I love a goodreads givaway. I honestly do. I go on most mornings before work to check for a book I might want and to see if I’ve won any of the givaways. I don’t often, but I do get the odd book through. And I always make sure that I give it an honest write up – usually just on goodreads but occasionally on here too.
So the question is, is a goodreads giveaway any good for authors/publishers? Well it really depends on what you’re after. I don’t really find that goodreads alone will drive sales, but it does work to get your book read. No one will buy your book if they’ve not got access to information about it. That’s a fact. Getting your book into the hands of goodreads readers is a great way of spreading the word, and it will generate reviews. Be careful, though, if your book’s a load of bunk, people will say so. Happily.
So I use goodreads for 3 things.
Getting free books to read. This is the obvious one that most users go for, too. The people who enter your giveaway aren’t all going to be actually interested in your book. A lot of them are just after any book. That’s fine. It’s what I do and I’ve discovered some real gems.
Getting reviews. Most people who receive a free copy of your book will read. Not all, but most. Out of that 80% or so people, perhaps only 70% will write a review. That’s still a 56% (ish) hit rate. That’s not too shabby, especially when you compare that to general readers. This is because the people who receive your book through a giveaway like this one are very aware of why you’re giving your book away in the first place. It’s a reciprocal favor thing and that’s fine.
Direct marketing. Another thing that you can do with your goodreads giveaway is include other marketing. DO NOT send your winners loads of spam. That’s not cool on so many levels, least of all it will make them think that you’re a total tool. It’s also against the goodreads rules, and quite rightly too. What you can do, however, is pop in a few other freebies. Bookmarks, postcards, a discount code for your shop where you’re selling your other books, those things are all good news and perfectly allowed.
Ultimately, running a Goodreads Giveaway is your choice. I must say, too, that the good folks at goodreads are SOOO helpful, I was having a mix up last week and mine, and Sofia was incredibly helpful. It’s easy and simple and mine is here – https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/222474-saving-time
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