Goodreads Giveaways - Everything Authors Need to Know

Every author knows that writing and publishing an amazing book is only half the battle. Once your book has hit the shelves, whether they're physical or digital, a lot of work lies in making your book stand out from the crowd and finding an audience to pick up and read it.

When it comes to promoting a book there are a ton of worthwhile strategies ranging from cultivating an engaging social media presence to building an email list. As you set out to plan and execute your awesome promotion ideas there's one platform that you can't ignore: Goodreads.

Goodreads is the go-to social platform for book lovers. Readers can share and discover new book recommendations and reviews, while authors can promote their work and connect with a massive audience of avid readers.

And best of all, you can start running Goodreads Giveaways.

Goodreads Giveaways allow authors to promote their books on Goodreads by giving away free books that readers can win simply by signing up and adding the title to their Want to Read list.

Goodreads features these giveaways on its Giveaways page, includes them in relevant users' feeds, highlights them in email alerts, and lets you amplify their reach through your own book marketing efforts like social media posts or newsletter announcements.

Running a Goodreads Giveaway is a proven tactic for both self-published authors and established writers to:

• Attract potential readers
• Generate early book reviews
• Build a following through their online presence
• Increase your book’s visibility before or after launch

Whether you're promoting through local bookstores, building your profile on Amazon Author Central, or engaging a book club community, giveaways help call attention to your book and drive book sales.

So what are you waiting for?

You can easily run your own successful Goodreads Giveaway by following these simple steps:

The first thing you should do, if you haven't already, is create an Author profile on Goodreads. When you join the Goodreads Author Program, you'll get your own Author page where readers can learn about you and your books.

All you have to do is:

1. Sign up at Goodreads
2. Search for your book(s), click your name and "Claim" your Author profile
3. Keep an eye out for the email letting you know you've been promoted to Author status.
4. Personalize your Goodreads account

This is an important step because your Goodreads profile is an outstanding way to connect with readers. The Goodreads author dashboard provides readers with your photo, book listings, blog articles, and recent activities such as book signings and giveaways.

You can start creating your own Goodreads Giveaway by going to the Your Giveaways section of your Dashboard, clicking "List a Giveaway" on the Goodreads Giveaways page, or simply by following this link.

When you start creating your giveaway, the first choice you will have to make is between giving away a Kindle book, or a print book.

With Kindle book giveaways, authors can give away up to 100 Kindle ebooks without the added cost of printing and shipping.

Authors prefer this format because they can distribute more copies for free, and winners can dive into your book immediately without waiting for delivery. A drawback of Kindle giveaways is that only publishers and self-published Writers who utilize Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) have access to this feature.

You won't be able to host digital Goodreads ebook giveaways if your book isn't Kindle-compatible.

If you run a printed book giveaway, winners will get their print copies by mail. This format is great if you're giving out a few copies.

Readers are more likely to appreciate the physical version of a book, as it adds to the classic book experience and means they're less likely to leave it unread.

However, print book giveaways come with higher production and distribution costs, which often limit the number of copies you can give out and restrict your distribution area.

Although Goodreads membership is free, there is a cost for hosting a book giveaway. There are two types of packages available to authors:

Here's what you'll get with each package:

• Entrants will be required to add your book to their Want to Read list. This will spread the word about your book to their friends and help you gain a following.
• When someone enters your giveaway it will be featured in their friends' news feeds, helping you build exposure and boost participation.
• Anyone who follows you or has added your book to their Want to Read list will be notified about your giveaway so you can kickstart your giveaway and engage your community
• Winners will be encourage by Goodreads to review your book which is a great way to develop positive word-of-mouth and help build awareness long after the contest has ended.

The Premium Package gives you access to everything on the Standard Package plus:

• Get massive exposure by being included on Goodreads' Giveaways page, which tens of thousands of people visit every month.

• Have a personalized email send to everyone who doesn't win your giveaway, allowing you to connect with tons of prospective readers interested in your book.

Next up, you'll need to select the start and send dates for your giveaway.

You want run your giveaway for long enough that it has time to gather momentum and reach a large audience, but you don't want the end date to be so far away that it doesn't seem worth entering.

