Master Goodreads and BookBub: The Ultimate Author Presence Boost
Unsure how to work with these reader platforms? Let's discuss!
Everyone knows about social media as a strategic option for writers, but what about the most popular platforms for readers beyond socials? Goodreads and BookBub are by far the most prominent options for writers.
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Read more here about utilizing socials strategically ⬇️
The State of Social Media for Authors in 2025: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF
Social media for authors is still a wild, unpredictable beast in 2025. Just in the last few months, we’ve seen platforms rise, fall, glitch, and shut down just to come right back hello TikTok, leaving us all wondering if we should just return to carrier pigeons at this point.
Is it worth it to create and build on these reader platforms? You bet. Let’s break it down.
Understanding Goodreads for Writers
Goodreads is a platform where readers can discover new books, connect with authors, and engage in literary discussions. It offers writers opportunities to build a readership and connect with potential fans.
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Pros and Cons of Using Goodreads
Pros:
Engagement: Goodreads allows direct interaction through groups and discussions.
Exposure: Authors can promote their books and drive reviews through giveaways and book listings. PLUS, all book reviews are public and viewable on the book page, which means search engines also index reviews.
Author Dashboard: Access to metrics and insights on reader engagement.
Cons:
Time-Consuming: Managing interactions and promotions can be time-intensive. I also find the platform slow and clunky, especially on mobile.
Complex Platform: The numerous features can be overwhelming for new users.
Author Profile: You can’t create your author profile until your book is available, so if you don’t plan on a preorder, you can’t start your author account until the book is available on Amazon.
Advertising Options and Costs on Goodreads
Goodreads offers several advertising opportunities:
Paid Ads: Authors can target readers by genre, interest, and location. Costs vary, but pay-per-click options typically start at $0.50-$1.50 per click. Self-service ads on Goodreads are no longer an option (ended in 2020).
Interestingly, a client desperately wanted me to advertise their books on Goodreads using the self-service option. However, since it’s no longer available, we couldn’t, and they weren’t happy about that.
When I communicated with Goodreads, I asked for some ad information. They start at $2000, which is pretty expensive for most authors.Giveaways: While giveaways can be free to set up, shipping physical books to winners incurs additional costs (the ebook giveaway option is $199; the print giveaway option is $599 plus shipping).
Strategies for Success on Goodreads
Create an Author Profile: Your profile should be comprehensive to attract readers. You should also claim your book(s). Instructions are here.
Participate in Groups: Engage in discussions to build a community around your work. As always, I don’t suggest rushing to win people over with “Buy my book!” posts. Get to know readers first.
Host Giveaways: Utilize giveaways to increase visibility and gather reviews.
Incorporate your blog feed so your content is constantly updated.
Diving into BookBub for Authors
BookBub is an email subscription service that connects readers with discounted books. It is known for its practical promotional tools for authors.
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Pros and Cons of Using BookBub
Pros:
High Visibility: BookBub’s promotional emails reach a large audience. Huge. Hundreds of thousands of readers.
Effective Promotions: Promotions are known to increase book sales and visibility.
Targeted Audience: This feature allows you to target specific genres and demographics. I also love that accounts can be tagged as either authors or readers.
TIP: Want more BookBub followers? See which readers are following comparative authors; follow those readers.
Cons:
Cost: Promotions (Featured Deals) can be pretty expensive, especially for self-pub authors (they can cost anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars). I also noticed they tend to feature more traditionally published books.
BookBub Featured Deals Fees To see all options, click here. If you’re working with a publisher, my experience over the last decade is that you’ll have more success being selected for a Featured Deal if your publisher submits (and hopefully pays).
Selectivity: Not all books are accepted for promotions, so competition is high. You can try again every 30 days if you’re not chosen. Promotional books must also be free or priced at no more than $2.99.
Advertising Options and Average Costs on BookBub
Featured Deals: These are highly competitive and can range from $150 to over $3,000, depending on the book price and category. They offer a US-only or global option, so select which is best for you and your budget.
You need reviews on Amazon to be selected, so concentrate on that goal before submitting for a Featured Deal (How many reviews? Who knows. The more, the better. One client was disappointed I couldn’t get him into a Featured Deal - he had four reviews then.) If you aren’t selected, you can resubmit every 30 days.
BookBub Ads: Authors control the budget and bidding; average costs vary widely but are typically based on reach and engagement.
Winning with BookBub Promotions
Submit to Featured Deals: These deals can boost sales significantly when selected. To qualify, you must have an author account and a book available for purchase.
Use Targeted Ads: Leverage BookBub Ads to reach a specific audience based on genre preferences.
Additional Resources for Writers
We can leverage Goodreads and BookBub to maximize reach, enhance our literary presence, interact with readers, and look for featured opportunities like deals and giveaways.
Each offers unique advertising solutions to connect with readers and foster a robust author platform.
What have you experienced with Goodreads and BookBub? Please share below.
News:
Two wonderful book releases this week!
J. Herman Kleiger’s Whispers, his third novel of psychological suspense, was just released. It’s fantastic. Learn more here.
He also has a terrific giveaway - click to enter (free, no strings) to win a $100 Amazon gift card and a signed print copy.
Adam Aresty’s Skyboy is also out now. If you’re a sci-fi nerd like me, you’ll love it. Adam is a professional screenwriter and professor at Fordham University in NYC. This book is the first in a fascinating new series. I hope you’ll read it, too.
His website is super cool. You can even submit your own invention—click to learn more. It's so fun.
Finally, I’m honored to be a guest on Anne R. Allen’s award-winning blog for writers this week. Read all about the many, many, many scams here to look out for!
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Happy writing!
Thank you for this! I found you on Anne's blog and came right over. Very helpful info as I navigate the turbulent waters of social media while publishing my debut novel. Exciting stuff but can feel overwhelming at times.
Incorporate your blog feed so your content is constantly updated. I have my Substack feed my Goodreads blog, which I like. I have also written numerous book reviews over the years. I was in the Top 10 in book reviews in 2024, but I'm now way behind. Goodreads has been a great platform, but it's challenging for me to keep up with because it's not a core part of my social media methodology. I'm writing more than I'm reading, and I'm writing more serials now, not novels. We'll see if that changes when I finish my next book. I have several lining up, if I can make the time to finish them.