Testimonials

“Serena Agusto-Cox’s Poetic Book Tours has been so helpful in promoting my books that I have used it for three new book publications. The blogs participating in PBT’s book tours reach different book-reading audiences. Additionally, I am able to link to these interviews, guest posts, and reviews as each one offers a fresh perspective on my new book. To my knowledge, PBT has no real competition in scheduling blog book tours for writers. I plan to use the service for my next book.”

—Luanne Castle, author of Rooted & Winged, which toured in Fall 2022.

“Finding readers for poetry volumes is always a challenge, added to which the prohibitive cost of the South African Rand/US Dollar exchange rate makes advertising and other marketing out of my financial reach. I truly appreciate not only the dedication, professionalism, and efficiency you brought to the book tour you organised. The poetry readers you gathered together were both honest and skilled in their approach to their reviews – I received feedback that ranged from fabulous to functional, and it was a pleasure to see the reviews appearing on social media sites such as Goodreads and Instagram. I feel the tour was very successful and would like to thank you sincerely for your hard work and assistance.”

—Judy Croome, author of the dust of hope: rune poems, which toured in Winter 2022.

“I thoroughly enjoyed working with Poetic Book Tours on the marketing of my poetry collection, Winter at a Summer House. Serena Agusto-Cox was welcoming, professional, and clear in her communications throughout the process. She lined up reviews and guest posts with seasoned bloggers and promoted the results. The tour provided a reliable set of virtual ‘events’ during the first months of my book’s launch — a time impacted by the pandemic. I am grateful for Serena’s efforts as well as for the results. Winter at a Summer House has been Kelsay Books’ best-seller for several months running!”

—Mary Beth Hines, author of Winter at a Summer House, which toured in Winter 2021-22.

“Marketing a first poetry collection is difficult. Poetic Book Tours helped to make it easier. Serena organizes her tours with a community of thoughtful, engaged bloggers. She is professional, personable, and dedicated to helping authors find readers. I enjoyed working with her and will use Poetic Book Tours again.”

—Cheryl Wilder, author of Anything That Happens, which toured in Spring 2021.

“Poetic Book Tours was terrific in getting word out about my poetry book and helping me reach audiences I wouldn’t have had access to otherwise. Serena Agusto-Cox is easy to work with, very professional and thoughtful in her approach. I felt completely comfortable entrusting her with my ‘baby’ during this process and highly recommend Poetic Book Tours to anyone looking for creative ways to promote their book.”

—Kathy Davis, author of Passiflora, which toured in Spring 2021.

“This is the second time I’ve enlisted Serena Agusto-Cox to help with the publicity of a forthcoming collection. What I value about Poetic Blog Tours is that I get the temperature of readers’ responses across a spectrum of literary tastes, and I’m better able to gauge the book’s public reception. Additionally, Serena’s support extended beyond the blog tour itself; she promoted my readings across several social media platforms, also attended some of my events, and recommended Who’s Your Daddy to friends and writers, which led to me visiting a creative nonfiction class at UPenn.”

—Arisa White, author of Who’s Your Daddy, which toured in Fall 2020 and Spring 2021.

“Having an online book tour was the perfect solution for me with having my chapbook come out during the pandemic. The variety of blogs sharing responses to my work encouraged valuable conversation regarding my chapbook and motherhood in general. I had the opportunity to create my own blog post, which allowed me to share thoughts to my children regarding my book. I recommend Serena Agusto-Cox’s blog tour company to anyone who wants to augment a traditional book tour or in place of one.”

—Elizabeth Kropf, author of What Mothers Withhold, which toured in Winter 2020-1.

“I had a terrific blog tour for my debut collection of poetry, Out of No Way. Serena was lovely, thoughtful, and super helpful throughout the tour. She organized the tour and followed up with any questions or issues in a timely and professional manner. I was very pleased with the end results and would recommend Poetic Book Tours to anyone needing a boost as they embark on the journey to promote their work. Worth every penny! Thank you so much, Serena, you’re a legend!”

