With a second book on the way and excitement building, Berkley Publishing Group saw a timely opportunity to reintroduce readers to Lucy Jane Wood’s magical world. Her debut novel, Rewitched, was described by NetGalley members as “the most cozy, magical, whimsical, swoony, heart wrenching book!” – Jenny L, Librarian—high praise indeed!
By giving away copies of Rewitched and pairing the campaign with a clear call-to-action to pre-order series follow-up Uncharmed, the publisher created a smooth path from discovery (or rediscovery) to encourage readers to purchase.
Campaign Performance
If you’re familiar with NetGalley, you know that it’s always been our goal to provide tools and metrics that are designed to dovetail with your current strategies while expanding your reach. Booktrovert is no exception! All Booktrovert campaigns include Basic Reporting, which includes campaign traffic stats and clicks on CTA buttons. Add-on Detailed Analytics give publishers access to the email addresses of giveaway participants, as well as bonus charts, downloadable reports, and even more demographic data! Learn more about Booktrovert reporting here.
Booktrovert members are active, engaged, and excited!
Why It Worked
Giving away Rewitched (Lucy Jane Wood’s debut) pulled new readers into Wood’s world, which created a natural interest in the upcoming book, Uncharmed. This can be repeated for every subsequent book by the author.
With three months until publication, the campaign generated buzz from excited readers, and boosted retailer algorithm strength. Plus, with over 200 retail clicks to Wood’s debut, it gave a boost to the series right from the start.
Booktrovert’s audience of book lovers and consumers was the perfect fit for this series, driving both interest and intent to buy.
68% of views for this campaign came from Booktrovert’s Digest Newsletter. With that email appearing in inboxes 3 hours before the giveaway, excitement is generated early, and encourages return visits to the campaign.
Even with just 50 giveaway copies, the campaign reached tens of thousands of readers. Since giveaway copies tend to go quickly, we recommend offering 100 or more copies so more Booktroverts can have a chance to claim one. Bonus! Once all copies are claimed, the CTA will automatically switch to retail.
Takeaway for Publishers
You don’t have to wait until the final countdown to drive pre-orders, and you don’t need to worry about giveaways cannibalizing your sales, either. Readers who discover a book through a giveaway often go on to recommend it, review it, or even purchase a copy in another format.
For publishers, a giveaway and pre-order campaign like Berkley’s can serve as a way to build interest and engagement well ahead of a new release, boost retail algorithm strength, and create a fanbase that will be eager for your books long before they hit shelves!
