FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Goodkindles?

Goodkindles is a book promotion site for authors, publishers and book promoters that helps writers sell their books by listing them on the website itself, and sending information about them to social media followers and newsletter subscribers. We offer three self-published book marketing services (that can be also used to promote books that are not self-published but published by a publishing house company) and also book advertisement banners and a monthly automatic book promotion subscription.

How to check if a date of my choice is available?

If you'd like to confirm if a date of your choice is available, please use the availability checker tool that you can find under the packages description on the Promote Your Book page.

Do you accept a payment method other than PayPal?

Yes - we can also accept payment by direct bank transfer in various currencies. If you'd like to pay with a direct bank transfer, please contact us at adam@goodkindles.net - we will send you our bank account details and the link to our online form where you'll be able to enter your book details and schedule the promotion date via email.

How does the book submission process work?

Step 1 - payment via PayPal. Please choose one of our three book promotion options that suits you best and click the "Buy Now" button next to it. You will be redirected to a PayPal form, where you will be able to pay using your credit card or your PayPal account.

Step 2 - send your book details to us through our simple online form. After the payment is completed, you will be redirected to our online form, where you will be able to enter your book details and choose the listing date.

We will ask you for: your book title, author's name, book description, link to your book on Amazon (or Amazon ASIN number), date of the promotion on Goodkindles and whether you would like to promote your book at a regular price or pair it with a sale or a free giveaway on Amazon. You do not have to send your book cover to us - we will get it from your book page on Amazon.

That is all - you will receive a confirmation from us that your book promotion is scheduled.

What can I expect when I promote my book on Goodkindles?

You can expect that your book will get a large amount of views, and if our users like it, you can also expect an increase in sales. You can also expect an increase in long term sales. We are running Goodkindles differently than other book promotion sites - while other book marketing services usually rely almost entirely on their newsletter and the "initial blast" as their main tool to promote books, Goodkindles aims to be a long-term book advertising site as well - your book will be getting views every day after, as our aim is to run our site a bit similar to an online bookstore, with the books permanently submitted to our book genre categories. Readers browse these categories every day in search for new titles to read, and your book will be getting views every day. Many authors who use our site are experiencing a sustained sales effect.

How many subscribers does Goodkindles have?

We currently have around 126,000 subscribers of our social profiles and newsletter.

How do I advertise my book on a book advertisement banner on top of Goodkindles or in the right sidebar?

We currently offer two book advertisement banner types - a Main Banner and a Sidebar Banner:

- Main Banner: $120 / month (horizontal banner at the top of our site, linked to the book page on Amazon)
- Sidebar Banner: $60 / month (cover of the book on the right sidebar of our site, linked to the book page on Amazon)

We also offer a Monthly Book Promotion Subscription: the cost is $14.99 / month and it features an automatic regular monthly book promotion on our homepage, in our newsletter, and all our social media profiles on the selected day of the month that suits you best.

If you would like to purchase any of the above options or obtain more information, please contact us at adam@goodkindles.net

Can I promote a book that has no Amazon reviews yet?

Yes - you can submit and promote a book that has no Amazon reviews so far.

How can I offer my book for free or with a discount?

To run a free or discounted promotion of your book, you need to schedule it first in your Amazon KDP Panel (you can register to Amazon KDP here). After you schedule a promotion, you can then enter the dates to our online form. You will be redirected to the form after picking up one of our options for it on our "Submit your book" page.

How should I promote my series?

Many series authors have seen great effects using a popular series authors strategy - they run a free promotion (for a few days) of Book 1, while leaving other parts at their normal price. If the readers like the book number one, there is a big chance that they will buy next parts of the series.

How to get a book self-published?

To get your book self-published, you need to sign up to one of online ebook self-publishing platforms. There are a few out there, but the most popular self-publishing platform is Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. You can open an author account there, and self-publish your book at no cost.

What do I need to prepare while self-publishing my book?

You will need your book text as a text file or pdf, and also an image that will be your book cover. If you would like to make a cover for your book by yourself, you can use a completely free, open-source software called GIMP.

What is the difference between Goodkindles and other book advertising services?

There are many book promotion sites out there - so when we started in 2011, decided that we want to differentiate Goodkindles from other services. We too send the newsletter with the books to readers, but the main difference is that Goodkindles is built in many ways like a bookstore - and we work every day to encourage our visitors to browse it and discover new reads. This means that authors can expect results not only in the beginning, but also later as the readers browse our site every day and your books will be getting views.

We also are one of the most active ebook marketing services on X.com (formerly Twitter.) A single promotional tweet on our account has had it's value estimated between $330 - $400 by a well-known web influence measure company.

How do I promote my book?

