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Getting your book in front of the right readers can feel like a puzzle. If you're curious about BookBub Featured Deals and whether they’re worth your time, you're not alone. Stick around, and I’ll explain how the process works, what it takes to qualify, and some tips to help your deal succeed. By the end, you'll have a clear idea if this is a path worth pursuing for your book’s success.
Key Takeaways
Key Takeaways
- BookBub Featured Deals promote your book to a large, targeted audience by highlighting discounted or free ebooks in their email newsletters. This can lead to many downloads, increased sales, and more reviews.
- Applying involves submitting your book details, pricing, and sales info. Acceptance is competitive, with about 25% of submissions approved, so make your pitch clear, accurate, and appealing.
- To qualify, your book should be well-reviewed, professionally presented, available on major platforms, and belong to popular genres like romance or mystery. Pricing at least 50% off or free helps boost approval chances.
- The selection process reviews your book’s quality, genre relevance, sales history, cover, and presentation. Having recent reviews and strong sales improves your odds.
- Setting the right price, usually between $0.99 and $2.99, is key to attracting downloads. Consider your sales goals and regional pricing differences when choosing your discount.
- Improve your chances by ensuring your book has positive reviews, a professional cover, complete metadata, and a compelling blurb. Honesty and completeness matter in your application.
- Get your book ready before applying by updating your cover, verifying availability, and ensuring the price is correct. Use high-quality visuals and accurate info to appeal to curators.
- Use regional and discount strategies wisely—offering a free or heavily discounted book can help attract new readers, reviews, and long-term sales.
- Once your deal is live, promote it on social media, engage with readers, and monitor results to maximize downloads. Follow up after the promotion to turn new readers into fans.
- Avoid common mistakes like submitting incomplete info, offering incorrect prices, neglecting reviews, or launching too many deals at once. Careful preparation boosts your chances and results.
What Is a BookBub Featured Deal?
A BookBub Featured Deal is a paid promotional opportunity that allows authors to showcase their books to a huge, targeted audience through BookBub’s curated email newsletter.
During a Featured Deal, BookBub highlights a discounted or free ebook, making it visible to hundreds of thousands—sometimes over a million—readers who are specifically interested in their chosen genre.
This visibility can lead to an explosion in downloads, increased sales, and even a boost in Goodreads reviews and Kindle Unlimited page reads.
For example, in 2025, a debut horror novel, Open Evening, was featured for four days and garnered over 5,000 downloads, boosting its post-promo sales steadily.
Many authors see a second wind for their books after a deal, with some experiencing full-price sales continuing for weeks or even months.
Getting your book featured means you’re entering a race where quality and strategy matter—you’re competing for a spot in a limited, but highly valuable, space.
So, is a BookBub Featured Deal worth it? Usually, yes—if your book meets the right criteria and your goal is rapid exposure and sales spikes.
How to Apply for a BookBub Featured Deal
Applying for a Featured Deal involves filling out a form on BookBub’s website, where you specify details like your book’s genre, your desired discount, and available sales platforms.
Be prepared to answer questions about your book’s pricing history, sales performance, and availability in specific regions.
Once submitted, your application enters the selection process, which can take several weeks.
Keep in mind, not every submission is accepted—BookBub considers the quality of the book, its pricing, and its current sales momentum.
For increased chances, ensure all your details are correct and your book aligns well with current popular genres on the platform.
Some authors even work with a BookBub ads manager or a promotional service to improve their chances, but you can also apply directly via the application form.
Remember, the application process is competitive—about 25% of submissions get accepted, so crafting a compelling, well-structured proposal is key.
What Are the Requirements to Qualify?
To qualify for a BookBub Featured Deal, your book generally needs to meet several criteria.
First, the book must be priced at least 50% off or free, with the discount being the best recent price.
Authors should demonstrate consistent sales performance, or at least a strong potential for a spike, especially for debut authors.
The book has to be available on major platforms like Amazon, Apple Books, or Kobo, and visibly priced in the selected regions.
It's also crucial that your book belongs to a genre that has a strong following on BookBub—romance, mystery, science fiction, thrillers, and horror are notably popular.
If your titles are enrolled in Kindle Unlimited, that can be advantageous too, as readers in KU often browse for discounted books.
Additionally, books with positive reviews and a professional cover increase your chances, since BookBub prefers well-presented offerings.
Sometimes, books that have already been featured on BookBub before are easier to accept again if they show solid sales and reviews.
For a full rundown, check out the official requirements—but the main point is: quality, presentation, and clear regional availability are key.
How the BookBub Selection Process Works
BookBub boasts a careful vetting process to keep its email recommendations high quality and relevant.
When authors submit their books, an editorial team reviews each application within a few weeks.
The decision hinges on factors like the book’s genre popularity, sales history, review counts, and pricing strategy.
They also check the book’s cover quality, blurb, and overall presentation to ensure it appeals visually to readers.
Since the platform receives hundreds of applications weekly, only about 25% make the cut—meaning your submission needs to stand out.
For example, a thriller novel with a recent surge in reviews and a highly attractive cover gets a better shot than one lacking reviews or with a cluttered cover design.
Authors often improve their chances by ensuring their book is well-reviewed, competitively priced, and aligns with what readers seek in their genre.
Successful applicants notice a significant lift in sales—sometimes thousands of downloads in just a few days, like the case of a horror book featuring over 5,000 downloads during its promo.
