Book promotion sites with large email lists of engaged readers (like BookBub, for example) can significantly boost your book’s visibility and sales. Here’s what you need to know about using these platforms effectively.

Understanding Book Promotion Sites

Book promotion sites maintain curated email lists of readers interested in discovering new books, typically at discounted prices or for free. These platforms segment their audiences by genre, allowing authors to reach targeted readers interested in their specific type of book and hopefully gain new readers along the way.

My Usual Disclaimer and Question: Are You Even Ready for Book Promotion?

Before investing in any promotional campaign, ensure your book and network are properly optimized with an effective reader magnet and prominently placed link inside your book that goes to the email signup to get the magnet. The primary goal of these promotions isn’t just immediate sales – it’s building your long-term email list of engaged readers. Without these basic platform elements in place, you’re missing the most valuable aspect of paid promotions: growing your email list for future book sales. You’re trying to gain long-term customers here, not just turn a profit on one book! Seriously– if you do not have a way for people to sign up for your email list, you are not ready to spend money on email book promotions!  Get that piece done right away!

ok, I’m going to trust that you have your reader magnet, email list signup, and website set up properly. Bonus points for a solid onboarding sequence!

BookBub: The Industry Leader

BookBub is the most influential promotion platform, boasting over 10 million readers. While their promotions can cost several hundred to thousands of dollars depending on genre, they offer unparalleled exposure. However, they accept only 10-20% of submitted books, making approval highly competitive. All of us have been rejected multiple times for BookBub deals, so don’t get discouraged!

Key features:

  • Largest reader base in the industry
  • Genre-specific promotions
  • New release promotions available
  • Strict submission requirements
  • Premium pricing structure
  • Really, really hard to get

Seriously though, do NOT pay for one of these deals (even if they do happen to accept you) unless you have that email signup in place. You are more than likely NOT going to sell enough books for a BookBub promo to pay for itself, so exposure and new email signups are the main benefits to shelling out all that money.

Finally, can I just mention that BookBub is so expensive and so powerful SPECIFICALLY because they have 10 MILLION PEOPLE on their email list? If that’s not an argument for setting up your email list properly right now, I don’t know what is.

OK, now I’m going to tell you about a bunch of other websites/ email lists where you can do promos. I will also point you to David Gaughran’s website, since he is known for knowing everything there is to know about promos and has the most updated list. Plus he has a cool accent. Check him out! 

Other Major Promotional Platforms

Free Book Promotions:
Meaning– these places promote free books, not that the promotions are free)

Discounted Book Promotions:
Meaning–your book is discounted (for a limited period of time), not that the promotion is discounted. Hope that makes sense.

  • BargainBooksy: Wide range of options ($20-500)
  • Robin Reads: Large, segmented lists, affordable options for promo blasts (approximately $60)
  • ENT: Varied pricing ($45-120)

Strategic Timing

Optimal promotion periods:

  • Within 30 days of launch for maximum impact
  • During KDP Select free days (if your book is in KU)
  • When running planned price promotions (like during your launch)
  • During revival campaigns for older titles

Promotion Stacking

“Promo stacking” involves scheduling multiple promotions consecutively during your launch month. This strategy helps:

  • Maintain consistent visibility
  • Generate sustained sales activity
  • Improve Amazon algorithm recognition during launch period (honeymoon period)
  • Maximize marketing impact and email signup conversion

ROI Considerations

When evaluating promotion sites, consider:

  • Size and quality of email list
  • Genre-specific audience reach
  • Submission requirements
  • Booking lead times

The key to successful book promotion lies in strategic timing, careful platform selection, and coordinated marketing efforts. While BookBub represents the gold standard, a mix of smaller platforms can provide significant visibility and sales momentum for both new releases and established titles.

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