BookBub

     And now for my last book-focused site: BookBub. This site is similar to the Fussy Librarian. It has a subscription element for readers and a marketing aspect for writers. It’s a giant in the book newsletter subscription market.

     Readers, through a subscription to the newsletter, can get lists of discounted and free books either weekly or daily in a wide variety of genres. The website also displays current deals on the main page. Users can both receive emails about discounts or just view the site. (Great for keeping the inbox tidy.) Readers can follow authors and receive notifications when new or discount titles are available. Recommendations can be focused by type of book (digital, print, etc.), genre, and specific author. And all titles, other than the new releases, are discounted or free. A reader’s paradise!

     Authors can do well with this site. If your book is published, create an account, and put your profile out there. Again, use the same headshot from other social media. Add details like your book(s), but also write up a great bio. Tell what genres you write in.

     Then for the meat—favorite books.

     It’s best to keep your favorite lists to books within your genre and newer books.  This keeps your profile fresh and shows that you read in your genre. It can also help you connect to others of the same genre.

     Speaking of, follow those authors and other authors of your genre on BookBub. Not only will this assist you in finding great new books to read but also connect you with the writing community.  Following an author adds them to your notifications list. You will be notified when they have a sale or a new book.

     Now recommend books. Pick out half a dozen books (or more) in your genre and recommend them. Write up a great review and share it. Authors helping authors in this way can eventually come back to you. (Don’t expect other authors to automatically review/recommend your book if you do theirs. But it can’t hurt to share some love.)

     So why invest at BookBub rather than Fussy Librarian? For one, the larger subscriber’s list. But really, it’s the deals! Featured Deals can get you on a bestseller list if you play your cards right. They are like precious stones. Expensive, beautiful, and profitable (okay, the metaphor doesn’t work on that last one…) There are several kinds of deals: ads on the bottom of the page, a Featured Deals, and Featured New Releases. Featured deals can change an author’s career, but it’s not easy to grab one.  

     How to get a BookBub deal. Persistence is the key thing to winning a deal. They are difficult to get and you must be ready to really invest in your book. Book deals must meet certain criteria including: discounted at last 50%, be the best deal available for the title, error-free, a limited-time deal (with some perma-free exceptions), appropriate length for genre (150 pages for fiction), widely available, and not offered for the last six months on BookBub. Even if your book meets all these benchmarks, it still might not be chosen. Keep resubmitting unless there is an underlying problem with the book.

     Cost for the Deals. The pricing page here at BookBub can give you an idea of the cost for your book. Prices vary by genre and discount level. The list shows how many subscribers for each genre. Free books are less expensive. But if you don’t have a series to go with the free book, you won’t see much of a return on your investment. Book Bub Deals work best when you have a backlist to go with a free or deeply discounted book.

     Featured New Releases also has a cost based on the genre and subscribers list. All authors can help the New Release option. This will tell people who follow you that you released a new book. Featured New Release will go out to all BookBub subscribers, a huge audience. To be Featured, you must submit your title to the editorial team as you would with a Featured Deal. Even if you don’t get chosen, still use the New Release option to tell your followers you have a new item for purchase. (These do not have to be discounted.)

     Ads are more confusing (at least to me) because they work on an auction system. Ads, which end up at the bottom of the newsletter and on the webpage, are given to the highest bidder at the time of publication. I’m not sure how this boils down to actual cost. My thought is it’s an auction, you could pay anything. They are a great info section here about the content of ads. If I ever learn to do these ads, I promise to make another post.

     But Ginny! I’m not ready to spend that kind cash yet or I only have one book. No worries. Still create an account, follow other authors, make recommendations, get free books. Someday, you’ll be ready to launch a Featured Deal. For now, lay the groundwork!