Sizing Up Book Giveaway Programs

Author Bruce FottlerGuest Post
by Bruce Fottler

Part of an indie author’s quest to obtain reviews (and gain general exposure) will likely include book giveaways. But where do you find them and how do they compare? While I don’t profess to be an expert, I’d like to share my experiences from two (free) sites.

1.  Goodreads is the undisputed king of “social cataloging” sites, with over 40 million members worldwide. They sponsor a giveaway program limited to print books only. There’s no charge for this service, but all expenses associated with it (cost of books, postage, etc.) are your responsibility. I’ve run ten giveaways since 2013 (with one currently running) which offered two or three copies per giveaway. None of my giveaways were promoted and didn’t exceed thirty days in length. My shortest giveaway was ten days.

Results: Continue reading “Sizing Up Book Giveaway Programs”

Book Giveaway Karma

book karma reading cherubWhen I first started out in this business, I felt like I couldn’t afford to run any book giveaways. Like most of us, I started out with no money, and was hoping to pull off that miracle and shoot to the top with my first novel… you know, be another Amanda Hocking.

I’m kidding. I didn’t really think I could do that, but I did try to scrimp and save wherever I could. I’ve been doing this for three years now and my views have most definitely changed. Now I think you can’t afford not to do giveaways. Continue reading “Book Giveaway Karma”

The Power of Facebook for Writers – Part Two – by Michael Allen

Author/Screenwriter Michael Allen
Author/Screenwriter Michael Allen

Back in the beginning of January, Michael Allen provided us with an intense post about Facebook pages.  If you missed it, you can read it here.

Today we welcome Michael back with the second installment of his “Power of Facebook for Writers” post.  We’re going to pick up where he left off, after you’ve created your page…

Now, you want to promote your book page. One very effective strategy is to have a giveaway.  Let rafflecopter.com handle that for you. Start a giveaway and make it worth someone’s time.

I’d say an autographed copy of your book would make a great first prize.  But, you can have other gifts as well. Cafepress.com makes it easy for you to offer coffee cups, tee shirts, hats, bags and much more. Putting your book’s cover on a coffee cup or a tee shirt makes a handy gift for a giveaway. Continue reading “The Power of Facebook for Writers – Part Two – by Michael Allen”