When the book is already published, a lot of authors find that in order to interest readers, they need to promote it. First, they make sure that their book has a good cover, no errors, interesting description and a reasonable price. Then they bring traffic to it - and make people see it. This is where our book marketing service comes into action - we put your book in front of audience of readers and potential buyers of your book.

While submitting, when I fill out the submission form with my book details will you check it for errors?

Yes, we will check the form you have filled out for errors - but only the technical errors, not in terms of content. We will check if the amazon link or ASIN is working properly, we will check the price, author name and the free or discounted promotion dates. In terms of content you will need to double-check if the promotional blurb you use (we strongly suggest you use a completely different description than the one you are using on Amazon) looks exactly as you would like it to appear, and also that there are not any typos or errors. If you find any errors, or decide that you would like to change your promotional book blurb, please contact us.

What is a best way to promote a book?

A best way to promote a book is to follow a classic 4P marketing plan. What is marketing? Marketing is a management process through which goods and services move from concept to the customer. The 4P stands for four most important components of book marketing: product, price, place (selection of a distribution channel to reach the customer) and promotional strategy.

Should I promote my book with a free giveaway, discount promotion or at it’s normal price?

There is no single correct answer to that question, as each author has his own experiences with free and discount book promotions. However, a general rule of thumb says: if you are on the beginning of your journey with ebook marketing and you do not have too many reviews, submit your book to our site with a free promotion. A lot of authors have reported great results with free copies downloads, and later also an improvement in terms of sales. There is also a chance that your book will be reviewed by a reader that was able to download your book for free. If you already have some reviews, some sales, and you feel that you are ready to step into the next level - go with the discount promotion. Finally, if your book has positive reviews, you see that the readers are interested in it (you see sales regularly) and you feel that the price is right - submit and promote your book at its' regular price with top kindle book promotion sites that work.

How do I know if my book will be on a free or discount promotion on Amazon, and when?

The free and discount promotions are something that you can plan personally in your Amazon KDP Author panel. You can log in there, click "promote and advertise" next to the title you wish to promote, and then you can schedule a free or discount promotion for your book by choosing the dates by yourself. And then when you know the type and the dates of the promotion, come back to our site and list your book then, entering the type and dates of chosen promotion in the book submission form.

I have planned a free (or discounted) promotion for my book in my Amazon KDP Panel. Should I list my book in the beginning, in the middle or in the end of the promotion?

If you have already planned a promotion (free or discounted) for your book, you should pick a preferred date for your listing (in our book submission form) as close to the day the promo begins as possible - ideally on the first day of the free giveaway or discount sale.

Is it true that when my book will hit 50 reviews, Amazon will start to promote it?

It is not true. Amazon includes your book in the "also boughts" and "you might like" lists independently from how many reviews you have. Having more than 50 reviews can help, but does not guarantee that Amazon will highlight the book for spotlight positions and its newsletter. However, getting as many reviews as possible is a great way of promoting your book and making the decision process easier for new readers. It also helps your book to get on the Top Rated lists which are based on reviews.

I would like to advertise my book with a Main Banner. Will my banner be the only one there for a whole month?

You are welcome to promote your book with our book advertisement banner. Your ad will be put there in rotation with banners of other authors who decide to book the same month or custom time interval as you.

What is the best free software for writers?

There are many apps useful for authors, but among them there are a few pieces of free software for writers that we strongly recommend. If you need to prepare a cover for your book by yourself, we recommend a free, open source program GIMP. You can also use Scribus - a great free open source desktop publishing software, that allows preparation of professional quality images. If you are searching for a software that will help you to write a book, we recommend FocusWriter - a program that eliminates all distractions from your desktop and allows you to focus completely on writing. Libre Office is a fully-featured alternative to Microsoft Word, completely free. You can also save your files as PDFs easily. If you have already finished writing your book, and would like to prepare an ebook file, you may try Sigil - a free program designed specifically for ebook editing. Many authors recommend Evernote as the best research tool, and an idea collecting program. It's great advantage is a full synchronization between your computer and phone, so you can write down ideas for your books anywhere you are. You can also try open-source free novel writing software Bibisco which allows writers to fully plan their novels.

Do you have a free book submission option for authors who would like to promote their books for free?

Getting a guaranteed listing on our site requires getting one of our paid options. If getting a paid book promotion package is not possible at the moment, and you are looking for a way to advertise your book for free, you can send your book details for an editorial consideration. To suggest your book to be promoted for free, please contact us. Please note that due to the popularity of our book marketing service we receive many submissions every day and we strongly advise to list your book with one of our three options.

I am promoting my book with a discount / free giveaway pretty frequently. Do you have any tools that will help me market my book promotions?

