Book Marketing for Indie Authors: Hosting a Goodreads Giveaway
While Goodreads is known as a platform where readers come together to share their love for books, it is also a platform for authors.
Hosting a giveaway of your books on Goodreads can be a great way to promote your books and to reach a wider audience.
Especially for indie authors, this can can give you additional exposure to grow your author platform and introduce new readers to your work.
To explore how hosting a Goodreads giveaway can help you in your journey, along with the steps to do so, check out the post below.
Boost Book Sales with a Goodreads Giveaway
STEP 1: Join the FREE Goodreads author program.
You can then claim your author page, get your author badge and utilize your benefits. Then readers can follow you!
On your author profile, be sure to upload your photo, bio, and ensure your book listings are accurate and up to date.
You can:
Run giveaways
Connect your blog
Advertise your books
Interact with your readers by answering readers’ questions, write reviews and share your favorite books
Benefits:
Since Amazon owns Goodreads, giveaway winners will likely post a review in one or both places.
It’s a great way to promote your book among a large community of readers.
To enter your giveaway, readers will add your book to their WANT TO READ shelf. When they do this, an update is shared to all their friends!
STEP 2: Host a giveaway!
Log into your author account.
From the top navigation bar, click “Browse.”
From the drop-down menu, select “Giveaways.”
In the right sidebar, click “List a Giveaway.”
📌 You can also log into Goodreads, click on your profile picture in the upper right corner, and select “List a Giveaway” from the drop-down menu.
Kindle Book OR Print Book?
Advantages of a Kindle Ebook Giveaway: You will need to be connected to Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) to utilize this option.
Less expensive since there are no printing or shipping costs.
Goodreads distributes it as part of the giveaway.
The winner will be able to receive your book immediately and begin talking about it.
Advantages of a Print Book Giveaway:
You can include personalization and other merch to create further excitement and share more of who you are as an author.
The winner might even post a photo of their win on social media.
Disadvantages of a Print Book Giveaway:
Time and financial cost of packaging and mailing it yourself.
Receipt of the book is not immediate.
Standard Package or the Premium Package?
The main difference between the two options is that the Premium Package includes a personalized listing and a personalized email to those who don’t win the giveaway.
If you decide on this option, make sure to capitalize on this email. Take time to draft an email that attracts and directs them to YOU and YOUR platform, rather than just using it for the sake of the giveaway.
Setting Up a Giveaway:
Start Date: 3 days-6 months away
End Date: 7-30 days; Consider choosing 30 days, so you can take advantage of the increased exposure, have time to drum up excitement and to give readers time to enter.
Release date of your book
ISBN: Make sure it corresponds to your ebook versus your print book for your giveaway.
Eligibility: At the time of writing, ebook recipients can reside worldwide; however, print copy recipients must be residents of the US or Canada.
Copies: 1-100
Check the box if your book contains mature content.
Note the primary and secondary genres of your book.
Note contact details for internal purposes.
Take advantage of the 150 max words to write a description of your book.
Review and confirm.
Submit payment and watch for your confirmation email. Use the link or use the code you’re sent on your Goodreads page to share your giveaway.
STEP 3: Promote Your Giveaway:
📣 Before and throughout the duration of your giveaway, post multiple times on your:
Social media
Website
Newsletter
📣 Your Goodreads followers and anyone who had previously added your book to their WANT TO READ list will automatically receive notification of your giveaway.
📣 Each time a Goodreads reader enters your giveaway or adds it to their WANT TO READ list, an update is shared to all their friends!
📣 Plus, at about 8 weeks after your giveaway ends, Goodreads sends an email to remind the winner(s) to rate and review your book.
When to Run a Giveaway:
Consider running a giveaway upon release and then approximately every 6 months in order to generate excitement and to draw in new readers.
If you’re overwhelmed by the mere THOUGHT of running your own giveaway, this could be a perfect job for an author personal assistant (PA)!
Not sure what you need? Let’s chat and plot next steps together!
Your supportive side character,
Lisa