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KINDLE EBOOK GIVEAWAYS AT AMAZON—GONE?
You can run an Amazon Giveaway for many new products at Amazon.com.
Note: As of October, 2019, the Amazon Giveaway program has been canceled. However, Goodreads Giveaways are still available.
Basically, if you scroll down to the bottom of a product page and see an offer to run an Amazon Giveaway for that product, then that product is eligible.
Amazon Giveaways used to apply to Kindle eBooks.
However, for the past couple of days, I haven’t seen the option to run an Amazon Giveaway for a Kindle eBook at the bottom of product pages for Kindle eBooks.
I still see the option available for print books and other new products.
I checked the giveaway FAQ’s yesterday, and it still stated that you can run giveaways for Kindle eBooks. Yet I didn’t see the option to do so.
Well, I was able to host a giveaway for unclaimed prizes for a previous giveaway. I just couldn’t create a new giveaway for any Kindle eBooks.
UPDATE: There is a trick you can use to run a giveaway for a Kindle eBook, if you’ve ever run a giveaway for that same book in the past: https://chrismcmullen.com/2018/06/13/how-to-run-an-amazon-kindle-giveaway/.
Has anyone else had a similar problem in the past couple of days?
There are a few alternatives:
- Run an Amazon Giveaway for the print edition, if you have one.
- Run an Amazon Giveaway for any eligible product. A gift card or popular product can help you generate interest or gain followers.
- Run a Goodreads Giveaway for the Kindle eBook.
The Goodreads Giveaway option is interesting. At first it seems expensive, but if you give away 100 copies, the cost per book is reasonable.
Plus, you don’t have to pay for the Kindle eBooks: You just have to pay the setup fee. (However, if you choose a print book giveaway instead, then you do have to pay for author copies, shipping, and packaging in addition to the setup fee.)
With an Amazon Giveaway, you can give away just one book, which is an inexpensive way to help generate some interest. You can still do this with a paperback copy, even if the Kindle eBook option isn’t showing.
But if you want to give away a large number of copies, like 100 copies, as some authors do, then Goodreads is reasonably priced (especially if your list price is $2.99 or higher).
Maybe the option for Kindle eBooks will return soon. Or maybe there is a simple explanation for why it’s not showing to me presently. It’s too soon to jump to conclusions. But it’s always wise to pay attention and make plans for “just in case.”
Copyright 2018
Write Happy, Be Happy
Chris McMullen
Author of the Improve Your Math Fluency series of math workbooks and self-publishing guides
chrismcmullen 
I noticed that too. First reviews now this. My fan base loves Amazon but with these new wrinkles it’s time for a better option, rather, multiple options.
I noticed this too, as I was going to look into it instead of Goodreads. Maybe they took the option away because Goodreads now has that capability.
That’s what I was wondering. It seems like this has happened before, but I’m not positive. I have that feeling of deja vu.
They do have the option to buy multiple copies now instead of giveaways. Maybe that’s the replacement.
That is another recent change.
Reblogged this on Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog.
Thank you. 🙂
Welcome 😃
Reblogged this on Author Don Massenzio and commented:
Check out this post from Chris McMullen’s blog on the fate of Amazon giveaways for kindle eBooks.
Thank you. 🙂
You’re welcome.
Reblogged this on When Angels Fly.
Thank you. 🙂
Welcome!
Give away, only give. And very few people actually take. Perhaps some view that your book isn’t good enough or up to par if you are willing to put it out for free.
There are people who have strong feelings against them, but there are also those who support them.
I support and leave reviews. I wish more people would give their support. I certainly know I’ve read some dogs , but I have also read some incredible stories that, imho, should be best sellers.
Authors can definitely use more support. It’s easy to forget how much effort is involved in crafting a great story or assembling great nonfiction content.
Truth.
You can with KDP Select. Perhaps they want authors to enrol their books in KDP Select to be able to offer free promotions?
That’s right. You can make a free book promo for up to 5 days with KDP Select.
Reblogged this on Anna Dobritt — Author.
Thank you. 🙂
Regarding the Goodreads giveaways, we should be able to give away the amount of books we can afford and not some arbitrary number they devised, such as 100.
The way they present it is that we pay a setup fee, after which it makes sense to give away as many as possible (the limit is 100 ebooks). It would be nice if we could give away fewer books at a reduced cost. Still, so many publishers are using Goodreads Giveaways…
Yes, those mid-level and high-level (revenue-wise) authors can afford it. Those of us on the lower end of the spectrum, not so much. I mean, you have to pay a set-up fee, not to mention give away 100 copies. This really doesn’t help us at all.
Lots of good advice. Thank you for sharing, I was looking at the Goodreads giveaway today but as I am a new author I think I might at some point try KDP select’s five free days.
You’re welcome. 🙂 The free promo is definitely easier on the budget. Try to find websites that help to promote freebies.
Reblogged this on Kim's Author Support Blog.
Thank you. 🙂
Reblogged this on Viv Drewa – The Owl Lady.
Thank you. 🙂
Pingback: Reblog: KINDLE EBOOK GIVEAWAYS AT AMAZON—GONE? | ARMAND ROSAMILIA
Reblogged this on adaratrosclair.
Thank you. 🙂
You’re welcome.
Any tips about e-books
Regarding giveaways?
yes, please
I am new and aim to publish my fantasy
If you enroll in KDP Select (which requires publishing the ebook exclusively with Amazon and makes your book available in Kindle Unlimited), you can schedule a free promo day (making your book free to everyone on that day). I’m not advising for or against it, just stating that it’s one option for giving a book away.
If you don’t enroll in KDP Select, an ebook distributor like Smashwords may allow you to make your book temporarily free on a particular site (like Smashwords) or create discount codes to give out.
If you know people in the same country as you whom you wish to give books to, Amazon has an option for gifting ebooks, or you can send the ebook directly or a PDF file.
If you create a paperback edition of your book, you can arrange an Amazon Giveaway for it.
If you want to pay a setup fee to give away books(ideally a large number, up to 100, to make it cost effective), Goodreads has this option.
As for tips, it helps to promote your giveaway and search for websites or bloggers to help advertise your giveaway for free or at a low cost.
Write content that people will crave to read, polish your work, make the cover and description effective, and learn free and low cost marketing strategies that are likely to work long term, then continue to write books, to have the best chance at success.
Good luck.
I plan to make first few chapters free and make them available on as much sites as i can
That can be effective. (A note to authors: If you enroll in Select, make sure that the free chapters don’t exceed the Look Inside length.)
Good luck. 🙂
Thanks, Chris for keeping us updated. 🙂 — Suzanne
You’re welcome, Suzanne. 🙂
Pingback: No More Amazon Giveaways for Kindle eBooks? — chrismcmullen – elunarcom
Amazon has told me 3 times that Kindle ebooks are eligible for Giveaways, and 4 times I’ve told them the icon at the bottom of the page is no longer there on any ebook product pages I’ve looked at, including mine.
This contradiction remains a mystery. Thank you for sharing your feedback from support.
After sending 4 emails to Amazon someone finally read one and realized that it wasn’t just my ebooks, but everyone’s. If you write them they will ask for your ASIN number and send a link to help you set up a giveaway. They are working on whatever is wrong to correct it. Sigh.
Thank you for your feedback (and for being persistence with support).
Whatever the issue was, it’s been corrected. My ebook giveaway is working fine. However, I’m self-published through KDP, so I don’t know if that makes a difference or not….I don’t think it does, but with Amazon, who knows? I have noticed that a lot of my reviews have been removed though, not really happy about that.
You’re right, it is working now. 🙂