Book promotional sites are an excellent way to stand out from the crowd. Whether it be through free or paid services, there’s no doubt that these sites have an important place in the book marketing industry, especially when authors are writing in competitive genres like romance and fantasy. Despite this, there are risks when going into these sites. For instance, you might not get your money back, or you may become a victim of false advertising, or you might pay for a service, and they just run off, no questions asked. To avoid this, below are a couple of safe sites you can use to promote your book.

Bknights
Probably the cheapest out of this list, Bknights is a book promotional service from fiverr that allows you to book a promotion of up to 2 days in advance. A lot of authors have used this, and have had good reviews regarding its professionalism, results, and outlook. I’ve used the service too, and to be honest, I’m happy with my results. They only cost $5, $6 if you take into account fiverr’s service fee. One thing to note is that Bknights is great for free books, so if you’re running a free promo, you’re good to go.

Book Doggy
Yet another site that’s garnering attention, Book Doggy has promoted many authors’ books in their newsletters. And while they aren’t as cheap as Bknights (now priced at $10), they still generate excellent results. Again, I’ve used this service, and I can vouch for their efficiency. However, keep in mind that when you submit an application, along with the $10 fee, you aren’t guaranteed to be selected.

BookBub
BookBub has been revered by various authors, whether it be through the various forums on Absolute Write, or the Kindle Boards. Many have even gone as far as to claim that BookBub is probably one of the few sites that are worth your money. It offers a variety of different services, such as helping you build your author profile, featuring your book on BookBub’s daily emails, and purchasing ads to help promote your book. A lot of big publishing houses, such as Penguin House, use them as well. Keep in mind that it’s hard to get accepted to Bookbub, compared to other book promotional sites. It also costs more as well and, as such, may not be the best option for authors on a budget.

Freebooksy
Freebooksy is a book promotional site that’s devoted to free books and because of this has developed a reputation among many authors. It’s good way to promote your book, especially when you’ve enrolled in KDP Select. They offer features that can get your book across several thousand readers. You can also choose to promote your book either from a series, or as a stand alone. However, like Bookbub, it can get quite expensive, with the cost anywhere between $40-$150, depending on the genre.

Of course, how well these book promotional sites work depends on a variety of different factors. For example, whether or not your cover looks professional, your blurb, or even whether or not you’re using other book marketing sites. Remember that every book is different, and one of the most decisive factors is luck. Still, it doesn’t hurt to have an edge over the competition, especially if you use these sites.