The hope is that regardless of the quality of the book promotion site, or the amount of actual traffic that they receive, sales or downloads will occur and hopefully a review or two may show up.
Whether you love this style of kindle book advertising or not, one cannot deny the effectiveness of this book advertising strategy.
The below list is my compilation of my favorite book promotion sites – some free, while others not so much.
Each one of the ebook promotion sites will have their own set of requirements in order to be accepted. So, to help you out, I did the research on each one and wrote a quick bit about their stipulations and what that website is all about.
In this article, you will gain:
- An understanding of how these book promotion sites work
- A list of the best book promotion websites, free and premium
- A couple of options in order to not have to do this yourself
So, let’s begin…
How Do Free Book Promotion Sites Work
In most cases, the answer is simple. These book promotion sites have, through many different means, collected a very targeted bunch of emails.
Then when you submit your book for a promotion, they will blast the information out to their – hopefully – avid readers and with the click of the link in the email, they are downloading your book. Some require that your book be free or .99 cents.
So, why do this for free?
In many cases – and again, I can’t speak for all – these sites will take your book’s amazon sales page and create their own Amazon Associate link and place that in the email so as to get a commission on sales.
Now, some of you might be saying “yeah, but what if the book is free?”
One of my favorite features to the Amazon Associate system is that you get paid a percentage of WHATEVER someone buys in 24 hours of clicking that link.
An example: A book promotion site sends an email with an Amazon Associate link pointing to your free book. Someone clicks on it and after looking at your ebook decides they don’t want it. Then 8 hours later, they jump back on Amazon and purchase that big screen T.V. they had be thinking about. That book promotion site now gets a $100-150 – depending on a couple of variables – right there…boom.
But don’t let that get you all riled up!
These book promotion sites are basically free advertisement for you. By getting the clicks and downloads, your book is become more popular by the minute…and all you had to do was fill out a form. It’s a win-win situation.
So, want to use this tactic to get your book sales and reviews?
Ultimate List of Free Book Promotion Sites
Free book submission sites require that at the time of your submission, the book is free. However, pay close attention because some of these sites have weird requirements. In some cases, they will require you to submit your book one week before it goes free so that when they get around to publishing it, it is free. The devil is in the details!
- http://indiebookoftheday.com/authors/free-on-kindle-listing/ Submit at least two days before your book goes free. Erotica and offensive books are not accepted, and books rated above 3.5 are preferred. They will promote books before they actually go free on their “Soon to Be Free” page.
- http://digitalbooktoday.com/12-top-100-submit-your-free-book-to-be-included-on-this-list/ Book must have 18+ Amazon reviews and 4.0+ stars, but you can pay to bypass these requirements. Books are listed for up to four days.
- http://igniteyourbook.com/free-ebook-submission/ Books must be free for the entire period of promotion, and can only be featured for a total of 14 days.
- https://www.nfreads.com/authors/ A little different but they actually allow you to submit an article that features and promotes your website. It doesn’t get major traffic, but it is gaining momentum and building.
- http://ohfb.com/author-free-kindle-book-submission.html OneHundredFreeEbooks has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Lifehacker, TIME and Edudemic. Probably goes without saying that this is one of my favorite free ones.
- http://ereadernewstoday.com/requirements/ Books must be at least 125 pages, except children’s books, cookbooks and nonfiction. They will also promote ebooks that are on sale.
- http://ereadergirl.com/submit-your-ebook/ Only non-fiction, children’s ebooks and Christian fiction ebooks are accepted, and books must be submitted at least 24 hours before they’re due to go free.
- http://awesomegang.com/submit-your-book/ This site also offers a paid option ($10) for extra exposure.
- http://www.freebookdude.com/2014/03/list-your-free-amazon-kindle-books.html No erotica is allowed and you can only submit once every thirty days.
- http://ebookshabit.com/for-authors/ No erotica is accepted, and your book must have three reviews. Paid options are also available.
- http://ebooklister.net/page.php?p=2 Erotica is not accepted. Fiction books do not require reviews, but if they exist must have a 3.5 star rating or higher. Non-fiction books must have at least 5 reviews to be considered.
- https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1gNUTB-s2sCB7ajsdEj9uSoH2i4Zoeya0aecJ0dbnkNU/viewform?formkey=dFEyLTFUSHREd05KaVItaDdUUkVVNGc6MA#gid=0 The normal site is on hiatus, but books will still be posted to the Facebook account.
- http://www.theereadercafe.com/p/authors.html Erotica is not accepted, nor are novels under 100 pages. Books must have at least 3 reviews and a rating of four stars or more.
- http://www.frugal-freebies.com/p/submit-freebie.html Erotica is allowed however, be sure to indicate it’s category as such or no go on the promotion.
- http://www.armadilloebooks.com/submit-free-ebooks/ Woo hoo, no requirements on this one.
- http://bookangel.co.uk/submit-your-book/ This is a UK site, and all content must be PG-13 so no erotica!
- http://www.freebooks.com/submit/ Another author site without requirements, which is pretty sweet.
