How Much Should You Have To Pay For Promotion?

Good morning and welcome to Sharing Saturday. Today, we’re going to ask a question authors everywhere want an answer to. Just how much should you pay for social media promotion.
This question is constantly bandied about. The day of the free social media site for authors is fast disappearing. You can still do free promotion on Facebook (although they do give you opportunities to promote your post for a price), Twitter, Manic Readers, AUTHORSdb, and Google +. Many authors still blog about their books, which only requires their time and building a fan base that will read them.
However, there is a steady and growing group of social media sites that don’t offer the author more than lip service, unless they pay a price. Those prices can be reasonable or they can seem outrageous. Bookbub, for example, offers authors a free page, but there’s little to nothing you can do with it. Your book pretty much sits there with all the other books from authors hoping to crack into this well-known site without destroying their promotion budget for months. If you do manage to qualify for one of their blitz promotions, you should expect to go out of pocket from a mere $66 - $462 for free books to be advertised in their email blitz to #569 -$3,983 for books priced at less than a dollar to more than three dollars.
Now, here’s my take on Bookbub. My promotion budget is tight. I suppose most everyone’s is. I cannot seriously afford their prices, even for the cheapest book deal, which is done by genre. Also, while they love to tout that you’ll soon have many new fans, I can’t afford that kind of output of funds with no guarantee that I’ll make a profit, especially with the top cost of #3.983 if my ebook is priced at more than three dollars.
One other thing the editorial committee at Bookbub wants is a lot of reviews. 90-100 is the current recommended number. Uh, I’m happy with one review. I dance in the moonlight if I get two. No, I’m not one of those authors constantly saying buy my book and leave a review. I’d prefer if you’d leave a pie – lemon meringue or apple is nice.
Ah, as mentioned in the previous paragraph, there is an editorial committee. And they are huge on professional covers. That’s another big cost, to add onto the cost of getting your book included in an email promotion.
Here’s my take on Bookbub. It’s good, if you have deep pockets and can afford to do everything they want. The deep pockets thing doesn’t work for most indie authors. And that professional cover? I’m sorry, but my covers look fabulous, to me, and many of my fans. No, I didn’t pay six arms and twenty legs for them. I don’t have that kind of budget. My cover art does the job of getting the story across without my having to file bankruptcy in order to have them made.
There is a new kid on the book promotion block… bookfunnel. I’ve heard several authors talking about them of late. Their payment plan appears to be on a sliding scale, starting at $20 for a first time author, but there are restrictions. Moving upward, you’ll soon see there are limitations, unless you pay more money. Again, not something I’m excited about. My promotion is for a lot of things, including assisting with a rural literacy program and preparing for appearances. So, since I don’t have a rich uncle in the backroom, whipping out his bank card whenever I publish a book, I’ll have to pass.
The down and dirty of the book promotion site field is very much a buyer beware situation. Look for hidden costs before you commit to anything. Ask questions, not just of authors, but from the site managers. Make sure you are comfortable with the hidden costs in addition to the slathering praise you’ll hear about these sites. Be real. If you have trouble keeping your bling around, never being able to order as much as you need, you certainly can’t afford to be hit with a $200 to nearly $4,000 bill to promote your book when there is no guarantee of continued sales once that promo is done.





About K.C. Sprayberry
Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books. K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities.
A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.

Find out more about my books at these social media sites:   Facebook Twitter Website Godreads Amazon Author Page 
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