Yes - you can use our Monthly Book Promotion Subscription, which is an option for authors that allows them to promote books automatically once a month. Once a month your book will be brought back to our homepage, featured in our newsletter and in all our social media profiles.

Do you promote books with a blast on social media?

Yes, we promote books not only on our website and in our newsletter, but we also market books with a blast on twitter, facebook, google plus, tumblr, linkedin, and also on quora, although on quora we only promote books handpicked by our editors.

Why should I use a different promotional description than the blurb I use on Amazon, while marketing my book with you?

An usual sale path of user that buys a book promoted on Goodkindles site leads them from the promotional listing of the book submitted on Goodkindles - to Amazon page of the book. Using a different blurb than the one you are using on Amazon means that a potential reader reads a promotional text on our website, and then, when he goes to Amazon, he reads another engaging description. If the two texts are not the same, then the chance that he will abandon his intention to buy the book is much lower.

Is the amount of reviews that my book has on Amazon important? How many reviews should my book have to maximize my sale results?

Yes, the amount of reviews your book has is an important marketing and sale factor. If your book has no reviews, it lowers the probability that your book will be bought. The more positive reviews your book has, the better. There are certain thresholds - many experts agree that you will see an improvement in terms of sales after your book reaches them: 5, 10,25 and 50 positive reviews.

How can I promote my author website?

If you run an author website or an author blog, you can promote it with us by adding it to our list of author websites. To add your author website to the list, please submit your book with a Professional option, which includes adding the site to authors' website list.

I have planned a free promotion in KDP select. Is it enough to promote my book and increase its' rank, or should I spread information about it?

You definitely should spread the information about your free promotion in KDP Select as widely as possible. Running a free promotion hugely increases a chance that your book will be picked up by potential readers, but there are many books being launched every day, and if you would like your book to climb up the amazon rankings, you need to make it easy to discover - you definitely should promote your book free days with our book promotion services.

If I use a free ebook submission tool, will my book be promoted on Goodkindles?

No. If you use a free ebook submission tool online, your book will not be promoted on Goodkindles. Marketing books by mass submission system with the same, generic blurb either does not work at all or brings very insignificant results. At Goodkindles we believe that a book promotion works best if it is individually adapted to each author needs. The only way to get your book marketed on our site is to use our own book submission page. This way your listing is guaranteed, and we promote your book on as many online ebook marketing channels as possible. We are always up-to-date with the best and newest book marketing trends and ideas.

Should I use free amazon kindle book submission tools available online?

This depends on how much time do you plan to spend promoting your books, and what results in terms of book sales do you expect. Marketing your ebook with a free amazon kindle book submission tools available online is sometimes regarded as a method for the lazy, and usually brings much lower results than an individual promotion that uses a new, fresh promotional blurb, often timed with a discount or a sale, on a date chosen by the author himself.

I have promoted my book on BookBub recently. Should I list my book with Goodkindles as soon as possible, or should I wait a bit?

If you have promoted your book with BookBub recently, the general book marketing rule of thumb says that there are two strategies. If you have had many book sales then you should wait at least a few days until you promote your book with us. If you feel that you could have had more sales, then you should list your book with us as soon as possible, to remind readers about it.

What are the best paid ebook promotion sites for authors?

There are many indie book promotion sites out there, but not all of them can bring you good results (it is also worth noting that many of them require your book to be free in order to be accepted for promotion). We have ran big marketing campaigns for many authors who wanted to advertise their kindle books not only on our website but also on others as well, and we have used a majority of available ebook promotion sites, including free kindle book promotion websites and blogs. In our experience two top best paid ebook promotion sites worth trying aside from Goodkindles are BookBub and Freebooksy.

I have chosen to promote my book with a Professional / Standard Plus option, and I would like to schedule a second promotion for my title. How can I do that?

To schedule a second promotion for your book, please contact us, and tell us a preferred date of your second promotion. If you plan to pair our promotion with Amazon free giveaway or sale, please give us the details as well.

I would like to publicize Amazon sale / Amazon free giveaway with your promotion service. What is the best time to list my book?

Some authors decide to list their books during the last days of their planned Amazon sale / Amazon free giveaway, but this is a strategy that works best with well-known books that have a lot of positive reviews. It is generally considered that the best possible time to list the book that is going to be on sale or free giveaway is on the very first day of planned Amazon promotion.

Do you offer any publisher discounts for multiple titles / bulk book promotion?

Yes - we do offer discounts for book publishers and promoters for multiple titles promotion. Please contact us for the details.

Do book promotion sites work?

