This year, I felt led to do as many giveaways as possible. I love doing them because it gives me a chance to reward my readers (okay, at least the readers who win the giveaway) and to give back to them for all the support they are providing to us. It also gives me the wonderful opportunity to get to know my readers better and communicate with them as they answer the question I post. For the most part, giveaways are easy to set up, and they are a lot of fun.
I often get great help, too, like improving my tagline or naming a pet in a future book (and choosing the kind of pet in the first
place). So please meet adorable Dachshund Chip from Love Me, who probably wouldn’t have found its way into the pages of my new book if not for my readers!
Recently, I gave away 20 ecopies of the new release. I just had three giveaways going at the same time: at Fiction Full of Faith blog (absolutely love that Christian fiction blog!), our readers group Three Authors and a Blogger, and here at Inspy Romance, each for a different Amazon gift card value. They were all to celebrate the release of Love Me in the Chapel Cove Romances series.
In honor of the series launch, Autumn Macarthur run a $10 Amazon voucher giveaway on her Facebook author page. The giveaway is open until 6 p.m. CST May 1st, 2019. I’d love it if you stopped by and commented on her post to enter. Best wishes in the giveaway.
I also enjoy doing tri-author paperback giveaways with Autumn Macarthur and Marion Ueckermann and hope to do one soon. One of the previous times we did it, we learned so many wonderful holiday traditions from our readers.
There’s also a brand-new giveaway at my author page for a chance to win $10 Amazon gift card. I’d be thrilled if you stopped by and commented! 
I can’t help mentioning that my friend, Autumn Macarthur, is offering her ebook, The Wedding List for FREE (only through 
April 29t, 2019). I think that was the first book written by Autumn that I read, and I loved it!
I learn as I go, and I’d like very much to improve my giveaways. What better way to do it than to ask you, our readers?
Here are a few questions I’ll be grateful to see answers to.
Do you like participating in the giveaways? If so, why?
What do you prefer as a prize? Amazon gift card? A paperback? Fun items related to the story? For example, in Love Me, Kristina has a weakness for a chocolate cake, chocolate-filled brioches, well, you get the idea. Would you like the prize to be an assortment of chocolates? How about earrings with the book cover? Something else I haven’t thought of?
If the ebook is offered as a prize and you like it, would it make you wait until the winner is announced to buy it?
How long would you like the giveaway to last? Are you okay with the giveaways that span several weeks?
Is there such a thing as too many giveaways? Do you get tired if an author offers giveaways too often?
Giveaway! You knew that was coming, right? One randomly chosen commenter to this post will receive $7 Amazon gift card. Giveaway is open to people with www.amazon.com accounts. The giveaway is open until 6 p.m. CST May 7th, 2019.
Alexa Verde writes uplifting, diverse books about faith, love, and hope. She has had 200 short stories, articles, and poems published in the five languages that she speaks. After traveling the world and living in both hemispheres, she calls a small town in south Texas home. The latter is an inspiration for the fictional setting of her series Rios Azules Christmas and Secrets of Rios Azules. Alexa has a bachelor's degree in Spanish and a master's in Russian. She's worn the hats of reporter, teacher, translator, model (even one day counts!), caretaker, and secretary, but thinks that the writer's hat suits her the best.
I love giveaways especially ones that offer gift cards or books I already want. I get by on a very limited budget so any time I can get a book already on my tbr list or gift cards I love it. I also enter some that have other cute items but am most drawn to gift cards or things like an ereader etc because items I can’t afford would be really cool if I ever won them. If it is of just a book that is not already on my tbr list because of the author or books like love inspired that I automatically know I will be interested in I don’t tend to enter. Unless it really catches my attention… just because my tbr list is always long and my book funds are often empty.
The Chapel Cove Romance series sounds like a series I would really enjoy!
Hi Alexa, I am enjoying the Chapel Cove series- great premise and stories:)
I enjoy giveaways- who doesn’t?! Living outside the US, I like ebooks- thanks so much to all you wonderful authors who make the effort to gift ebooks, and send paper books in the inspyromance birthday bash- WOW!
Blessings:)
Too many questions. Probably won’t answer all but I do enjoy giveaways because I often get to read something I wasn’t going to buy myself.
