Giveaway Tips for Authors
If you have read from other articles, you probably have heard about Giveaways.
Giveaways are a great way to reach an audience, increase your reach and connect with them.
It can also be a source of anxiety.
But not today anxiety.
Not today.
Some giveaway tips for authors include setting a date, collaborations, communication, and more. Hopefully, these giveaway tips for authors can help you with your giveaways. Let us know in the comments!
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Setting a Date
This may seem simple enough, but it is also critical that your Giveaway is not just a random, marketing ploy.
But something thoughtful, meaningful, and helpful to your audience.
Here’s a bit of my story when setting Giveaway dates.
Living in Japan, we rely on the changing seasons to keep track of time. Logically speaking, it makes sense to buy sakura bookmarks during the spring while Christmas bookmarks are only sold during the Christmas season.
This would be the same for your giveaways. Find a time or times in the year that are special for books. And have a giveaway during those seasons. For example, host a giveaway during the summer (June 1st – August 31st) to celebrate all of the beach-reads and poolside activities. Or host one around the winter holidays, like Thanksgiving or Christmas, to give away books that people can cozy up with during these colder months.
No matter what time you choose for your Giveaway, make sure you stay consistent and keep track of the dates to ensure your Giveaway is successful!
Having this information on hand will also help you plan out the rest of your marketing and promotional strategies too. That way, everyone is informed and ready to join in on the fun.
Happy Giveaway Planning! 🙂
Items to Giveaway
– Books
-Bookmarks
-Items that are inspired by your novels
or
-Items that inspired you to write your novels.
I knew an author that included soap modeled after her characters and their scents. Her book was a werewolf romance.
Other things that may be of interest are stationary, planners or other tools you use to help you write your stories.
I live in Japan, and have access to tons of exclusive anime stuff, sakura (Cherry blossom) stuff, and random Japanese goods. But do any of these things attract my ideal audience? Maybe, maybe not.
What my ideal audience wants are things related to books, novels, and things to make their lives easier and more fun when reading.
Bookmarks, book cover protectors, sticky notes, and things that I write into my novels. Such as bath salt. In my series of legends of Mona, most of the characters use onsens(outdoor baths).
Collaborations
Do you believe in small businesses?
Doing collaborations may be something to think about. Finding small businesses or even those that you currently support and do a Giveaway together.
It helps bring awareness to the companies and allows them to put their name out there. It also gives you an opportunity to make someone else’s dream come true!
You can provide a special discount or even give away products from either company in order to promote both businesses and create relationships with those involved.
It’s a win-win situation and it helps get the word out about both brands!
So go ahead, think outside of the box and start collaborating with other companies to reach a greater audience. You never know where it could take you! Good luck! 🙂
Giveaway Tips for Authors-Communication
Are you doing a Giveaway as part of Takeover or a guest author appearance?
Which is in fact a great idea!
Just ask your host for permission to do so, as it is their audience and you are a guest.
Most times, your host will be more than happy to accommodate. Others may not want to have you do a Giveaway.
Your host may also have giveaway tips for authors such as yourself. It never hurts to ask.
This is why having open communication is key.
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Picking a Winner(s)
Many authors use spin the wheel apps to pick their winner(s).
Other ideas could be picking a random number, draw from a hat or have a friend or family help out.
One thing I learned from my past Giveaways, is to write down my winners and exactly what they won. In some Giveaways, not everyone receives the same prize. I also email the winners, and have learned to take the time to write a personalized email to each one. Making sure what I wrote is correct. And thanking them for participating.
In a nut shell:
Take Your Time:
When it comes to Giveaways, it is important to take your time and make sure everything runs perfectly. Make sure the prizes are sent out in a timely manner. Reply to emails quickly and type up thank you notes for each winner. These little touches can go a long way towards creating a positive experience for your winners and keeping them engaged.
Be Organized:
Organization is key when it comes to Giveaways. Make sure you know exactly who won what, how many prizes there were, how the winner was selected, and any other details that may be important. Keep all of this information in a spreadsheet or document that you can refer back to as needed.
Thank Winners:
It is important to thank your winners for participating in the Giveaway. This shows that you value their time and effort and recognize their contribution to your success. Whether it’s through a simple tweet or email, make sure each winner receives a personalized message expressing your gratitude for entering
In the End..
There are tons of other giveaway tips for authors out there. Be sure to keep learning, and take that brave step of doing small giveaways at first. Just like in writing, the more you practice and have giveaways, the better you become.
Have fun and good luck!
