A guest post by Cassie of Culture Coverage
For self-published authors
trying to increase the visibility of their work or avid readers who are eager
to find exciting new releases, the many book websites all over the internet
make for a fantastic resource. They are the perfect tools to promote your
writing, to help you become a part of the online book community, or even just
to immerse yourself in hundreds of fabulous stories.
Below are documented 20 of the best websites of this nature, which offer an entirely
free opportunity for up-and-coming authors to promote their work.
It is worth noting that I’m based in the US, so if you can’t seem to access any of the sites listed in your country, then you can use IPVanish or another program of this nature to get around the blocks.
This beautifully simple site allows anyone to upload free or discounted e-books for no charge. While it doesn't give you a permanent spot, it allows you to run an offer for a set promo period, making it ideal for specific promotional campaigns. For an extra charge of $25, you can also distribute your work on to 25 other bargain e-book sites.
2. BeeZee Books
As long as you’re not an Erotica writer, BeeZee Books is a great resource to promote and distribute your work. The site is easy to navigate and broken into genres, making it extremely user-friendly. You can also pay an extra $5 per week to have your book posted on the front page.
3. Book Angel
Book Angel is a fantastic option for UK based authors; however, using a VPN, any self-publisher can benefit from using it to target a British audience. So far it's only hosting free publications, but there is a sister site—BargainBookAngel—for those wanting to make a profit. Hosting on this site also makes you liable for review, which adds tons of extra marketing potential.
4. Book RAID
Offering an incredibly simple format, as long as your book is discounted at 50 percent, available on Amazon and over 120 pages, you are eligible to be hosted on the promotion site. For readers, all you have to do if input your favorite genres and you'll have loads of great recommendations emailed to you every week.
Advertising their service as an all-for-one kind of pursuit, Book of the Day offers free hosting for anyone on that grounds that a steady stream of material will improve the rating of their site. Each post will also be shared on Twitter, Facebook and Google+ to maximize visibility.
6. BookSliced
Allowing users to make accounts, favorite certain items and subscribe to authors, BookSliced offers a fantastic option for those trying to build a lasting fan base for their work. Especially if you're on your second or third release, this website is perfect for true career authors.
7. DebutCity
While there is no allowance to advertise free or discount promos on this site, it is a brilliant platform for first-time authors to share their work. For no charge, it offers you the opportunity to be featured on the front page either the day of your submission or the actual publishing date of your release.
Whether you’re releasing for free of not, Ebook Universe is a place you want to promote. Its aim is to produce a comprehensive catalog of some of the best indie authors out there; so having your name on the list will be an undoubtable benefit.
For writers of Clean Romance, Young Adult, Christian Fiction, Middle Grade or Children's Books, this is most definitely an option for you. Although all genres are allowed (except Erotica) these are most commonly featured, and therefore, those kinds of fans presumably make up the majority of the sites audience base.
10. Goodreads
With over 50 million readers, Goodreads is one of the most comprehensive promotion platforms on the web. Almost like the “Facebook of Books,” you create you own profile and can subsequently promote releases, events, book signings, share excerpts of your writing and even take part in pre-publication giveaways.
Allowing all “bargain books” to be released on their sister site for no extra charge, India Book Lounge is a great option for those selling their books at low prices. It’s also one of the very few book promotion sites that has a whole section dedicated to erotica.
This wonderfully unique website provides its audience with all the best deals on Amazon, meaning sharing your book here will give you a much more varied reach. As long as it's full length, non-erotica, anything goes and—as long as it's submitted on time—you will also be featured in the daily freebie roundup email.
This site is fantastic as it offers free reviews and newsletter inclusion along with it's listing. However, these wonderful perks are only open to YA writers who specialize in Science Fiction, Dystopian stories and the Paranormal.
14. LibraryThing
LibraryThing is a great online community where you can socialize and share your work with many other writers. You can list your books and rate, review and discuss the work of others. It’s also remarkably easy to run free giveaways to all the sites membership.
15. My Book Cave
Only promoted discounted books, this site will accept any item that has 40 percent or more removed from its original price. However, it's an excellent way to run a promotion as it offers a six-month free listing. They've experienced it what they do and have received loads of great feedback.
As most sites seem to disallow erotica, fans and writers of the genre will be pleased to know that this site is dedicated to promoting only the raunchiest books and stories. Allowing both free/discounted and full-priced work, it's a comprehensive platform for those who love a bit of smut.
17. Shelfari
A sub-section of the Goodreads franchise, Shelfari doesn't allow you to host books but instead focuses on recommending new work to avoid readers based on their past choices. If you're Amazon based, you might be surprised to find that someone is already talking about your work.
18. Wattpad
Less of a book promotion site, and more of an author community page, Wattpad is a great way to promote and showcase excerpts online. By featuring writers in the Wattpad Stars section, it's an excellent way to get your brand known and increase visibility.
19. Wanton Reads
Another adult romance dedicated option offers users a broad and varied listing of both authors and books of the genre. Writers can host their work for no cost, and are ensured publishing. You can release excerpts of your work and even link back to the place of purchase on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and many other platforms.
20. Writeful Books
Offering a very exclusive service, Writeful Books only promotes a small amount of the work they receive. However, as they ask the read the entire manuscript before they even make a decision, you can be sure that you'll get a top-notch service if your work does get selected.
Any other sites that should be on this list? Be sure to leave a comment below.
About the Author:
Cassie is an entertainment blogger for CultureCoverage and has been an aspiring writer all her life. She loves reading just
as much as writing and is always on the look-out for sites where she can
immerse herself in the world of books.
Thanks for the post, Cassie!
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