Book Promo Sites

To say I haven't had good luck with book promo sites would be an understatement, although I once did a *free* book promo with BookBub that resulted in 42 downloads. What did that get me? Anytime I tried to promote a book ranging in priced from ninety-nine cents to $1.99, I got zip. Wait, I maybe got three ninety-nine cent purchases (I want to be accurate here).

When searching for the best book promo sites, BookBub is the most frequently recommended, followed by Bargain Booksy (or Free Booksy), and then a few others, such as The Fussy Librarian and BookGorilla.

I get spammed by The Fussy Librarian all the time because I once scheduled an ad with them. Yes, the price is right, but the results are quite bad, at least for me. Promo site reviewers appear to agree, many stating it's just not worth it. 

As for BargainBooksy, the place wasn't right for me, obviously. I might have gotten a couple of takers ~ can't remember, but certainly no more than two.

I can understand BookBub's good reputation. They come across as professional and their ad creation and stats are straightforward. And they offer a bit more than the other sites, such as comp author targeting. David Gaughran recommends it. BookBub was where I got my 42 free downloads. Every time I offered a book that was not free, however, I failed spectacularly.  

Then there are the sites that are almost impenetrable. For example, BookGorilla requires at least five reviews of four stars or more. When one is trying to promote a new book, it's rather impossible to even have five reviews. BookSirens flat out rejected me ~ twice. They're not required to give a reason, so they just come across as assholes. And they don't even inform the author of the rejection, instead requiring a site login to find out. 

I'm considering checking out other less-known sites, particularly the free and low-cost ones. (There actually are free ones.) But overall, most promo sites are all promises and paltry results. And many make the author jump through hoops just to get a chance at an ad.

If I do decide to give any new sites a whirl, I'll post the results here.