If you want to understand the full process, including how to craft a compelling submission, check out this detailed guide.
Pricing Strategies for Your Deal
Choosing the right price point can make or break your BookBub campaign.
Most authors find that offering their book at **$0.99 to $2.99** brings in higher download numbers, especially for debut titles.
But don’t assume lower price always equals more profit; sometimes, pricing at **$3.99 or $4.99** can still generate solid sales volume while maintaining better margins.
Use data from previous promotions—like a recent deal where a **$0.99** book soared with 10x the downloads compared to a **$3.99** book—to guide your choice.
Think about your goals: is it maximum downloads or maximizing revenue? It might be worth experimenting with different price points in small promos first.
Also, consider regional pricing—what’s a good price in the US may not work internationally, especially in regions where buyers are more price-sensitive.
Remember, setting the right price can influence how many readers actually buy your book during the deal, so test and tweak based on your genre and target audience.
Tips to Improve Your Chances of Approval
Getting accepted isn’t guaranteed, so here are some tricks to boost your odds.
First, make sure your book is well-reviewed—aim for at least 10-20 positive reviews if possible—since BookBub favors titles with social proof.
Next, have a professionally designed cover; bad covers can kill your chances even if the rest of your info is solid.
Fill out your application completely and honestly—don’t exaggerate sales or reviews, but highlight your best stats.
Timing your submission during similar genre spikes or when related trends are hot can help.
If your book has already been featured before, include recent sales or review updates to show ongoing momentum.
Provide a clear, compelling blurb that hooks readers quickly and clearly states the deal details.
Lastly, consider working with a promotional service or a professional reviewer to prepare your submission—sometimes a second set of eyes can spot ways to make your pitch stand out.
How to Prepare Your Book for the Deal
Before hitting 'submit,' make sure your book is lineup-ready for maximum appeal.
Update your cover to look sharp and genre-appropriate, because first impressions count—especially in a crowded inbox.
Check that your metadata (title, author name, categories) is accurate and optimized for discoverability.
Verify your book is available in the regions you want to target, like the US or UK, and ensure the price is adjusted to reflect your promotional discount.
If you have multiple formats—like paperback and audiobook—consider whether to include those in your deal to broaden the reach.
Gather recent, positive reviews to reinforce the book’s quality in the eyes of BookBub’s team.
Update your author bio and author photo—professional and approachable info can increase credibility and reader engagement.
Finally, double-check that your links are functional, your pricing is correct, and everything is consistent across platforms before you submit your application.
How to Set Your Discount Price
Deciding on the right discount can boost your chances of approval and ensure you meet BookBub’s criteria.
Most deals require at least 50% off or free, so plan accordingly.
If your book is usually $4.99, setting it at **$2.49 or $0.99** is typical.
Remember, narrower discounts might not drive enough downloads, while steeper discounts can entice more readers but impact profit margins.
If you’re counting on long-term sales, consider offering a free ebook during the promotion to attract new readers who might then buy other titles or leave reviews.
Check competitors’ prices—if similar books are discounted at $0.99, that’s a good benchmark to follow.
Use tools like (https://automateed.com/how-to-write-a-foreword/) or consider your overall marketing goals to choose a price that optimizes visibility and profitability.
Also, keep regional price differences in mind—what works in the US might be too high or too low elsewhere.
Steps to Maximize the Deal's Results
Once your book is live in the deal, there are a few things you can do to get the most out of it.
Start promoting your deal on your social media, newsletters, and website a few days before the launch to generate buzz.
Encourage your readers to review or share the deal—personal recommendations can amplify your reach.
Stay active during the promo, replying to comments and engaging with readers who reach out.
Monitor your sales and review data daily so you can adjust your marketing if needed.
After the deal, follow up with new readers via email or social media, offering more freebies or future releases.
Use the boost in reviews and sales as momentum to pitch your next book or participate in other promos.
Consider running ads on platforms like **Facebook** or **Amazon** to keep the paid traffic flowing after your deal ends.
Common Mistakes to Avoid with BookBub Deals
Avoid these pitfalls that can sabotage your chances or reduce the effectiveness of your promotion.
Don’t submit an undercooked application—failing to include accurate info or poor cover images can get you rejected.
Avoid offering your book at a price that doesn’t meet the minimum discount requirement or is inconsistent across platforms.
Never forget to review your book’s metadata, as sloppy descriptions or missing information can turn off the curators.
Don’t neglect reviews—waiting until last minute to gather social proof can hurt your approval chances.
Steer clear of over-promising in your pitch; stick to facts and what your book offers.
Avoid launching multiple deals simultaneously unless you’re prepared to manage the influx of readers and reviews.
Finally, don’t ignore post-promo follow-up—materials, reviews, and engagement can secure long-term gains from the deal.
FAQs
A BookBub Featured Deal is a promotional opportunity where your book is highlighted to a large audience, often at a discounted price, to boost visibility and sales through BookBub's main email list.
You can apply through the BookBub website by submitting your book details, meeting their requirements, and paying the applicable fee. The process involves filling out an application form and waiting for approval.
Requirements include meeting quality standards, having a certain number of reviews, and setting an attractive discount price. Eligibility varies based on genre and BookBub's current criteria.
If you're looking to increase visibility quickly and boost sales, a BookBub deal can be effective. However, consider the costs and if your book fits the criteria before deciding it’s the right choice.
