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Give Aways and Self Serve Ad Results
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May 06, 2019 03:12PM
In March I paid for a Giveaway for my book to generate interest soon after joining GR. It ran for 10 days, over 660 signed up for the giveaway and as promised I sent out 5 books to the winners. Results - one book sold from what I can tell even though around 550 added it to their "want to read" list. Last week I decided to try another option - Self-Serve Ads. My campaign started on 4 May. So far GR reports that it has received 1133 "views" and 0 "clicks". Between paying for the giveaway and postage to send the book to the winners, I am over $200 into promotion on GR (at least the Self-Serve Ads only charge me for clicks) with maybe $3.50 in royalties for one sale. Is this experience the norm or could there be a problem with what I have put on the site?
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As for giveaways, they tend to be very expensive stunt with a negative outcome more often than not (postage becomes a significant cost for print books) and will take the attention of people who'd like to get stuff for free, no matter what it is. I've heard some people mention their giveaways were entered by people who don't even read the genre (based on their read shelf) because it was a chance at free stuff. Thus, they have a very low chance to target the right reader (if the winners are selected randomly), let alone end up in a rating or a review.
"Want to read" list is useless metric, considering I saw many people with hundreds of books on TBR while they read less than fifty books a year so go figure how long would it take to clear the list if they added nothing and all the books had no sequels. Unfortunately, being added to TBR is nothing but "it caught my attention, like countless others". You might be read by some of them in a month or in a year - or never at all.
Goodreads is a good place to get seen but not to make sales. The giveaways, you all have covered that. It's an expensive proposition with no to a few sales. As for the ads, it maybe the ads themselves or it's the Goodreads platform. You would be better spending your money on Amazon and Facebook ads or joining a promotion like Booksweeps/Prolific works/AXP where you get emails to add to your email list. Ads usually aren't profitable unless you get a Book Bub feature deal.
Thanks, BA.This is a very helpful discussion to me. Marketing is where I am struggling, really. I am also getting the sense that I am not alone in this feeling!
The thing is, I think I have a good book, or else I would not have published it. Everyone that has read it seems to like it, and it is more than just my relatives. lol.
I just have been looking for a sorta step by step plan about how to market a book to a larger audience in a targeted way. For instance, my first book is a collection of poems, and I am working on a way to find people interested in poetry to get out the word to them.
I appreciate your post, and any advice you more seasoned authors could give me.
Giveaways used to be a better option (or at least not so expensively bad an option) before they started charging for it about a year ago. I've done one since then and I'm not even sure if the people who won the books actually read and reviewed them. Maybe one of them did.If you win a book on a Goodreads giveaway, you should review it. I have done so with every book I've won, even when I didn't like the book that much.
Oh, every time you sign up for a giveaway, unless you opt out, the system automatically says "you want to read" that book. So don't think that all these people who have your book down as "want to read" , really do want to read it.
I found Goodreads ads to be pretty ineffective. Maybe some people have luck with them, but I didn't.
Thank you for your input, Eileen.I just did a give away on Amazon, and I gained followers, but no reviews.
I love writing, and think I am at least PRETTY good at it, but marketing is DEFINITELY not my wheelhouse! lol.
Here's a hint I got from an experienced marketer who is doing well. Put in the back of your book right after "The End" something to the effect of: If you liked this book, please leave a review so other readers can find it. Thank you."Another thing you can to is put and add for a free book for signing up for your email list in the front and back of the book. I've gotten quite a few subscribers from that ad for the free book.
Marketing is best to your list. Facebook is good to get some sign-up but doesn't sell book. Twitter is worse. Linked-in you might get a few sales along with Pinterest, so if you are short on money, build a list through a free book promo with the companies I mentioned before, then send the list things they want to know about you or your books. Don't beg them to buy your books. Let them get to know your first. Given them value for signing up, add what books you have for sale at the bottom of the email. Connect to you website with a few blogs.
These are the people you want to cultivate in to fans who will become beta readers for you along with your advance team when it comes time for launches. An email list is something only you can get rid of unlike Facebook and twitter who can change the rules anytime they want.
B.A. wrote: "Here's a hint I got from an experienced marketer who is doing well. Put in the back of your book right after "The End" something to the effect of: If you liked this book, please leave a review so o..."Some good advice there. Thanks B.A.
On to Self Serve ads. I have been running a campaign with two versions of the ad since late April. So far I have over 105,000 views with only 18 clicks. I have no idea if anyone purchases a book after clicking. A friend said it is likely my book descriptions are not appealing to readers and need to be stronger. I hope this is not considered self promotion, but I need help. I would appreciate any ideas you may have to make the wording more enticing. Ad1: "Refreshing view of the military, human interaction. Col Meck overcomes hardship both in/out of the AF culminating in conquering the Camino!" Ad2: "Determination, failure and redemption on 2 Camino attempts; reflections of a modern 30-yr AF career and sometimes turbulent search for faith." Character limits obviously make it difficult.
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No links
No self-promotion
And definitely no links that are self-promotion.
@Tracey - A couple thoughts. (Because I look at stuff holistically.)- maybe a more general description. I don't know what the Camino de Santiago is, but 'The Way of St. James,' OK, no one needs a translation of that; it would at least sound more familiar.
- A 500 mile pilgrimage, The Way of St. James. Why would an Air Force Major walk the same path Christians once did? Why trek from France to Spain over (describe how grueling it is). (You could mention how it was an alternate pilgrimage to Jerusalem.) (Something along that line.) Try using words that are specific but widely known.
- Pinnacle Award - that's in your GR description but I didn't see it on Amazon. You could mention that in your description. Pinnacle Award for _____. At the top where people can see it.
- the cover - maybe try something different. Most of us aren't known very well, or at all, so not sure if it helps or not to have your picture on the cover. It could go inside or on the back. Maybe something more dramatic for the front. (Don't ask me what. :) It's just a suggestion.)
- price - this is a tough one. The price is very high for both an ebook and a paperback. Now if you find your absolute target audience, they may go for it. Maybe it can't be changed but check out the price for other ebooks.
M.L. Thanks for taking the time to look at my ads and checking out the book listing! I really appreciate the time and effort you put into it!
I have requested an update to my ad wording and will consider your other points. I self-published with the help of Christian Faith Publishing, so I will have to see how much it will cost to redo the cover - but may be worth it to get the Pinnacle Award emblem on it. I am assuming that will help with sales. Cost was set by CFP, I don't know if I can change it without cutting ties with them.
Has anyone else received a Pinnacle award? Did it help your sales? How have you leveraged it?
I have requested an update to my ad wording and will consider your other points. I self-published with the help of Christian Faith Publishing, so I will have to see how much it will cost to redo the cover - but may be worth it to get the Pinnacle Award emblem on it. I am assuming that will help with sales. Cost was set by CFP, I don't know if I can change it without cutting ties with them.
Has anyone else received a Pinnacle award? Did it help your sales? How have you leveraged it?
B.A. wrote: "Here's a hint I got from an experienced marketer who is doing well. Put in the back of your book right after "The End" something to the effect of: If you liked this book, please leave a review so o..."That sounds like great advice. Thank you for sharing.
