Last week on the blog we talked about GoodReads giveaways and how to run a successful one. While the GoodReads giveaways are great, they currently only allow paperback copies to be given away, so for those authors with digital books, or on a very tight budget, it’s not an option.

LibraryThing is a site that works much like GoodReads, and they DO allow eBook giveaways. I invited author Robert B. Lowe, who tried a Library Thing giveaway last week, to give us his thoughts on the experience. Take it away, Robert!

You can check out the LibraryThing.com giveaway program by clicking on this link: http://www.librarything.com/er/giveaway/list.

Here is how it works with some tips.

-To put your book into the giveaway, you need to register on LibraryThing and either

a) be accepted as an author, b) put 50 books in your list, or c) pay $10 for a paid membership.

I did (c) to list my new mystery-thriller Project Moses although was accepted as an author after applying with a few credentials and waiting a day.

-The default order of books is by number of copies given. I did 100 once I realized this got you in the top 10. So, at this point you’re realizing the value – in my view – is not giving away 5 to get 50 or 500 to see it and perhaps register. It’s about getting your book in a bunch of hands, some of whom will write reviews and list them in their collections on LibraryThing (which claims 1.5 million registered users), GoodReads and the like.

-In a week, got 57 requests for Project Moses from about 8 different countries. The site gave me a list of everyone with address and email info. The agreement is you only use it for this giveaway and not for anything else.

– I sent everyone a Smashwords coupon # in a mass email that made Project Moses free. I told them it was good for 3 days, and said they could give it out to two others. I asked for reviews, particularly on amazon, and invited replies if they wanted to be in my email list. Got about 50 downloads. Several people listed Project Moses on their LibraryThing lists and some also added it to their GoodReads. It’s only been a few days so I’m still waiting to see re: reviews. One so far (with 5 stars!!) Got a couple email list requests and started a conversation with one reader so far.

-One note: After I put it up the listing, I was able to edit the listing at first. I upped the number from 20 to 100 when I realized the positioning thing and tweaked the description. But, tried to tweak it again a day later, couldn’t. I think when the first person enters the “drawing”, it locks for the duration.

Conclusion: This won’t make your book a best seller overnight. But, it’s a start.

Robert B. Lowe is the author of Project Moses which is a GREAT book – I thoroughly enjoyed this 90’s mystery thriller set in San Francisco. Check it out on Amazon here.

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