Yes, book promotion sites do work - but there are a few factors that you must take into consideration. Top kindle book promotion sites that work have good traffic, a large number of users subscribed to their book newsletter or following them via social channels like Twitter or other, and are well-known among book readers. Book promotion sites role is to bring as much traffic as possible to your book - but the ultimate decision whether to buy a book or not will be made on the book page in the online bookstore (for instance, Amazon) and that is why it is also important to have a catchy cover, good, engaging description, a solid number of positive reviews for your book and also a competitive price.

How to promote my book on Linkedin?

Linkedin is one of social networks where you can promote your book. To promote your book on Linkedin, you can promote your book with one of top kindle book promotion sites that has a good number of kindle book readers following on Linkedin, such as Goodkindles.

How to promote my book for free?

If you'd like to promote your kindle book for free, it is possible - each month we select a few titles from the books sent as suggestions for our editors to be promoted on our book promotion site for free. If you'd like your book to be considered to be promoted for free, please contact us, and please send us the book details and the link to Amazon. However, please be aware that we receive a lot of applications, the current waiting time for a free place is relatively long, and only selected books can be promoted for free. The only way to be sure that your book will be advertised on our site is to list it with one of our three book promotion options which guarantee a place on a day of your choice.

What is fiverr kindle book promotion?

If you have seen offers of fiverr kindle book promotion, this does not mean that your book will be promoted on fiverr website itself - it means that you can hire a specialist that will help you market your book. It should be taken into account that many of book marketing specialist on fiverr will be submitting your book to top kindle book promotion sites, such as Goodkindles, and you can do that independently.

I would like to buy ads and advertise my book on your book promotion service. What are the Main Banner and Sidebar Banner ads?

If you already submitted your book to our site, and you'd like to increase its' presence and the amount of views, you can buy a book advertisement banner. A Main Banner ad is a horizontal image linked to your book page on Amazon. As the Main Banner space is a very prominent place on our site, to lower the price the Main Banner ads are shown in rotation with other banner ads. A Sidebar Banner ad is a vertical image in our right sidebar, linked to your book page on Amazon.

What are book promotion services and what is the difference between book promotion services and book promotion sites?

There are two main types of marketing websites for authors - book promotion services and book promotion sites. The main difference between them is that book promotion services offer a wider range of promotional services for authors, while book promotion sites often focus on their main way of marketing the books which is usually sending it to their newsletter subscribers. A good book marketing service should be able to also offer help with book cover and formatting, be able to promote it on many different channels, and often offer book public relations services.

Can I buy a book promotion with cryptocurrencies?

Our primary platform of processing payments is PayPal, but if you prefer, you can also pay with multiple cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin and Ethereum. Our platform of choice is Binance - if you'd like to buy one of our book promotion options with cryptocurrency, please contact us.

How to get your book turned into a movie?

If you are thinking about adapting your book into a film or tv show, there are two main things you'd need to do. The first one is to prepare a short promotional document about it, that will include an elevator pitch / book hook of your book (a short book summary that can be told during a short amount of time) and also a little longer description if a producer or a movie production company would be interested. The second thing is to contact producers and movie studios, send them your book promotional material, and see if they could be interested. You can contact them by yourself, or you can also look for or hire people who could contact them on your behalf.

Is the ASIN number the same as the ISBN number?

No, the ASIN number is not the same as ISBN number. ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number) is a unique identifier used exclusively by Amazon to catalog all products sold on their platform, including books. ISBN (International Standard Book Number) is a globally recognized identifier specifically for books and publications, issued by official ISBN agencies. While ISBN is universal across the book industry, ASIN is limited to Amazon.

How to schedule a free or discount promotion of my book on Amazon?

Step 1: Log in to KDP Go to KDP's website and log in to your account: https://kdp.amazon.com

Step 2: Select Your Book In the "Bookshelf" tab, find the book you want to promote. Make sure your book is enrolled in KDP Select (only KDP Select books are eligible for free or discount promotions). 

Step 3: Open the Promotions Page Under the "Kindle eBook Actions" menu next to your book, click "Promote and Advertise". This will take you to the Promotions page. 

Step 4: Choose a Promotion Type You can choose one of two options: 

  • Free Book Promotion: Your book will be available for free for up to 5 days in a 90-day period.
  • Kindle Countdown Deal: Your book will be available at a discounted price for a limited time. 

Step 5: Set Up the Promotion

  • For a Free Book Promotion: Click "Create a Free Book Promotion". Select the dates for your promotion (up to 5 days, consecutive or non-consecutive). Confirm and save.
  • For a Kindle Countdown Deal: Click "Create a Kindle Countdown Deal". Set the start and end dates. Specify the discount price tiers (if desired) and duration for each. Confirm and save.
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