In February, I went a little crazy building my writer brand. After months of writing, it was nice to have a break to focus on something else. But even after all the hard work of revamping my website, I still ran into the same issue I’ve been fretting over for years: how to make it easier for my readers to read my stories.
When I started this site about five years ago, I wanted to use it as a way to share my stories and connect with other readers and writers. I soon learned that sites like this aren’t set up for long-form copy, such as a book. I played around with a few ways to publish on the site, but it still didn’t provide a great experience.
It wasn’t until a few weeks ago when I popped by my writer acquaintance Rachael Bloome’s site and saw she was offering a free download for her novella Puzzle Pieces. I loved how easy it was to download to both my Kindle app and my Kindle eReader, but realized I hadn’t purchased it through Amazon. When I asked her how she delivered the book, she told me about BookFunnel. Upon further research, I discovered this was the EXACT thing I needed to create a better experience for my readers.
About BookFunnel
BookFunnel is a site/app that allows authors to send digital versions of their books to their readers. Authors can use it to offer free downloads, review copies (ARCs, betas, etc.), samples, promos, and more.
How it Works
It was actually pretty simple. I played around with it one night, and in less than an hour, I had all three of my available novels ready to go!
Once you create your account, you click on the “Book” tab to get started. Here, you’ll add your book details such as title, tagline, and description. You’ll also upload your cover and book files.
Two things to note:
1: Your description will be used on the landing page where readers can download your book, so make sure it’s there. 2: Your book files need to be formatted for ePub, Mobi, or PDF. For me, I used Reedsy’s editor tool to format my files for ePub. It was free and relatively easy to use!
After you’ve set up your book, you then have the option to create your giveaway pages, download pages, or email campaign (if that’s in your plan). This is also a quick process since it’s pulling from the book details you’ve already provided. You’ll also have the opportunity to customize your landing page, but know the options are limited.
Once the landing page is done, a link will be generated for you to share with your readers! When they plug in their info, they’ll receive an email allowing them to download your book for Kindle App, iBooks, Nook, Kobo, email, and more.
Pricing
Memberships are cheap. They have both annual and monthly options and different tiers based on how many pen names you have, how many downloads you’re offering, and more.
For example, if you just want to test it out to see if it’s right for you, you can do the First-Time Author plan which is $20 a year. With this plan, you can have up to five books!
I personally did the Mid-List Author plan, paying $10 a month (or $100 if you do an annual plan). I chose this because I want to invest in email marketing and this plan collects reader email addresses. I figured it could be a good way to start building a list!
Who it Benefits
All writers! For people like me who are really building out their audience in preparation for publishing, this is an excellent option to provide readers with your already available work.
If you’re an established writer or prepping to publish (traditional, indie, or self-pub), this could be used to share with your beta readers or your editing team to get some feedback. Or, if you’re already past that point and want to get some buzz before your launch date, you can offer these up to bloggers to get publicity and generate more pre-orders.
For authors who already have books out, this is an option for free giveaways and promos.
I’m pretty excited about this, and I’m so thankful Rachael shared it with me! Not only did it help me create a better experience for my readers, but it was also super easy and cheap to use. If you want to see how the delivery process works, download one of my books here!
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