Hi Alexa! Heartfelt thanks to the generosity of Inspy Authors for gift cards, books, and more. Questions 1 -3: As an avid reader and retiree, I participate in giveaways, especially for gift cards. Not fond of paperbacks due to my bookshelves are already overflowing. I prefer reading ebooks. Often I have already preordered a book on a give away. I tend to preorder books for my favorite authors, as soon as the link is available. Not the patient type and I do not want to forget to support my favorite authors or discover new ones. Even as a reader, I enjoy reading the various responses from readers around the country and world to the questions. Question 4: I prefer giveaways last a few days, a week, and for larger prizes a month tops. Question 5: Since variety is the spice of life, I enjoy participating from a variety of authors. So monthly, quarterly, seasonal, or yearly giveaways, just like the giveaways on the Inspy Romance blog – individual author giveaways, plus a monthly gift card and the yearly birthday bash. Thanks for an insightful blog. Best wishes and enjoy your weekend.
Thank you for the chance. God has gifted you with generosity. May you have a blessed weekend.
Hi, Alexa! Thank you so much for the mention…I just love blogging about the many wonderful books and authors!
I love giveaways and enter them all the time. Lol, books, ebooks, gift cards, special gifts, you name it!
I love giveaways! With a limited book budget it’s a great way to read new books and authors. Like someone above said winning an Amazon gift card is great because I can go purchase something from my wish list!
I prefer paperbacks over ebooks, but will sometimes enter to win an ebook if it’s an author that is new to be and I want to give their books a try.
I don’t enter every giveaway I come across if it’s an author or genre I am not a huge fan of. I seem to be pretty lucky in giveaways so I figure I should give someone else a chance if it’s not a favorite of mine.
I prefer giveaway periods that are not to long!
I have a non existent budget for books, so I love giveaways. I manage to win quite a few books. Thanks for being so generous!
Regarding giveaways, I prefer the $10 Amazon gift cards. This way I can use the money to buy more ebooks!! LOL
I’d prefer to have the giveaways be shorter than longer. It gives me more of a chance to win because there is less time for others to enter….just sayin’.
And, I never get too tired of giveaways. I think they are awesome.
When it comes to the prompt for the giveaways, I prefer to be asked specific questions instead of just being asked to leave a general comment. I like pondering a giveaway topic prompt and I enjoy reading others people’s responses . I think there’s only been one time so far that I’ve thought “Uh, oh, I’ve got nothin’ to offer as a response.” When that happened, I simply said I didn’t have an answer. Easy enough
Wow, you’ve been busy with giveaways! I have to say I like to do the giveaways, as I find either new authors or new books by authors I like! I like the Amazon cards, because I’m also on a tight budget, but I also like paperbacks and ebooks. I prefer giveaways that don’t last long, a month seems way too long!
I love all the Inspry books I have read, and have most of them. I prefer to get a gift card since I usually buy the books as soon as they come out.
Cassandra, thank you so much for such an informative post! I’m so grateful to receive feedback from readers. And I appreciate the idea of an ereader. I totally forgot about that as a prize. You sound like a very avid reader. I really hope you’ll win as many giveaways as possible!
Thank you so much for the kind words about our new series, Lori!
Hi Wemble! Thrilled to hear you’re enjoying the Chapel Cove Romances. I love Inspy Romance Birthday Bash, too, and so happy to give back our wonderful readers. Thank you very much for always commenting to our Inspy Romance posts!
Hello, Priscila! You’re right. It was probably too many questions. I got carried away! Thank you very much for your input!
Renate, thank you from the bottom of my heart for pre-ordering our books and for all the support you’re giving us. And I appreciate you taking time to answer my questions. You’ve given me a lot of information to ponder over! Thank you so much for good wishes, and enjoy your weekend, too!
Lelia (Lucy) Reynolds, awwww, you’re so sweet! Best wishes in the giveaway, and have a blessed weekend, too!
Hello, Patty! Thank you so much for answering my questions and giving me a lot of information, and glad to hear you’re winning a lot of giveaways. It’s also very generous of you to give someone else a chance, too. Hmmm, Amazon gift cards seem to be popular as prizes. Thank you very much for commenting!
That’s a lot of questions to answer!
