BookBub Insight

By M.J. Moores on March 27, 2014 • ( 0 )

Publicity Tip #26

When do you pay for marketing as opposed to riding the coat-tales of free publicity?

New Stats Show 2 Million+ Subscribers

The free publicity options available to authors sound like the best way to go to spread word about your new book. However, many of these resources do not have the same reach as pay options. If you decide you want to invest some money into marketing your book, one name that keeps popping up on the indie radar is BookBub.

That being said, BookBub is not the only option out there and it’s still hit or miss as to whether their 2 million+ subscribers will be interested in your genre. They also appear to be geared more toward multiple-book authors as opposed to new, stand-alone book authors – but the choice is ultimately yours to make.

BookBub does not charge a flat rate for their services. They have a pricing/statistics chart that breaks down costs. I was astounded to learn that a mystery book would be charged three times as much (approx. $300) as a science fiction book (approx. $100) for inclusion on their email list. As a science fiction writer, I feel that $100 is a realistic amount to pay for a good marketing service. If I were a mystery writer, I would balk for sure. This list is supposedly in constant motion, so the price specified for your genre one month, might be different the next month.

Whenever you look into a paid marketing option, be sure that it fits your budget and that the type of marketing shows statistical promise for your genre. In other words, don’t take someone’s word for it – research the company yourself.

What I like about BookBub are their strict guidelines.

What I don’t like about BookBub are their strict guidelines.

Huh?

Well, they are selective. They don’t accept just anyone waving money in front of their faces. Their email list has been carefully built around discerning readers looking for a good deal on a new, promising e-book. The in-house reviewers read each book submitted for consideration and then determine whether or not it would be a good fit for their readers. They look at cover art, interior formatting, quality of editing, and resonance of story. This is good.

They are also selective when it comes to the deal you’re willing to offer their readers. If you’re not making your book free then you need to offer at least a 50% discount. However, with the high volume of submissions they receive, you could have a fantastic book that conforms to the above selectiveness but if your deal is not as good as another author’s (you offer 50% off and they offer 70% off), the other submission will be selected over yours – and the maximum price you can offer is $2.99.

So, while I think BookBub is certainly beneficial to some authors, it’s not for everyone.