How to Write a Post-Giveaway Message That Really Works

• Focus on communicating one thing. You might be eager to share a ton of information about yourself or your book with all those potential new fans but try to hone in on the most important message you want to get across. This very well might be to let readers know they can follow you on Goodreads, or how much you think they’ll enjoy the book, or to provide some background about the characters or the settings.
• Be gracious. Thank readers for their interest in your book. Share the silver-lining of not winning the book – perhaps more of your books are currently being discounted, or you have another giveaway coming up in a few weeks. Use the opportunity to help readers learn more about you and your book; after all, they’ve already expressed interest so it’s up to you to keep them hooked!
• Make it special. Readers are excited to get a personal message directly from the author (it’s what makes our Personal Selection emails so great!) so let your voice shine through. Talk about how much you enjoyed writing the book or how excited you are to share the story with readers to really give readers a glimpse behind the curtain. Follow the guidelines. Read the guidelines and FAQs [here] to understand what you can and cannot write in your post-giveaways message.
• Proof-read your message. Once you submit your giveaway information and message, Goodreads will send you a preview of how your email will look to readers. Avoid unfortunate typos or other inaccuracies by re-reading your message several times; any edits will need to be re-approved, which could delay the start time of your giveaway.
• Time your giveaway. The message automatically sends on the day after your giveaway ends, so keep that in mind when you set up the giveaway campaign. Does that date align with anything else you have going on? Figure out when that message might make the most impact on your promotions.

Note that Goodreads automatically incorporates some of the most important calls to action for you: there is a “Follow the Author” button at the top of the email and links to purchase the book from various retailers at the bottom. Adding the personal touch through the message enhances the email and makes the Premium Giveaway so much more valuable.

Take a closer look at how Bella Andre created her post-giveaway message for You Do Something to Me:


Questions about giveaways? Email our customer support team at support@goodreads.com

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