Palin tour goes to her fans

Sarah Palin’s book tour is a gift for her base.

No stops are planned in Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, Philadelphia and other major cities and book-buying communities that are standard for authors on the road, but where the voters tend to be Democrats.

Beyond a Nov. 16 TV interview with Oprah Winfrey, nothing is scheduled for Chicago. New York will feature media appearances only. The itinerary for Palin, whose “Going Rogue” comes out Nov. 17, includes Noblesville, Ind.; Washington, Pa.; and Rochester, N.Y.

“She wants to be unconventional. She is unconventional,” HarperCollins spokeswoman Tina Andreadis said Wednesday. “She feels like this is where her fans are and Harper feels this is where she’ll sell the most books.”

“Going Rogue” has an announced first printing of 1.5 million copies and has been at or near the top of Amazon.com’s bestseller list for weeks.

On Wednesday, ABC News announced that Barbara Walters would interview Palin, to air in five parts over three ABC News broadcasts -- “Good Morning America,” “Nightline” and “20/20,” starting the morning of publication day.

The tour starts Nov. 18 at a Barnes & Noble in Grand Rapids, Mich., where Palin, the 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate and running mate of Sen. John McCain, made a campaign appearance last fall. Other parts of the tour will mirror the 2008 race. On Dec. 7, Palin is booked for the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn. The tour will last about three weeks, with a break for Thanksgiving, and will end around Dec. 10.