Top Book Promotion Services and Book Promotion Sites in 2023
Contents
Your children’s book is written—maybe even published. But do you have a book launch plan? After all, a picture book can’t sell on its own. There is too much competition. You need to find your audience. And that means coming up with a book marketing plan. One of the best ways to get eyes on a book (and to drive book reviews) is through a book promotion.
Book promos are usually tied to the release of free eBooks or discounted eBooks. Why? Because people love to get things for free! And free eBooks are a great way to test a book (or an author) out without spending too much money. But getting those free eBooks in front of readers means engaging a book promotion service that will really deliver.
With so many options out there, how can you know which book marketing services are worthwhile and which are a scam? Let’s take a look at the top 7 book marketing sites children’s book authors rave about. We will keep adding to this list as we hear success stories, so if you've had a great experience with a book promotion service, let us know!
BookBub
With over 10 million members, BookBub is one of the top services around for book promotion. BookBub book promos are free for readers, and are intended to help them discover books through unbeatable deals, handpicked recommendations, and updates from their favorite authors. BookBub’s book promotion services work by allowing readers to choose the kinds of books they are interested in. Readers then receive a daily email featuring the newest deals, as well as a weekly roundup of the best deals.
A BookBub book promo is a great tool for letting the world know about a new eBook, and fornew authors to introduce themselves to potential readers. Unlike most book marketing services, BookBub also allows established authors who have a following of over 1,000 readers on BookBub to send a dedicated email to inform their readers about preorders on their next book.
BookBub deals are available for Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble Nook, Apple Books, Google Play, and Kobo.
BookBub promotion cost
Pricing for a BookBub book promo is based on the price of the book.
For children’s books, it breaks down as follows:
- For free books, the advertising rate is $122
- For books under $1, the advertising rate is $179
- For books ranging from $1 to $2, the advertising rate is $307
- For books ranging from $2 to $3, the advertising rate is $446
- For books greater than $3, the advertising rate is $624
Children's book promos go out to 510,000+ subscribers. A BookBub book promotion can expect to receive an average of 5,100 downloads on free children’s books and 480 downloads on paid children’s books.
For a full pricing grid by genre, check out BookBub’s pricing guide.
Can anyone run a BookBub book promotion?
BookBub is picky about which books are selected as Feature Books. Only 10-15 percent of children’s books are ultimately chosen, which means being selected is a huge honor! For tips on how best to submit for a book promotion, check out BookBub's submission insights.
Freebooksy
Freebooksy is a book promotion service focused on free eBooks and discounted eBooks. Freebooksy’s offering includes a one-day post on their website, an inclusion in their daily email, and a post on their Facebook page.
Freebooksy deals are available for Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble Nook, Apple Books, Google Play, and Kobo.
Freebooksy book promotion cost
The cost of a book promo through Freebooksy varies based on the price of your eBook. A free eBook for a children’s book costs $45 with an estimated reach of 62,000 people.
For a full breakdown on pricing for a Freebooksy book promo, check out their pricing guide.
Can anyone run a Freebooksy book promotion?
In order to participate in a Freebooksy book promo, your eBook must be free. Book promos for books between $.99 and $5 are operated by Freebooksy’s partner, Bargain Booksy.
Bargain Booksy
Bargain Booksy is an eBook promotion site that focuses on discounted eBooks, rather than free eBooks. Readers are invited to choose the genres they like and the format they prefer to read in and are then sent daily deals. A Bargain Booksy book promo includes an email blast to all of the Kindle readers (note, that's just Amazon purchasers, not the other formats they support) and a listing on their website with links to all formats where the book is available.
Bargain Booksy deals are available for Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble Nook, Apple Books, Google Play, and Kobo.
Bargain Booksy promotion cost
Children’s books cost $20 dollars a day to promote and are featured both on the website and on the daily email, which goes out to roughly 45,000 readers who have expressed an interest in children’s books.
For a breakdown of costs across other genres, check out Bargain Booksy's pricing guide.
Can anyone run a Bargain Booksy book promotion?
In order to participate in a Bargain Booksy book promo, eBooks must be priced between $0.99 and $5.
Booksends
Booksends is an eBook promotion site that focuses on free eBooks and discounted eBooks. Like other book promotion sites, readers are invited to choose the genres they like. In the case of Booksends, deals are for Amazon only, not all platforms.
Booksends promotion cost
Booksends book promotions for children’s books cost between 10 and 20 dollars and go out to their list of roughly 16,500 readers.
Can anyone run a Booksends book promotion?
Due to limited space, authors are asked to submit just 1 book at a time and are limited to one ad per 30 days. Booksends will not feature the same book more than once every 90 days, and if a book has been free in the previous 90 days, that's the only price they will feature it at.
Minimum book requirements to be included in a Booksends book promotion include:
- At least 5 reviews, with a high overall average, and an attractive cover.
- A planned sale price of less than $3 and at least 50% off full price.
For more information on getting a Booksends deal, head to theiradvertiser page.
ManyBooks.net
ManyBooks is an eBook promotion site that focuses on free ebooks and discounted ebooks. Like other book promotion sites, readers are invited to choose the genres they like and are then sent daily deals. Unlike other book promotion services, ManyBooks offers downloads for free books directly on their site rather than sending to a third party.
