Hi Reader and Writer Friends!
I have been meaning to write this blog post for a while, but life has been a bit crazy with the upcoming release of my second thriller book, The Long Shadow of Memory.
As some of you may know, my debut psychological thriller book, The Long Shadow on the Stage, was the featured book box in The Indie Bookworm’s book box in March. Having my book in a book box was one of my author bucket list goals and made me so happy!
I love that The Indie Bookworm specifically highlights books written by indie authors. The other items included in their monthly book boxes are from small businesses. Examples of items included in the monthly book box are coffee, candles, bath bombs, stationary, and more. If you’re interested in seeing the unboxing of the March box, you can check out Dawn Kozak’s video here.
If you’re an indie author wondering what it’s like to have your book in a book box and how to make it happen for your own books, here are my tips.
First, search for any book boxes that interest you! Make sure to double check that the book box accepts indie books (some don’t) and also check if they have a genre preference.
Then, reach out to the book box by email. Send a synopsis of your book with the book cover image. Explain why you’re interested in their book box and offer to send a free eBook copy of your book, so they can ensure it will be a good fit for their book box. Most book boxes will want to read your book beforehand to make sure they like it before sending it out to their subscribers. They will also want to see reviews, so if you send links to the book’s Amazon and Goodreads pages, then it will make it easier for them to make a decision.
You’ll most likely receive a response within a few days if they’re interested. Popular book boxes could be booked months in advance, so even if they do select your book, it may be chosen for a box several months into the future.
In my experience, copies of my books were ordered through IngramSpark. Amara, owner of The Indie Bookworm, was able to get the wholesale discount and I received the royalties from the book sales. The books were shipped directly to her house and she mailed bookplates for me to sign.
I was able to get some book sales and boost visibility for my book, while finding new readers. These are all things that indie authors should be focusing on and it was great to cross something off of my author bucket list!
If you aren’t able to find any book boxes that will accept your book, then I would suggest to take a pause, but don’t give up if it’s something you care about. You can always try again later or submit your other books as you publish more.
Please feel free to comment below if you have any questions!