Image from ShutterStock.
GOODREADS GIVEAWAYS
Goodreads has recently improved their Goodreads giveaway program.
Authors who sign up with Goodreads can run Goodreads giveaways for their books.
- It must be a print book. (CreateSpace is great for self-publishing a paperback.)
- Goodreads sends the author a list of winners. The author ships author copies directly to the winners.
- You can give away as little as 1 copy, so you can get some good exposure for a reasonable price.
- If you give multiple copies away, it improves your chances of getting reviews at Goodreads (but winners are less likely to post a review on Amazon).
- One benefit of the giveaway is that hundreds of readers are likely to add your book to their to-read list, which makes your book’s Goodreads page seem somewhat more popular.
- The giveaway may not have a noticeable direct impact on sales. It can help with exposure and to generate some activity on your book’s Goodreads page.
- Most of the contest traffic comes on the first and last days. However, the days in between add up, so you get the most exposure for your contest by running it for at least 30 days. You might as well generate as much exposure for it as you can.
- Many giveaways seem to start on the 1st of the month and end at the end of the month, so if you avoid those days, you might be able to avoid the crowd somewhat. The first and last days of your contest give you the most exposure, so plan these dates wisely.
Goodreads has recently updated its giveaway program. Here are a few changes that they have made:
- You now choose up to two categories instead of entering tags. This will make it easier for giveaway hunters to find the kinds of books they like to read (unfortunately, you still see the tag system when searching for giveaways, but it seems like this should change over soon).
- The book no longer needs to be a new release; they have removed the 6-month restriction. When you enter the release date, you choose from a dropdown menu that goes back to the early 1900’s. However, if you run a contest for an older book, you might want to make this clear in the giveaway description so as to avoid possible confusion.
- You must now schedule your Goodreads giveaway at least 7 days in advance, so plan ahead.
- The terms and conditions now appear in a pop-up window. You must scroll down and click the Agree button at the bottom.
Want to enter for a chance to win a free book? Here are some sample Goodreads giveaways (these authors don’t know that I’ve given them a little exposure here on my blog, but these caught my eye when I was browsing for giveaways—though you may remember I also featured Jenny Pearson’s coloring book on my blog a couple of posts ago):
Coloring Book for Teens or Adults by Jenny Pearson
Click here to find Coloring Book for Teens or Adults on Amazon.
Chick Lit {And Other Formulas for Life} by Abby Rosmarin
Click here to find Chick Lit on Amazon.
A Bit Witchy by Danielle Fisher
Click here to find A Bit Witchy on Amazon.
The Dust in Sunlight by Christopher Rees
Click here to find The Dust in Sunlight on Amazon.
Camille’s Itchy Twitchy Eczema by Candis Butler
Click here to find Camille’s Itchy Twitchy Eczema on Amazon.
4,500 Multiplication Problems with Answers Practice Workbook by Chris McMullen, Ph.D.
Click here to find 4500 Multiplication Problems with Answers on Amazon.
More Goodreads Giveaways
Click here to see all Goodreads giveaways. If you’ve browsed for giveaways in the past, check it out to see how it’s changed.
Write happy, be happy. 🙂
Chris McMullen
Copyright © 2015
Chris McMullen, Author of A Detailed Guide to Self-Publishing with Amazon and Other Online Booksellers
Click here to view my Goodreads author page.
- Volume 1 on formatting and publishing
- Volume 2 on marketability and marketing
- 4-in-1 Boxed set includes both volumes and more
- Kindle Formatting Magic (coming soon)
Follow me at WordPress, find my author page on Facebook, or connect with me through Twitter.
chrismcmullen 