Carol McAdams Moore

Authors with new books are always searching for ways to get the word out. Goodreads offers a simple giveaway program that requires very little, yet it spreads the word to many potential readers who may have been unaware of the author’s newest book or even of the author herself.

Listing a Goodreads Giveaway

• Become a member of Goodreads. It is free and only takes a few minutes to complete the necessary forms online.
• Choose one for title for each giveaway.
• Decide how many copies of the title will be given. (The author is responsible for supplying the books and for mailing them directly to the winners.) The more titles, the more readers you will reach with your actual book.
• Select the duration of the giveaway. It seems that a month is a reasonable amount of time to keep the giveaway listing fresh.

Making the Most of It

• Goodreads offers a free widget that can be added to your website or blog. It draws your online readers to your Goodreads presence, potentially adding more names for the giveaway.
• When the name(s) of the winners are selected, add something extra to the package with their autographed book. Some possibilities include a bookmark from another one of your titles, a note of appreciation, or a small promotional item — such as a pen or pencil.

Guidelines for the Author

It is important for the author to remember the following reminder from Goodreads. The names of the winners cannot be saved for future mailings.

A Goodreads giveaway is a quick marketing idea that you can put into action today.

Carol