The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

Is anyone currently having any success winning goodreads giveaways? I used to win 3-6 times per month, but I haven't won anything in the last three months! I read and review regularly. I don't think I have changed my goodreads activity or frequency, so I'm not sure what may be going on. Anyone have "the secret" or any other experiences to share?

I have found the opposite. They recently changed it around so that now you HAVE to mark the book on the "to read" shelf in order to stay in the contest. I used to only win maybe 1 or 2 times a month, now I've been getting 3 or 4 in one night, a couple times a week (with kindle anyway). I have not won a print book in a while, though, probably a couple months.

I won two but that was for the group I was in. It was only a giveway in the group I was in.

lol. I have won I think 4 times total since I started using goodreads (2009), and I never received 2 of the books. I keep entering though, but never really seems to do much.

Morgan wrote: "lol. I have won I think 4 times total since I started using goodreads (2009), and I never received 2 of the books. I keep entering though, but never really seems to do much."

Right after I started with goodreads, I won about 5 or 6 books, fairly quickly. Haven't won a giveaway in about 5 years now.

FYI, for free ebooks (mostly kindle), you can sign up at bookbub.com. You select your preferred genres, and every day you get a list of deals. Every day there are some free books on my list :)), as well as some very good deals ($0.99, $1.99 and $2.99). I've been a member for about 2.5 years, and have literally received 100s of free ebooks. Quality varies, but you can always delete the ones you don't want.

I've been pretty lucky...been winning about 4 or 5 books a week...been entering most of the give-aways. If I win a book that I don't want to read...I gift them to others or donate them to little free libraries.

Netgalley has been the best thing I ever signed up for, honestly, as far as getting free ebooks. Early access to review copies, and I've gotten a good deal of really popular authors that I did not think I would get when I requested them.

Morgan wrote: "Netgalley has been the best thing I ever signed up for, honestly, as far as getting free ebooks. Early access to review copies, and I've gotten a good deal of really popular authors that I did not ..."

I've had the same - I've only been signed up on NetGalley for a few months, but have been able to get review copies of a number of really good titles. I'm careful to only request books that I really want to read, since I do feel an obligation to read and review them.

I just won my very first give-away today and I've been entering them for 6 years so.... *shrug* lol

ive only won 1 time in like 8 years, but i keep trying

Just keep trying! It's a numbers game. The less popular the book and more copies, the better your chances (obviously)! I've won ~25 books in the last few years. I've also won quite a few on Facebook through publishers' and authors' sites and reader groups. Good luck!

I actually won for the first time in January. A few weeks ago they asked me to review the book-I never got it so I sent an email back. My book arrived this week. Been entering since I joined GR about 5 years ago.

Lavender wrote: "I have found the opposite. They recently changed it around so that now you HAVE to mark the book on the "to read" shelf in order to stay in the contest. I used to only win maybe 1 or 2 times a mont..."

This has annoyed me recently (although I wasn't winning before either) because now it asks me to add books to my shelf when they are already ON my shelf! In fact, I get to the page because I get a notification that tells me "There's a new giveaway for a book on your Want to Read shelf:" (book title here).

But it doesn't like it when I uncheck the box, and then I end up with two copies there. grumble grumble.

But yeah, I've won exactly once, and it was years ago. I just assume it's because I only sign up for the popular ones.

Does anyone have any tips for people who have never won a giveaway?

Sameet Zahoor wrote: "Yes I have a tip"
Thank you

It is such a shame that users from Europe are now excluded from the giveaways. I did win twice before we were excluded. Hope Amazon will bring it back for us!

I find that for me it goes in cycles. I'll win 3 or 4 books and then nothing for a few months and then a couple books and back to nothing... the pandemic has messed with that quite a bit. I enter giveaways for genres I'm interested in and try to find some that are giving away multiple copies of the books to better my chances. I have gotten some really great books through the giveaways since I joined back in 2011.

I only enter for print books because my e-reader gives me a headache if I try to read for too long. I don't know if it is any better for the Kindle editions or not.