The last time I did a Goodreads Giveaway, I generated interest from hundreds of people, got several reviews (some actually good) and some lasting interest in the book.
Fast forward almost four years and things have changed. I was shocked to find that the now Amazon subsidiary requires a fee of $199 or $599 for standard or premium giveaways. I rationalized that it would be worth it given the interest I got from the last giveaway, and there should be some added benefits since I was paying, right?
I purchased the standard service for my latest, Paleo Family—a sequel so to speak of the most popular of all my books, Zero to Paleo.
Well, the giveaway has been a complete waste of money this time.
I did generate almost 1,000 additions to readers’ shelves, but after over a month, I haven’t received a single review or rating from the service. Sales have been pathetic compared to Zero to Paleo and I haven’t even seen anymore page follows!
What gives?
There are some differences in the books I gave away. The first book I gave away was a fiction, so it may have been easier to read. I gave away 20 copies for the first book and only 5 this time. And I might have been a little more active on Goodreads 4 years ago, though my marketing in general has been stronger for Paleo Family.
At this point, I cannot recommend the spending marketing money on the Goodreads giveaway. At this rate, it will take me a few years to recover the cost and I won’t have anything to show for it.