—Rojé Augustin, author of Out of No Way, which toured in Fall 2020.

“I really am very happy with the way the blog tour went. Thank you for your dedication to the project, your efficiency with administration and for getting such great bloggers on board. I feel, thanks to your guidance, that my book has had the best possible launch into a field which is quite new to me. I’d have been lost without you!”

—Allie Cresswell, author of Dear Jane, which toured in Spring 2019.

“Poetic Book Tours helped me market my first book at just the right time. Serena Augusto-Cox offered wonderful advice and my reviews were soon appearing on the internet on sites with interesting names and readerships. Fourteen sites in all provided insights and encouragement for readers of poetry. If you are dipping your toe in the waters of internet blogs and marketing, I recommend Poetic Book Tours as a first step.”

—Nancy Richardson, author of An Everyday Thing, which toured in Summer 2018.

“It was a pleasure to work with Serena at Poetic Book Tours! She is extremely professional, and we loved the reviews she secured for our poetry collection.”

—Taylan Salvati, Wunderkind PR, for How to Love the Empty Air by Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz, which toured in Spring 2018.

“Poetic Book Tours put my book in front of many new readers, readers I would have had a hard time finding on my own. Owner Serena Agusto-Cox runs a useful service for writers, is a pleasure to work with, and delivered everything she promised. I highly recommend Poetic Book Tours for any poet with a new book out who is looking for more exposure.”

-Erica Goss, author of Night Court, which was the winner of the 2016 Lyrebird Award, published by Glass Lyre Press in May 2017. It toured in Summer 2017.

“It has been a pleasure to work with Poetic Book Tours. The host is very attentive and cooperative. Everything was handled professionally and courteously. I will definitely be contacting her again regarding my upcoming work.”

-Diamante Lavendar, author of Poetry and Ponderings from Written Dreams Publishing, which toured in Summer 2017.

“I’ve loved Poetic Book Tours, a chance to put my most recent poetry collection, WTF, out into the world. A Book Tour, and yet I didn’t have to travel anywhere. It felt good to have the book read and reviewed by so many people in all different parts of the country. Serena Agusto-Cox’s management of the tour was smooth, stress-free for me. I will definitely use Poetic Book Tours again, for my next collection.”

-Laura Foley, author of WTF: Poems from CW Books, which toured in Spring 2017.

“Literary marketing is hard to do, and marketing poetry is even harder. For a reasonable fee, Poetic Book Tours provides valuable exposure through honest, thoughtful online reviews. Serena Agusto-Cox is a pleasure to work with. I look forward to using her service again when my third book is published.”

-Seth Steinzor, author of Among the Lost (In Dante’s Wake) from Fomite, which toured in January 2017.

“Going on a Poetic Book Tour gave me the chance to help my book reach new readers through the bloggers’ responses to my work and their book giveaways. I also enjoyed contributing guest posts to several blogs, which prompted me to think about my writing life in new ways. For authors who do not have the time or resources to go on a physical book tour—and even for those who do—this can be a wonderful ‘virtual road trip’ to consider.”

-Matthew Thorburn, author of Dear Almost from Louisiana State University Press, which toured in Fall 2016.

“There are lots of possibilities for blog tours for authors and one size does not fit all…but for poetry books and some literary books I am so pleased that I was introduced to Poetic Book Tours — Serena is a thoughtful curator and helpful to the publicist and the author. I am always happy to recommend this blog touring possibility for the right book!”

-Mary Bisbee-Beek, Publicity & Marketing Consultant, whose clients for Composing Temple Sunrise and Sensing Light toured in Fall 2016.

“Foremost, I am appreciative that Serena had the imagination and drive to create Poetic Book Tours. It is a necessary enterprise that meets the publicity needs that small/independent presses can’t fulfill through lack of resources. The tours are affordable; the reviewers are insightful and willing to engage your collection critically. It was also great that the bloggers wrote reviews for Amazon and Goodreads and shared their posts on Twitter. This tour made me excited about the release of my book, especially when mainstream reviewers often overlook poetry collections by small/independent presses, you start to think your work has no value, no readership, and this tour dispelled those anxieties.”