- http://lovelybookpromotions.com/submit-your-kindle-freebie/ This is only for Kindle Select Promotions, you must submit your book five days in advance and you have to like them on Facebook for your book to be posted. Oh the reciprocal love.
- http://www.iloveebooks.com/for-authors.html Popular genres and books with high ratings are preferred so make sure to plead your case. It actually helps if you have a website or a website for your book.
- http://www.kornerkonnection.com/index.html You must like and share the Focus Post at the top of their Facebook page to be featured.
- http://www.worldliterarycafe.com/forum/171 You can only post about your book on the thread while it is free.
- http://free-stuff-unlimited.com/contact-us-2/ This site isn’t specific to books, and you just submit the details of your free item via this contact form.
- http://www.indieauthornews.com/p/promote-my-book.html Like Pinocchio, there are no strings attached.
- http://www.freebookshub.com/authors/ Technically free, but priority listing is $8 and moves your book to the top of the queue.
- http://dealseekingmom.com/about/contact/ Not specific to ebooks.
- http://www.freeebooksblog.com/contact/ Requires your first born….just kidding, no requirements here either.
- http://jungledealsandsteals.com/submit-your-kindle-freebie/ Books with graphic violence, erotica, paranormal activity or profanity are not accepted. Books must be submitted 24 hours in advance, and must be full-length novels rather than short stories.
- http://www.pennypinchinmom.com/contact-me/ Not specific to books.
- http://www.freebookclub.org/kindle-books/book-submissions/ No erotica is allowed.
- http://www.ereaderiq.com/contact/ No martians allowed…okay, they don’t have any discrimination so just post away.
- http://www.icravefreebies.com/contact/ Not specific to books, though Kindle ebooks are encouraged.
- http://zwoodlebooks.com/authors-and-publishers/ You must make a pledge to ensure all your reviews are honest. No religious, political or hateful books are accepted, and sexual/nudity on book covers is forbidden. They do suggest a $5 donation to a literary charity. Or you can always just tip Kindlepreneur.com which will go towards my go-go writer juice – aka coffee – fund 😉
- http://manybooks.net/promote.php Many Books offers free as well as premium services. But, make sure you have at least 10 reviews and a 4.0 or above Amazon Review rating before you stand a chance of making it on their newsletter. Gotta like the selectivity.
- http://mybookbuzzing.com/how-to The site is a publicizing book portal for authors and readers alike. Think of it as a wikipedia for books that allow anyone to add or edit a book on the list, but it also provides an opportunity to broadcast these books across various social networks and blogs to help reach new readers.
- http://bookbongo.com/submit/ Offers free tweets, Facebook posts and a listing on their blog.
List of Membership Required Book Promotional Sites
Memberships are generally free, but they will require you to submit your email address and signup for an account. This in turn helps to build their list of potential customers, which is a double edged sword. On the one hand the site has more people to email to, but on the other hand you are now going to receive potentially spammy emails or worse, your ebook will be looked at as spammy.
Plus, know that a mass amount of their emails are going to other self-published writers…that could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your target market.
Just something to seriously consider.
- http://authormarketingclub.com/members/submit-your-book/ Actually not a bad site at all…if you are a premium member.
- http://bookdealhunter.com/submit-free-book/ You have to subscribe to their newsletter and your book must be submitted at least two days in advance.
- http://www.mobileread.com/forums/
- http://blog.booksontheknob.org/subscribe-about-contact/subscribe
- http://ereaderutopia.com/ You need to sign in to the site to talk about your books.
- http://www.totallyfreestuff.com/submit.asp You have to sign in to post your request.
- http://contentmo.com/submit-your-free-ebook-promo Submitting your book automatically subscribes you to their mailing list, so keep that in mind.
- http://www.free-kindle-books-4u.com/promote-your-book/ You must register on the website to submit your book.
- http://freediscountedbooks.com/submit/ A free account is required.
- http://snickslist.com/books/place-ad/ No erotica is allowed, you must post on the day your book is available, and you have to be a member of the website.
- http://www.indie-book-bargains.co.uk/addBook.php
- http://marketlist.com/ads/package All you have to do is sign up, post an introduction, or any question or answer in the forum and voila – you’ve got access to the ads platform for free. Your ads will run for 90 days and can be renewed.
- http://bookpraiser.com/submit-book/ Joining the mailing list is technically optional, but encouraged for a “promotion bonus”. In this case, I would recommend the extra 45 seconds to get that status.
- http://www.bookdaily.com/authorsignup You need to sign up for a free account, including uploading a profile photo, to get your book promotion emailed to thousands of readers.
- https://storyfinds.com/subscribe You must subscribe even to get into the site as a reader.
- https://www.facebook.com/groups/freetoday This is an active Facebook group with over 12,000 members. Before posting, you should join Indie Boards.
- http://newfreekindlebooks.com/authors/ You must sign up for the site, but there appear to be no other notable requirements.
