I have mixed feelings about giveaways. On the one hand, getting your book into the hands of new readers is always a good thing. If they have a positive experience, they will probably want to read other books you have written (or will write), and they may even recommend you to their friends. 

On the other hand, if a potential reader sees a description or review of your book on a blog and is interested enough to sign up for that blogger’s giveaway, what happens if she doesn’t win? It’s likely she will forget about your book and move on to something else. This is what I fear happens with giveaways on book blogs. Once the giveaway period ends, it’s unlikely that anyone who entered but didn’t win will delve into the archives and come across the description or review of your book again.

A solution to this dilemma is to require people to do something in exchange for entering a giveaway, thus keeping you and your book on their radar. For example, you might ask that they:

• Sign up for your newsletter
• Like your author page on Facebook
• Follow you on Twitter
• Follow you on Instagram

If you’re the one managing the giveaway, e.g. through your newsletter or Facebook page, it’s easy to set the terms for entry. If you’re doing it through a book blog, you might run into resistance from the blogger regarding entrance requirements. But it’s worth asking.

Have you tried a giveaway? Please share your experience in the comments!

-Maria

Maria Murnane writes bestselling novels about life, love and friendship. Have questions? You can find her at www.mariamurnane.com.