-Arisa White, author of You’re the Most Beautiful Thing That Happened from Augury Books, which toured in October 2016.

“I know I can always count on Poetic Book Tours for a sensitive treatment of a genre that is basically impossible to find reliable reviewers for on my own. Serena Agusto-Cox’s team of reviewers digs deep into the meaning of the work and relates passages, themes, and concepts to their own lives. As a publisher, it is extremely gratifying for this crucial aid to bring Western audiences to India’s great poets, such as K.V. Dominic and others in our groundbreaking ‘Essential Readings’ series. Poetic Book Tours will always be our first choice at Modern History Press for grassroots marketing.”

–Victor R. Volkman, Senior Editor at Modern History Press; Essential Readings & Study Guide: Poems about Social Justice, Women’s Rights and the Environment by K.V. Dominic toured in Fall 2016 and is scheduled to tour in January 2017.

“I had no idea just how far and wide my book would travel the more-than-capable hands of super blogger and Poetic Book Tours creator Serena Agusto-Cox but I sure was pleasantly surprised! She made certain my poems were seen, heard, reviewed and lauded on a variety of media platforms and it was a delight to read commentary from literary lovers all over the map. Serena is absolutely on point navigating the complex media terrain: highly organized, professional, caring, and she never misses a beat while ensuring that her client’s work gets the best light possible shined over it, front and center.”

—Michelle Bitting, author of The Couple Who Fell to Earth, which toured in June 2016, with an exclusive reading of “Lupercalia” on Poetic Book Tours.

“For a poet, it can be challenging finding credible, solid, and honest reviewers. Serena, via Poetic Book Tours, helped get my book out to both reviewers and readers, near and far. The honest & straightforward reviews have helped increase the book sales and started a dialogue, which is extremely gratifying.”

—Sweta Srivastava Vikram, award-winning poet & Amazon-bestselling author, whose book Wet Silence from Modern History Press toured in August and September 2015, with an exclusive video reading from the 2015 New York Poetry Festival, and Saris and a Single Malt from Modern History Press, which toured in August 2016.

“The Poetic Book Tours blog tour introduced my book to new audiences, and I made a few new friends in the literary community. It was a wonderful experience!”

—Jeannine Hall Gailey, author of The Robot Scientist’s Daughter from Mayapple Press, which toured in April 2015 and Field Guide to the End of the World from Moon City Press, which toured in Fall 2016.

“What a serendipitous event for me that the launch of Serena Agusto-Cox’s blog tour endeavor, Poetic Book Tours, coincided with the publication of my poetry collection, Doll God. Serena’s skills at organization, communication, and follow-through generated a collection of reviews for my book from readers who might not have discovered my poetry on their own. Serena’s professionalism and understanding helped me through a new experience with ease.”

—Luanne Castle, author of Doll God from Aldrich Press, which toured in February 2015.

“While I’ve loved the emotional twist and bend of poetry for years and often read several poems before retiring each night, it’s because of Serena Agusto-Cox that my appreciation for poetry has soared to a new level. By highlighting poetry on her blog, Savvy Verse & Wit, Serena has led me to discover gifted poets that I would have otherwise missed. My shelf space reserved for poetry collections has ballooned, and I know the expansion will continue. The added bonus of reading poetry is that I’ve become a better novelist.”

—Beth Hoffman, New York Times and internationally bestselling author of Looking for Me and Saving CeeCee Honeycutt

“I can think of few people more qualified to transport the work of poets to the world of readers than Serena Agusto-Cox. For many years she has stood at the epicenter of poetry and by the side of writers—reading with care, sharing her insights with the world, promoting Poetry Month, heralding the glorious clustering of words. Smart, well-read, ever thoughtful, on the ball, Serena is a literary advocate of the first order.”

—Beth Kephart, a National Book Award finalist and winner of several grants and prizes, is the author of One Thing Stolen, Going Over, Handling the Truth, Small Damages, Flow, and numerous other novels, memoirs, and young adult novels.

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