List of Paid Book Promotion Sites
Now, I know what you must be thinking…“With all those free ones, why in the good Lord’s name would I pay for a promotion?” To which I reply, “Quality.” In most cases, a site is able to generate extra money from this sort of advertisement because they hold a good market and a respectable name. HOWEVER before you invest any money in these promotional sites, make sure you understand how to verify if a site is worth your time or money. The below sites are decently, but using the tactics discussed in this article,
- http://awesomebookpromotion.com/book-promotion-websites/ – $65 to promote your book on the front page of Awesomegang, Pretty-hot.com, BookReaderMagazine, and DiscountBookMan. Book goes into each sites daily newsletter and get spread over social media. You can stack promo across one day or spread them out on each site.(BEST DEAL)
- http://digitalbooktoday.com/7-promote-your-book-on-its-first-free-day-with-a-paid-promotional-boost/ $30 to promote your free ebook for three consecutive days. Book must have over 20 reviews and a 4.0+ star rating.
- http://freebooksy.com/freebooksy-feature-pricing/ $40-$100, depending on genre. You get featured on their homepage, included in an email to 60,000 subscribers and a post to 175,000 Facebook fans.
- http://www.freeebooksdaily.com/p/promote-your-free-book.html $1-$5. Titles must be rated 4 stars or higher, and no erotica or controversial subject matter.
- http://www.goodkindles.net/p/submit-your-book.html $7.95-$19.95.
- http://fkbt.com/for-authors/free-kindle-promotion/ $25 flat fee to be listed.
- http://hotzippy.net/feature-your-book.html $15 to be listed on either “Bargain eBook Hunter”, “PixelScroll” or “Romance eBook Deals”.
- http://ebookdealofday.com/free-book-feature/ It costs $5 to be featured and Romance is the only accepted genre. There is also a UK version.
- http://bookfreebies.com/services.php Costs between $10 and $20, depending on the amount of exposure required.
- http://bookgoodies.com/submit-your-free-kindle-days/ Books must be submitted five days in advance, and listing costs $3.
- http://bookpinning.com/?sws=home/submit-book Erotica, controversial subject matter and extreme violence are not accepted.
- http://form.jotformpro.com/form/21078469493969 There is a free option, but the paid options ($5 and $10) are heavily emphasized, as there is no guarantee that books submitted free will be featured. Books must also have at least a 3.5 star rating.
- http://itswritenow.com/submit-your-book/ $10, which can also be submitted via PayPal.
- http://kindlebookpromos.luckycinda.com/?page_id=283 Only payment guarantees a feature.
- http://ereaderlove.com/contact/ No adult or gambling content is accepted, and prices range from $12 to $60.
- http://indie.kindlenationdaily.com/?page_id=642 Very pricey, ranging from $99 to almost $400 for a week of exposure.
- http://www.kindlemojo.com/info.php Costs $25 to set yourself up as a Featured Author once, with VIP at $75. You can get a Twitter blitz, with one Tweet about your book per hour, for $45.
- https://www.bookbub.com/partners/pricing Costs between $30 and $385 to promote a free book, depending on genre.
If you know of a legitimate site that should be featured here, contact me and let me know!
Book Promotion Site Services and Help
Now, if you are a thrifty writer, or just someone on a budget, you can take the above list of book promotion sites and hand-jam your information into each one.
Grab a bottle of wine and some ice cream, because that will take a little bit of time.
Viable Economical Services
Another viable option is to go to Fiverr and pay someone to do the lists above or follow their own list – although I don’t think they will be as thorough as my list. Typically, though, I will send my Virtual Assistant this list and have them do it for me, but until you make the VA leap, here are some potential contacts that will do it for you: (PS: none of these are affiliate links)
BKnights on Fiverr: This guy or gal is the bomb diggity of promotion sites sales. The link to the left is his Fiverr profile page where you will find an assortment of Fiverr gig options. I have never met anyone who didn’t think that these gigs were not worth every penny.
Book Kitty Facebook Promos on Fiverr: Through this gig, they’ll promote your book on 5 popular facebook pages that the gig runner owns. With 600+ positive reviews, its a favorite and go-to gig for many.
James H. Mayfield’s Promotion Service: This one is my favorite coming from my good friend Holger (uses a pen name). Honestly, he has the most experience with working with these free sites and I took a peek at his analytics and well…the guy’s a pro. Plus, he offers other types of promotions to include Facebook, Redit, forums and others.
And here are some more Fiverr Opportunities:
Fiverr Gig for 25 Kindle Sites
I will promote your free ebook on 5 different websites
If you would like to make some extra cash, go ahead and start your own Fiverr gig and email me your link. I’ll include you on this post….talk about FREE publicity!
Premium Services
If hiring someone to do this is not your thing, then you could always venture into the programing side of the world. Here are two programs/services that you could try. Neither of these links are affiliate links because I don’t use them so I can’t say with certainty that they are good or work. But if you try them, let me know your thoughts in the comments below:
Book Marketing Tools Submission Tool
Author Marketing Club
Disclaimer: Writing a post about this is pretty hard because every day these sites are are changing, going out of business or just disappearing. I cannot promise that the information above will be the same when you click on the link. However, in an ever quest to publish amazing content, please by all means contact me and let me know if any information has changed. I will be sure to update the site so as to reflect this. Till then, stay frosty and enjoy!
Alrighty guys, well I hope you enjoyed this list.
Cheers,
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