional appearances to secure, and how to make the dollars stretch.