tips on running first giveaway

[Michelle]

I have heard that running a giveaway is good promo for a book, even though reviews by the winner(S) aren't required. I just don't know how to run one. Where do I start?

How much time does it have to run and how many books do I have to offer? If there is a group or place to learn about this, please let me know. And share your experiences, good or bad.

Thanks so much!

[Rian]

Hi Michelle, some quick tips from three Giveways I've experimented with:

1. The duration can be as short as a day, or as long as a couple of months or more, but 7, 14, and 30 days are most common.
2. You'll see the most entrants the day it goes live, and the last day of the Giveaway. I've seen ~400 entrants on average in each of my Giveaways, though Goodreads says ~800 is the norm.
3. Be sure to publicize the event on social media (FB, Twitter, groups here in appropriate folders) without making it obnoxious.
4. Offer a reasonable number of books...three (3) is what I've done each time, though even one book on offer works. Those who enter based on win probability will like to see more books on offer.
5. Go to the EXPLORE menu item on the Goodreads page, and you'll see a Giveaways choice. On that page, you'll see an option to create your Giveaway.
6. You need a PRINT book to do a typical Giveaway, though I've seen others do it in a roundabout fashion with ebooks.
7. Keep your blurb short, precise, and attractive to entrants. Most spend less than a few seconds looking at your item, so a good book cover and hook sentence is important. Excess information - link to download an excerpt in the blurb etc. - does not produce results.
8. AD images (bought from Goodreads) are best avoided - I skip them when I look at Giveaways on offer.

Hope this helps...I've found the process interesting, it produces a number of people adding your book to their "To Be Read" lists, but that is an artifact of the default choice Goodreads imposes when you enter a Giveaway, and no indication of their significant interest in your book. Nevertheless, this parade of "want To Read" pictures then appears on your book home page.

Don't expect reviews. None. Though Goodreads says that the review percentage is ~60%, I haven't seen a single one for dozens of books given away. I think it depends upon a number of factors, not the least of which may be how easy your book is to the reader's mind.

-rian