Someone’s Not Playing Hard to Get

Hello Bloglandia!

Don’t worry, despite the title, this post is not about dating advice.

Instead, it’s about Bookbub. Namely, how they’re behaving in unexpected ways.

A quick note before we begin: The memes in this post have nothing to do with the post’s words…I just thought they were funny. For example…

A Bit About the ‘Bub

Bookbub is mainly a place for readers to find book deals. And these aren’t deals on books you wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pair of reading glasses. These are deals on books ranging from highly-rated indies to top-selling authors such as Stephen King, Lee Child, and Nora Roberts.

Once you sign up (for free), Bookbub sends out their daily (or weekly, if you prefer) Featured Deals email with amazing offers on books in the genres you’ve selected. You then decide if you just can’t resist those bargains…I fail to resist much too often.

It’s also a great place to leave reviews for books and to get book recommendations from your favorite authors (simply follow the author and their reviews show up now and then in your email).

Bookbub for Authors

That’s the reading side of Bookbub. But authors, especially indie authors, know Bookbub as the Holy Grail of book promotion.

See, those Featured Deals I mentioned above? Those aren’t just chosen willy-nilly. Authors (or publishers) submit their book and the deal they want to offer. The Bookbub gods then review the submissions….and reject something like 85 to 90 percent of applications.**

Seriously, it’s easier to get into law school than to get a Bookbub Featured Deal.

Or so I’ve heard.

My First Try at Getting a Featured Deal Spot…

See, a few months ago I decided my earnings this year were strong enough that I could finally afford a BookBub Featured Deal.

If I was ever accepted for one, that is (see rejection rates above).

I figured I’d try The Trials for Hercules: Book One of the Osteria Chronicles. This book is always free on all retailers and I’d read that Bookbub was looking for more free books for their Featured Deals.

So, I submitted…and promptly forgot about it, assuming I’d likely be rejected.

Then one morning a couple weeks later I opened my email to see a message from Bookbub with the subject: Your book has been accepted…

Holy ducklings, Batman!!!

My first attempt at a Featured Deal? Accepted? Let’s say there was much squealing for joy in the house that day.

The deal ran, thousands upon thousands of people downloaded the book, Herc blazed through the Number One spots of many Amazon categories, plus a few on Kobo. It was crazy!

Second Try…I Swear I’m Not Sacrificing Ducklings

Speaking of crazy, I decided to submit another book for a Featured Deal the week after the Herucles’ ad ran (about a month after my first application).

This time, I sent in an application for The Undead Mr Tenpenny. The book is normally $3.99 (USD) but the discount would be for 99c.

I finished the application. Hit submit and figured I was really pressing my luck. Surely this one would be rejected, right?

Nope.

That’s right, I was accepted two times in a row by a company who states very plainly that they reject nearly every application.

I started laughing and saying (in a very gloat-y way), “I thought these things were hard to get.” ****

I mean, I’m not sacrificing ducklings to the Bookbub gods, but maybe someone is doing it by proxy??

Anyway, this second Featured Deal hasn’t been run yet, but it will be interesting to see how the results of the 99c deal compare to the freebie.

It’ll also be interesting to see if I can strike lightning three times in a row when I apply for another Featured Deal next week.

Wish me luck…but please don’t harm any ducklings on my behalf.

Any amazing luck wander your way recently? Gloat away in a comment below!!

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**Why Bother if It’s That Tough?

So why go through the trouble of all this if your book is highly likely to be rejected? And is pretty darn expensive if you do get accepted?

Well, besides the fact that the application takes less than five minutes to complete, a Bookbub Featured Deal can skyrocket a book that’s been selling okay into selling superstardom.

Planned out correctly, your book is very likely to hit several Number One spots on Amazon and other retailers (this means great visibility when shoppers are browsing), and it’s likely to stay there for a while.

****A Little Disclosure So You Don’t Get Discouraged

Because I hate it when other authors make marketing things sound oh-so simple and infect other authors with a major case of comparison-itis, I want to take the time to tell the “real” truth behind my Featured Deal luck…no, it doesn’t involve ducklings.

While I did get accepted two times out of two, I had applied only for the international Bookbub Featured Deals email, which goes to the UK, Australia, Canada, and India, but NOT to the US.

US Featured Deals are MUCH more competitive, MUCH harder to get,  and are also MUCH more expensive…some of them are well over $1200. Yes, that’s $1200 to be featured in one email.

I’m not that rich, which is why I stuck to the international side of things. Those spots are far easier to get (obviously) and are usually well under $200.

You likely won’t get as many downloads as you would with a US + International Featured Deal, but believe me, you will see a big boost without going broke.

And hey, you still got accepted for a Bookbub Featured Deal. High five!!

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If you’re looking for something to read in November, be sure to check out this huge bundle of bargain books.