One of my favorite fantasy authors, Olivia Helling, is looking for authors of LGBTQ fiction who enjoy spinning grim yarns to participate in a giveaway on BookFunnel. Whether yours is a fantastical story falling into the grimdark or horror genres, or a novel that’s simply heartbreaking, this could be your opportunity to reach new readers.
What’s BookFunnel?
Not familiar with BookFunnel? It’s a service that makes it easy for you to give readers free, authorized-by-you copies of your ebooks when they sign up for your email list. You can also use Book Funnel to distribute advanced review copies, ebook prizes, and so forth. Subscriptions start at $10/month if you want to collect email addresses, with a minimum subscription period of one month, or $20/year if you don’t want to collect emails.
Why would I want to give away books for free?
The short version: Every time I send a newsletter out to my subscribers, I see a spike in my book sales. Most of my subscribers signed up through:
- my website, where I usually have a short story on offer to people who sign up to get my newsletter
- book giveaways like the ones facilitated by BookFunnel or its competitor InstaFreebie
Of course, email lists aren’t just about sales. I love having one because it encourages readers to interact with me. Every time I send an email out, a few readers respond with emails of their own. They might give me feedback on a story, share a personal experience, or tell me how they connected with one of my characters. Getting these messages has been one of the most rewarding parts of publishing for me.
How do I join the Dark & Grim LGBT Book Giveaway?
The Dark & Grim LGBT Book Giveaway will run Nov. 17–Dec. 3. It was originally conceived for sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and related genres, but it’s open to anything that doesn’t have a happy ending or might require a trigger warning.
In order for you to participate, your book MUST:
- have a protagonist that identifies as LGBTQ (sidekicks don’t count)
- have a dark tone (grimdark, horror, heartbreaking)
- be available on Bookfunnel (this requires a BookFunnel account)
- be a complete books of any length (no sample chapters or excerpts)
Other requirements:
- Romance is optional. Happily-ever-afters also not required.
- You must be willing to promote this giveaway in your newsletter, social media, blog, or whatever marketing resources you have.
If you have a BookFunnel account, you can sign up for the Dark & Grim LGBT Book Giveaway here. If you need questions answered about the giveaway, contact Olivia Helling.
