A Goodreads giveaway is one of the few book promotions where readers raise their hand before they've spent anything. Every entrant adds your book to their Want to Read shelf, and that shelf keeps working long after the giveaway ends.
It isn't free for authors, though, and it doesn't guarantee reviews. This guide covers both sides: how readers enter, and how authors set up a giveaway, what it costs and whether it's worth it.
How much does a Goodreads giveaway cost?
Goodreads charges authors a listing fee per giveaway. When Goodreads introduced paid giveaways in January 2018, it set two packages: Standard at $119 and Premium at $599, each covering print or Kindle ebook giveaways.
Goodreads' giveaway page doesn't list prices before you start the setup flow. Recent author reports, including a September 2026 write-up, still cite the same $119 and $599, but confirm the figure at checkout before you budget.
| Cost item | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Listing fee (as reported) | $119 | $599 |
| Copies | Up to 100 | Up to 100 |
| Placement | Giveaways section and book page | Adds featured placement on the Giveaways page |
| Kindle giveaway extra costs | None (Goodreads delivers the ebook) | None |
| Print giveaway extra costs | Books plus postage to each winner | Books plus postage |
For Kindle giveaways, Goodreads says you can give away up to 100 copies with no book cost or shipping. For print, you pay for the books and postage yourself, which adds up quickly if you offer many copies or ship internationally.
Key takeaway: A print giveaway's real cost is the fee plus books plus shipping. A Kindle giveaway's real cost is usually just the fee.
How does a Goodreads giveaway work?
According to Goodreads' giveaway setup page, there are two formats:
- Kindle giveaways. Goodreads delivers the ebook to winners. Available to publishers and self-published authors who use Kindle Direct Publishing, with the KDP account connected.
- Print giveaways. You mail books to winners. Available to all publishers and authors, with targeting offered for the US and Canada.
When the entry period ends, Goodreads picks winners at random. For print giveaways, it sends you the winners' addresses, and you're responsible for mailing the books within two weeks.
What do authors get from the Standard package?
Goodreads' launch announcement describes these Standard features:
- Automatic Want to Read adds. Everyone who enters adds the book to their Want to Read shelf.
- Notifications. Your Goodreads followers, and members who already have the book on their Want to Read shelf, are notified when the giveaway starts.
- A review reminder. Winners get a reminder email about eight weeks after the giveaway ends.
- Placement in the Giveaways section and on your book's page.
Premium adds featured placement on the Giveaways page. Some authors also report a follow-up email to entrants who didn't win, which can be useful when the book is on sale.
How do you enter Goodreads giveaways as a reader?
If you came here to win books, entering is simple and free.
- Create or log in to a Goodreads account.
- Go to the Giveaways page (goodreads.com/giveaway) and browse the current listings.
- Check the eligible countries on the listing. Many are US only.
- Click Enter Giveaway and choose or add the mailing address the book should go to.
- Wait for the end date. Winners are chosen at random when the giveaway closes.
A few tips for readers:
- Enter books you'd actually read. Entering adds the book to your Want to Read shelf, so your shelf fills up quickly if you enter everything.
- Look for Kindle giveaways if you read on Kindle; winners receive the ebook directly.
- Check your giveaway history on your account to see what you've entered.
- Review if you can. You're not required to, but authors appreciate an honest review.
How do you set up a Goodreads giveaway as an author?
Before you start, make sure your book has a Goodreads page and that you've claimed your author profile. The exact screens change over time, but the process generally looks like this:
- Go to the giveaway setup page from the Giveaways section and choose Kindle or print.
- For Kindle, connect your KDP account. The book must be in the Kindle Store, as an advance copy or final version, before the giveaway can run.
- Choose the edition and the number of copies.
- Set dates. Pick start and end dates that line up with your marketing.
- Write a short description. Lead with who the book is for and the problem it solves.
- Pick the package and pay.
- Promote it. Share the giveaway with your email list and social channels.
- Ship promptly if it's a print giveaway, within the two-week window.
When should you run a Goodreads giveaway?
