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Amazon Now Lets You Give Away Kindle eBooks as Prizes

21003111874_1bcc34e2a2_hAround this time last year Amazon launched a service groups, companies, and creators could hold a contest and give away swag as prizes.

Amazon Giveaway was easy to use, and with Amazon handling the logistics it was terribly convenient, but the service also had one key shortcoming: you couldn’t give away an ebook or other digital content.

That changed on Tuesday. Amazon has posted the following announcement on the KDP Support forums:

We’re excited to announce that anyone can now create a giveaway using Kindle books on Amazon.com. When they create the giveaway, they pay the current price for the book and the author will earn their standard royalty, no different than a normal sale.

Authors can also use Amazon Giveaway (available on amazon.com only) to reach new readers by promoting their giveaways on social media, and encouraging readers to follow them on Amazon to enter their giveaway.

While the person running the giveaway will need to buy the Kindle books, the winners receive their books free of charge, so reviews they write will not feature the Amazon Verified Purchase badge. For giveaways you run, we encourage you to remind winners to note in their reviews that they received the Kindle book as part of an Amazon Giveaway.

According to the FAQ, ebooks are the only type of digital content that can be given away, and you are limited to giving away only 50 copies in each contest.  Songs, movies, and apps are not eligible.

In addition to letting you give away ebooks, Amazon also added other features. Authors now have more timing options, and can run a contest for up to 30 days. Also, the entrants that don’t win the ebook prize will be offered a free sample of the ebook being given away.

image by Andrew Gustar

 

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Comments


carmen webster buxton March 2, 2016 um 9:01 pm

I just tried this out yesterday. It seems to work just like the print version giveaway. One thing I’m not clear on is why they don’t let people in other countries win a Kindle copy. It’s not like with the print version where they have to mail it out.


Jay March 2, 2016 um 10:10 pm

Carmen,

Digital copies are under a different law, the Internet and the accessibility of, is determined by those country’s governments. A lot of countries restrict certain content. Ebooks being one of them.


Episode 101 – Digital Giveaways, Silver Foxes, and Nook UK | Sell More Books Show March 9, 2016 um 11:58 am

[…] Giving Digital (2) […]


Emma Calin (@EmmaCalin) April 10, 2016 um 8:36 am

I’m having trouble finding the 'set up giveaway' box on all my Kindle books. I’m a British author but I have an Amazon.com account and frequently buy paperback books/gifts fo folk in the USA. I’m looking on Amazon.com for the 'set up giveaway' on the Kindle editions of my books but cannot find it. Surely if I’m doing the giveaway to USA readers I’m allowed to set one up? I appear to be able to set up a paperback giveaway….. Any clues please? Thanks

Nate Hoffelder April 10, 2016 um 12:24 pm

Did you try searching for the Kindle title in the search box on this page?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/giveaway/home

If you can’t find it in the search box then it may not be eligible.


carmen webster buxton April 10, 2016 um 1:02 pm

Are you looking on the bottom of the book’s product page? That’s where the giveaway section is, right below the area for forums and above the What else did people buy after viewing this item? I see it on this page: http://www.amazon.com/Passion-Patrol-Adventures-Detective-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0051PJWB2/


D. L. Orton May 13, 2016 um 6:23 pm

Great intro, although I think only US customers you can run (or enter) them right now (which is why the Brit didn’t see a button.)

I’ve been running quite a few Amazon ebook giveaways and have some data (and gotchas) for authors and publishers. You can read more at my blog post:

http://querysharkbait.com/amazon-ebook-giveaways/

D.L. Orton


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