Goodreads Authors/Readers discussion

I'm wondering if the basic ($119) Goodreads Giveaway might make sense. I'm thoroughly unknown, which is why I'm wondering if this is the best use of $119 right now. My book will be released in April.

I've got paperback and Kindle/eBook ARC's of my memoir Play Something Pretty That You Like to Play available, and I'm hoping to get some Goodreads reviews. (I've already received two 5-star reviews from Goodreads.)

I would appreciate feedback from anyone - especially newer authors - who has experience with the Goodreads Giveaways. Was it worth it? Did people take you up on all the copies offered? Did many, or any, of the winners volunteer a review? (I understand that providing a review is totally optional for anyone that gets a free book.)

Sincere thanks,

Greg Allen Morgoglione

I have not tried Goodreads Giveaway. However, it has been my experience that readers who get my book for free, do not write reviews. Perhaps it is because they have no investment in the book. I don't think people value things they get for free. Anyway, I don't give my book away for free anymore because I think my work has more value than that.

So back when Giveaways on here were free people were not required to leave a review(although that's rather rude considering they won your book and received a free copy the very least they could do is leave a review) but you of course always held out hope that they would.

I have not run a giveaway on here since they started charging and I don't know about anyone else but if I did, given how much it cost I would certainly hope I got reviews out of it, otherwise who knows if they even read it.

Could be for the best - I’ve gotten a really pitiful rating from someone who got my book for free. No reason given for the rating. It’s a fairly low rating for a children’s picture book.

Roxie wrote: "Could be for the best - I’ve gotten a really pitiful rating from someone who got my book for free. No reason given for the rating. It’s a fairly low rating for a children’s picture book."

Yeah, unfortunately, those types of reviewers are always going to exist. The best thing to do is keep putting your book out there in hopes that the next rating is a more favorable one.

As a reader and reviewer I wouldn’t do a paid giveaway for anything. It wouldn’t really sound good as a reader to come across a book where it could sound like buying reviews even if that’s not the case.

I think it depends on your expectations. I have participated in the giveaway program--on a very limited scale.

The pros include getting your books out to potential readers, getting your name out there. I gave away 10, maybe 20 hardcopy books at a time. Did I get reviews? A few--maybe. I'm not going to stalk the readers. The biggest pro is that, while I only gave 10-20 actual books away, those titles are now on the TBR lists of every entrant regardless of whether they won a copy or not. Those numbers were in the thousands. Will those thousands buy and read the books later? Who knows, maybe. But it's advertising. It's your title in their list.

But there are plenty of cons too. Primarily the cost. You're not only paying for the cost to run the giveaway. You're paying for each book won, plus shipping if the prize is a hard copy. And some prize winners won't even read the books. You might find your book suddenly for sale in an online used bookstore -- or on Ebay. They win the book, you pay to give them the book, they earn money by selling the "signed copy in mint condition."

So, it depends on many factors.