Goodreads Giveaways can run for a maximum of 30 days, and we recommend running yours for as long as you can to maximise exposure.

Also, Goodreads will take a few days to review and publish your giveaway, so make sure the start date is at least three days away.

Next you'll need to decide how many copies of your book you want to give away. If you want to get your book into as many hands as possible then giving away more copies is a good idea, but giving away a few copies is still a great way to grab attention and build interest.

Kindle books make it easier to distribute more copies because you don't need to worry about production or shipping costs.

For print giveaways, 10 copies is a good number, and for a Kindle giveaway you can give away anywhere up to the maximum of 100.

You'll need to provide a brief description of your giveaway that is no more than 150 words. You can use this section to announce your giveaway, let entrants know what your book is about and even showcase some glowing reviews.

As well as writing a description you'll also have to provide a primary and secondary genre, and specify whether or not your book contains mature content.

Once your Goodreads Giveaway is live, it's time to promote it beyond Goodreads to maximise reach and drive real results.

While Goodreads gives you some visibility, especially for Premium listings, self-promotion is essential — particularly with the Standard package. A strong marketing plan can significantly increase your book sales, grow your online presence, and attract more potential readers.

Here are a few proven ways to promote your campaign:

• Share your giveaway across all your social media posts (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube).
• Announce it to your email list to engage existing fans.
• Post in book club groups or communities aligned with your genre.
• Optimise your listing with a striking cover image, strong book blurb, and early book reviews.

Pairing Goodreads Giveaways with Gleam can also help drive viral sharing, grow your list, and integrate with platforms like Amazon Author Central or your local bookstores.

Running a Goodreads Giveaway is an effective way to promote your book and connect with new readers in the Goodreads community. But if you want to reach a wider audience, boost book sales, and build a stronger online presence, then running your giveaway with Gleam's Competitions app is the smart move.

Here’s why authors and publisher authors love using Gleam for book promotions:

• Require entrants to complete powerful actions like following you on Goodreads, joining your email list, visiting your site or social media posts, and referring friends to gain bonus entries — and so much more.
• Capture emails from potential readers so you can build relationships, send updates, promote future giveaways, and grow your subscriber base.
• With plans starting from $10/month — plus a feature-rich free plan — Gleam offers more value than standard Goodreads Giveaways.
• Unlike Goodreads (limited to US and Canada), Gleam lets you run free book giveaways globally — expanding your reach to international readers.

Take a look at our Goodreads Giveaway template to see how your own campaign could look and start building a professional book marketing funnel.

You can run your Gleam giveaway on your own website or use our hosted landing pages — it only takes a few minutes to set up.

All you need to do is sign up, customise your campaign and start promoting it using your existing marketing plan.

You can promote your Gleam Giveaways by emailing your readers, sharing in book club groups, posting across social channels, or using Gleam’s Viral Share actions to let users amplify your reach.

Every author needs that extra edge in today’s crowded market. With a Gleam-powered Goodreads Giveaway, you’ll build momentum by engaging potential readers, gaining reviews, and growing an active, loyal fanbase for your next release.

It's the ultimate tool to call attention to your book, attract leads, and create a lasting impact with every campaign.

While you're promoting your books through Goodreads Giveaways, it's crucial not to overlook other vital platforms — and Amazon is one of the most important for any publisher author or self-published writer.

In the US, Amazon accounts for over 40% of book sales, making it essential for growing your audience and generating revenue. Although Amazon retired its official Giveaway service in 2019, Gleam makes it possible to keep running powerful Amazon Giveaways that drive traffic, increase visibility, and attract potential readers to your product pages.

You can read all about running Amazon Giveaways with Gleam right here, and explore our dedicated Amazon template below to see how your campaign could look.

We also offer a full library of ready-to-go Amazon Giveaway templates tailored for authors, ecommerce brands, and content creators. Whether you're launching a debut or boosting sales for a bestseller, we've got you covered.

To learn more tactics that drive conversions and support your broader marketing plan, be sure to check out our helpful guide.

Running Gleam campaigns on Amazon is a scalable, impactful way to call attention to your book, offer free books as an incentive, and use social media posts to promote your store, reach new readers, and build long-term momentum.