Campaign Snapshot

Campaign Title: Have a Killer Summer with bestselling author Karin Slaughter
Featured Giveaway: We Are All Guilty Here (North Fall #1)
Backlist Boost: Landing page included 4 backlist titles with links to buy
Bonus Visibility: Promoted to 265K+ Facebook followers

Overview

Giveaway + Retail: New book from one of the world’s most popular and acclaimed storytellers, plus a boost for their backlist!

When you have an author with a loyal following and a buzzy new release, timing and strategy are everything. For bestselling thriller author Karin Slaughter, a limited-quantity Booktrovert campaign helped drive rapid reader engagement and direct traffic to her backlist, while a single Facebook post helped get it in front of an eager built-in audience ready to claim their early copy.

This campaign is a strong example of how Booktrovert can be used to amplify visibility for even the most well-known names in publishing. While it may be easy to assume big-name authors don’t “need” extra exposure, strategic consumer engagement can still deliver clear value, whether it’s building buzz for a new series, reigniting interest in a backlist, or giving loyal fans something exciting to talk about. In this case, a high-impact giveaway not only delighted Karin Slaughter’s audience but also helped turn casual browsers into active readers.

To create urgency and excitement, the team offered 250, first-come first-served eBooks of We Are All Guilty Here, the first book in Slaughter’s new North Fall series. The response? All 250 copies were claimed within minutes, kicking off a wave of buzz, engagement, and click-throughs to her additional titles.

Why It Worked

Countdown Teaser primed the audience
With 265K followers and a compelling offer, Karin Slaughter’s social media post reached readers already eager to engage. The Teaser Countdown ensured her audience would be ready to act the moment the campaign went live, all without additional paid ads or external media support beyond the Booktrovert campaign itself. 

Limited quantity = built-in urgency
By capping the giveaway at 250 copies, the campaign created a strong sense of FOMO, prompting fast action and word-of-mouth sharing.

Advertised more than one book
While We Are All Guilty Here was the featured giveaway, readers were also encouraged to explore more of Slaughter’s backlist through Buy Now links on that same campaign landing page, turning the giveaway into a full author showcase.

Buy Now CTAs for extra impact
Featuring additional books alongside the giveaway ensured that even readers who missed the giveaway still had an opportunity to purchase titles immediately.

The Results

Curious how your results stack up? Check out some benchmarks here: Understanding Your Booktrovert ROI

Takeaway for Publishers

Social-first Booktrovert campaigns can be a powerful tool to drive attention and activate fanbases. Whether you’re launching a debut or supporting an established brand, pairing a limited-quantity or time-sensitive giveaway with social promotion gives readers a reason to click now. Add in a few Buy Now CTAs, and you’re not just giving away one book—you’re driving interest across an entire catalog.

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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

Backlist-to-frontlist funnel
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. 

Pre-launch timing
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. 

Harnessing the power of book buyers
Booktrovert’s audience of book lovers and consumers was the perfect fit for this series, driving both interest and intent to buy.

Feed + Email Synergy
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. 

Lean but effective giveaway
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!