There are two strong windows:
- Pre-launch (four to eight weeks before publication). Want to Read adds and notifications build anticipation, and entrants who don't win may pre-order. This fits naturally into a book marketing plan alongside ARCs and interviews.
- Launch month. Shelf adds and notifications reach people while the book is new and available everywhere.
Running a giveaway long after launch can still work, especially paired with a price promotion or a new edition.
How many copies should you give away?
For Kindle giveaways, extra copies cost nothing beyond the fee, so offering more increases the number of winners and potential readers. For print, a small number of signed copies keeps costs manageable. More copies don't automatically mean more entries; the book's cover, title and category do most of that work.
Is a Goodreads giveaway worth it for authors?
It depends on what you want from it. Here's an honest assessment.
Where a giveaway helps
- Visibility. Every entrant puts your book on a shelf that Goodreads members and their friends can see.
- Notifications to followers and shelf-adders give you a reason to reach people again.
- Low effort. A Kindle giveaway takes minutes to set up, and there's no shipping.
- Pre-launch signal. A rising Want to Read count gives early momentum something to show.
Where it disappoints
- Reviews aren't guaranteed. Winners get a reminder, but many never review.
- Shelf adds aren't sales. Some entrants add everything they see.
- Print can get expensive once postage is included.
- Results vary by book and genre. Other authors' giveaway results, often from fiction, won't necessarily predict yours, so judge on your own numbers.
For many nonfiction authors, the Standard Kindle giveaway is a reasonable test, while the Premium package is harder to justify unless you have a larger budget and a book with broad appeal.
Tip: Track Want to Read adds, ratings and sales for a month before and after the giveaway. That tells you more than the entry count.
What are the alternatives to a Goodreads giveaway?
If a giveaway doesn't fit your budget or your book, these options often do more for nonfiction:
- Your own ARC team. Free advance copies to readers who match your audience, with a request for an honest review. Our guide on how to get book reviews covers the full process.
- ARC platforms like BookSirens and NetGalley, which connect you with readers who review books.
- Newsletter giveaways. Offer signed copies to your own email list, or partner with a newsletter your readers follow.
- Price promotions. Discount the ebook and promote it through deal newsletters.
- Podcast interviews. A long conversation about your ideas reaches listeners who already care about your topic, and you can offer a giveaway on the show.
- Speaking and events where you can sell or give away books in person.
Many authors combine a Goodreads giveaway with one or two of these rather than relying on it alone. For the full list of channels and how they compare, see our guide to book marketing.
What mistakes do authors make with Goodreads giveaways?
- Running it without a Goodreads profile or with an incomplete book page.
- Vague descriptions. Say who the book is for in the first line.
- Ignoring shipping costs on print giveaways, especially outside the US.
- Expecting reviews. Plan reviews separately.
- Not promoting it. Share the giveaway with your list and network.
- Running it in isolation. Pair it with launch emails, interviews and other promotion.
What should you do after a Goodreads giveaway ends?
The entry period closing is the start of the useful part, not the end. A short follow-up routine gets more from the money you spent:
- Ship print copies quickly, inside the two-week window, with a short handwritten thank-you note.
- Note your numbers the day the giveaway ends: entries, Want to Read adds and ratings. Check them again a month later.
- Tell your email list who won (by first name or city only) and remind everyone where the book is available.
- Plan a reason to reach shelf-adders again, such as a launch, a price promotion or a new edition, and announce it on your Goodreads author profile as well as to your list.
- Decide whether to repeat it. If shelf adds turned into ratings and sales, run another giveaway around your next milestone. If not, move the budget to a channel that performed better.
How does a giveaway fit into a bigger launch?
A Goodreads giveaway works best as one piece of a launch, not the whole plan. It builds visibility on a platform readers use to decide what to read next, while your email list, ARC team and media appearances do the persuading.
If podcast interviews are the part of launch you'd like help with, our podcast booking agency team researches and pitches shows that match your readers. Either way, set clear expectations for the giveaway, track the numbers and decide next time based on what you saw.
