2025.
NetGalley launches ebook promotion service Booktrovert
NetGalley (a company that specializes in ARC books, i.e. giving readers access to books before they are officially published) has launched a platform called
Booktrovert. For readers, there are giveaways, discounts, presales, games, merch, sweepstakes and tools for creating book lists. For authors, there are tools for marketing and advertising. Authors and publishers can launch private and public campaigns themselves - for example, for book clubs or presentations. Pre-orders and direct links to buy books are supported. Books are delivered via Kobo, Kindle and Booktrovert's own web reader. There are analytics on views, clicks, demographics and engagement.
2025.
TikTok quickly gave up on book publishing
TikTok is shutting down its book publishing service
8th Note Press that was launched just two years ago in 2023. Through its #BookTok community, TikTok has become an effective place for publishers to drive book sales and even self-published authors have found considerable success by capturing a viral moment on TikTok. So in 2023 ByteDance took the next logical step - tried to earn on book publishing. But probably this project hasn't become successful enough and brings small income compared to Tiktok's advertising business. And taking into account Tiktok's problems with US business, this publishing affair is like a fifth wheel. But nevertheless #BookTok is still a good marketing tool for authors.
2023.
Goodreads introduces new Giveaway marketing tool for authors
In the vast, improbably complex universe of bookish endeavors,
Goodreads has embarked on a curious new adventure, launching the U.S. Giveaways program—a cunningly designed initiative packed with features that might well baffle even the most seasoned Vogon poet. This masterstroke of literary marketing wizardry comes in two gleaming packages, each engineered to propel books into the hyperspace of discovery while enticing readers to leave their invaluable reviews. Authors and publishers, long clamoring for more robust tools to dazzle audiences, will find their wishes granted with seamless audience connections and the magic of automatically updated Want-to-Read lists. For Kindle Direct Publishing authors, the previously mythical ability to host Kindle ebook giveaways is now a thrilling reality. At a mere $119, the Standard package boldly delivers up to 100 copies—Kindle or print—while the $599 Premium package boasts not only these same perks but also a dazzling "Featured" spotlight on the Giveaways page, perfect for showcasing your magnum opus to the galaxy’s most voracious readers. Ford Prefect would probably approve, though he'd insist on a towel being part of the deal.
2023.
PublishDrive adds Sales Events to help authors market their books
PublishDrive, in a move that would make even the most perplexing galactic bureaucracy look like a beginner's guide, has rolled out a series of sparkling enhancements to its self-publishing platform for authors. The menu now glides with upgraded elegance, while an integrated tutorial patiently whispers directions for navigating its labyrinth of features. Sales analytics and reports, once resembling something best left to advanced mathematicians or clairvoyants, now present themselves with a clarity that even a Vogon could admire. The Help Center, too, has been infused with the sort of intelligence that allows it to anticipate what you actually need, rather than presenting you with a long, irrelevant list of things you don’t. But the pièce de résistance is the Sales Events feature, a tool so cunning it practically writes your marketing plan for you. With a flick of the proverbial wrist, authors can book promotions across a dizzying array of vendors, setting discounts and price tweaks that promise to make their books irresistible to readers and entirely noticeable by their wallets.
2023.
Pressbooks partners with EBSCO to improve discoverability for books in Pressbooks Directory
In a universe not entirely unlike our own—though possibly with slightly more paperwork—
Pressbooks has teamed up with the ever-intriguing EBSCO, presumably to ensure that open-access books published through Pressbooks don’t languish unnoticed in the digital equivalent of a sock drawer. This integration, a splendidly unpronounceable collaboration, allows these noble works to frolic freely through EBSCO’s Faculty Select and EDS services. By diligently dispatching regular metadata updates to EBSCO’s sprawling Directory, Pressbooks demonstrates its relentless enthusiasm for helping both authors and institutional publishers shine their collective light into the murky corners of discoverability. The ultimate goal of this whimsical partnership is nothing less than to sprinkle the joy of free learning materials across educators, students, and other bewildered seekers of knowledge, boldly increasing the adoption of openly licensed content and—just possibly—saving the galaxy from mediocrity, one metadata update at a time.
2019.
Goodreads starts Giveaways to help authors promote their books
The shiny new contraption known as
Goodreads Giveaways is rather like handing a microphone to your book and letting it shout to the universe, "Read me!" Whether you're nervously launching your debut, keeping the flame alive for your latest masterpiece, or coaxing an old favorite back into the spotlight, this ingenious platform is a delightfully chaotic way to fling your creation into the hands of millions of readers. It’s not just a marketing tool; it’s a bit of a literary adventure, letting readers introduce your book to their friends with the same giddy enthusiasm as finding a really good towel. With
Goodreads Giveaways, your book gets an all-access pass to the popular Giveaways section, a bustling place where readers trip over new titles they didn’t know they needed. Plus, your giveaway takes center stage on your book’s page, practically inviting readers to join the fun. Oh, and don’t forget the nifty bit where your Goodreads followers and the folks who’ve already clicked "Want-to-Read" get a cheerful nudge about your giveaway—because what’s better than spreading the word faster than a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster at a book club?
2019.
Reedsy launches Goodreads alternative for indie authors
Reedsy has introduced a new book marketing tool called
Discovery, specifically designed for indie authors. In theory, it will provide direct access to hundreds of reviewers and thousands of readers. Powered by machine learning algorithms and the Reedsy's community, Discovery will help authors find interested readers, like it happens on Goodreads. After registering, your book will be presented to a pool of relevant and experienced reviewers. On your chosen release date, your book will be presented to registered readers. They will be able to view a sample chapter, leave a comment, evaluate cover design, read and add reviews, rate it and purchase it from online retailers.