ManyBooks book promotion cost
Promotions run for a single day and cost $29. Books are included in a one-time email blast that goes out to 175,000 active subscribers. They are also posted on their website and social media for the day.
Promotions for permafree books exist starting at $39.
For more information on pricing, check out ManyBooks'spricing guide.
Can anyone run a ManyBooks book promo?
For a book to be considered, it must have the following:
- Be available on Amazon.com. (They also link to B&N, Kobo, Apple, Google and Smashwords, but these retailers are optional).
- At least 5 reviews on Amazon with an average rating of at least four stars.
- A professional cover image along with a captivating description to entice the readers.
- It must be free or offer at least a 50% discount. It is also important that it has not been cheaper than the offered price within the last three months.
The Fussy Librarian
Fussy Librarian is an eBook promotion site that focuses on free eBooks and discounted eBooks, with a stress on the free. Like most book promotion sites, readers can sign up for a genre they want to get deals on and will receive a daily email with the deals of the day. (The bargain book email goes to 114,000 subscribers, while the free eBook promotion goes to just over 500,000 subscribers.)
Unlike some sites that select a book for a book promo and decide what day the book promotion will fall, Fussy Librarian allows authors to view a book promotion calendar and select the day they want to promote their book.
Fussy Librarian book promotion cost
The cost of a Fussy Librarian book promotion will vary by genre. For a children’s book, the cost is $20 with emails going to an estimated 315,000 subscribers.
For a full list of Fussy Librarian book promotion costs, check out their pricing page.
Can anyone run a Fussy Librarian book promo?
- Yes. Fussy Librarian Book promos are open anyone, though it is recommended that books have at least ten book reviews and a professional-looking cover.
- For free eBooks, the book must be free all day. (And it is recommended to keep it free the day after the promotion as well in case someone opens the email late.)
- For permafree books, Fussy Librarian offers a subscription model to promote regularly.
Book Gorilla
Book Gorilla is an eBook promotion site that focuses on free eBooks and discounted eBooks, particularly for Kindle books. The sweet spot for Book Gorilla eBooks is $.99, but prices can go as high as $2.99 (though Book Gorilla warns authors that such a high price will likely have a negative impact on click-through. This low price and the relationship with Kindle makes Book Gorilla a good choice for author running Kindle promotions or Kindle Unlimited promotions. Like other book promotion sites, readers are invited to choose the genres they like and are then sent daily deals. Unlike other sites, Book Gorilla book promos allow readers to choose whether their daily email will contain 12, 25, or 50 books, with most readers opting for 25 books.
Book Gorilla book promotion cost
The price of a book promo through Book Gorilla varies by book genre and price point:
- Mysteries and Thrillers, Romance, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Religious Fiction, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror Fiction, Action and Adventure, Erotica, and Women’s Fiction cost $50 if the book is free or $.99, $100 if between $1 and $2.99 and $200 if priced over $2.99.
- Humor, Teen, Childrens, Advice and How-To, Biographies and Memoir, Cooking, General Non-Fiction, Politics, History and Current Events, Business and Investing Leadership, Sports and Other cost $40 if the book is free or $.99, $75 if between $1 and $2.99 and $175 if priced over $2.99.
Authors may also submit their book for consideration as a Starred Title book promo, placing the book promotion in the first 12 titles listed of an email. There is an additional charge of $100 for any title selected as a Starred Title.
For more information on getting a Book Gorilla book promo, check out their advertising guide.
Can anyone run a Book Gorilla book promotion?
A Book Gorilla book promo has to be approved. In order for the book promotion to be considered a book must have a minimum of five reviews on its U.S. Kindle store page, with an average ranking of 4 stars or greater.
Exceptions may be made for brand-new releases by an author with a past track record of highly rated books or a book with very positive unpaid reviews from reviewers Book Gorilla’s book marketing services team respects.
Book Promotion Services
If you are setting your book as free for one book promo, consider stacking several promos one on top of the other. For those that give you the option of choosing your date, you might consider running two on the same day, or running one right after the other. Free days for eBooks are limited, so make the most of each one!
Related articleAdvanced Reader Copy: How to Get Books before They're PublishedAn advanced reader copy (ARC) is a pre-published version of a book. Learn how to get a book before it's published, how to print ARCs, and how ARCs drive reviews. Includes sample advanced reader copy language and ARC examples from top publishers.Read the article →
And remember, a book promotion service can only show readers what books are available. It is up to you as an author to covert that to clicks and buys. In order to maximize the potential for your book promo, make sure you are putting out the best possible product. What does that mean? It means your book should have:
- a professional looking cover
- established reviews
Related articleAmazon Editorial Reviews: An Author's Best Marketing ToolAn overview of Amazon Editorial Reviews, including how they are different than Amazon Reviews, why they matter, and how to get editorial reviews.Read the article →
- a good book summary and sales hook
Related articleBook Back Cover: 6 Steps to a Back Cover that ConvertsHow to write and design a book back cover, featuring a step-by-step guide, free book back cover design templates, and back cover examples for all genres.Read the article →
- a strong “about the author”
Book promotions versus book advertising
As you plan your book launch and subsequent promotions, remember that book marketing and book promotions are not the same as running a book advertising campaign. Book promos cost a flat fee no matter how many clicks or downloads are received. Ad campaigns are generally run on a "cost per click" basis, with a targeted audience set by the author, rather than by the reader. More on that in a future article!