No such thing as too many giveaways. Favourite items to win are paperbacks, gift cards, and then other related gifts such as food, candy, candles, socks, jewelry, etc etc. The paperback is still #1 for me, though.
If you have a facebook launch party, please don’t have it during the middle of a weekday. That limits your audience as there are women who do work outside of the home and are not allowed to be on social media during the workday. I think all giveaways should be open for at least 24 hours to give folks a chance to comment.
I love discussion questions on facebook that get reader’s participation. Yes, it’s always great to hear about the new book but a favourite is when people comment to a question related to an issue the MC might have had or a problem the author had while writing the book. I get a lot of encouragement or inspiration from other’s comments.
Just like this post – great follow-up questions today!
Hello, Paula Shreckhise! My pleasure to give back to my readers, and I’m glad to hear you’ve been winning quite a few books. Thank you very much for sharing!
Hi, Paula Marie! I think your blog is amazing, and thank you for your support of Christian authors!
Hello, Susan Bates! Thank you for answering my questions. Glad to hear Amazon gift card is popular because that’s what I often offer as a prize. I loved your opinion about the giveaway topic prompt. I need to remember that!
Trudy, I enjoy doing the giveaways, so happy to offer them to my readers. :) Thank you so much for taking time to answer my questions, and we appreciate all your support!
Thank you for sharing, Linda Hogue, and we’re glad to hear you loved all the Inspy books you’ve read! So far the gift card seems to be the most popular choice. :)
Hello, Arletta! Sorry about a lot of questions (I got carried away), and thank you so much for answering them! That’s a great point about the Facebook launch party. We want to give as many readers as possible the chance to participate in them, and we do need to take into account that many women work outside of home and can’t participate during the middle of a weekday. And I so agree about the questions! Reading answers and interacting with readers is so much fun, and it’s so often very useful as we get encouragement and learn new things. Thank you so much for stopping by!
I love to host giveaways on my own blog, and enter them during the week as often as I can.
It’s fun to win prizes, but it’s also fun to read blog posts. I like to win print books and don’t usually enter if the prize is an ebook. I like to share my books with family and friends.
Gift cards are always good prizes, too! Amazon gift cards are a special treat. I have never entered to win a food-type prize but would probably only want it if it came directly from Sam’s Club or something….not if the author sent it personally.
I do a lot of the daily entries on giveaways when they’re available, so 1-2 week duration is good. There’s no such thing as too many giveaways!
I forgot to mention that I don’t enter Facebook-only giveaways. I’m just never on FB anymore.
Hello, Dianna! Thank you so much for all this valuable information. It’s an interesting point about food prizes. Glad to hear gift cards are good prizes. And so nice of you to host giveaways and share your books with family and friends! Thank you so much for stopping by!
Thanks for the mention, Alexa. :)
I’ve loved the giveaways we’ve done together. Great fun!
I LOVE book or gift card giveaways…..I am an avid reader and rely on the giveaways in order to read cause am on limited income. You are a very generous lady…..as well as a great author!
Blessings~~~
Enjoyed doing them, too, Autumn! And you know I love your books and happy to mention them any time I can. :)
Awww, Jackie Smith, you’ll make me cry (in a good way!) Thank you so much for your kind words!
I love giveaways! But, sometimes, if the prize isn’t something I want I won’t participate. I really like books & Amazon gift cards as prizes, so I almost always participate in those giveaways. Sometimes, even if I don’t like the prize, I’ll participate in the giveaway just because I really like the question or, in one author’s case, just answering a question isn’t how you enter. In this author’s newsletter, there is a picture you are to caption to be entered into the giveaway. I don’t even remember what the actual prize is, I just enter because it’s fun to come up with a funny caption for some of the pictures she chooses.
Love your books Alexa!!
I like participating in giveaways and I there are never too many for me. My fav things to enter for are paperbacks, gift cards, and bookish stuff (book sleeves, bookmarks, etc.) I usually don’t enter giveaways for ebooks as I prefer physical copies, but that’s just me. I also prefer giveaways that are for a week or less.
On my blog, I try to host one giveaway a month for a paperback. It’s great to connect with those who enter!
Awwww, Lisa Lee, so happy to hear you love my books! Super grateful for readers like you. :) Hmmm, such a great idea to have a picture and ask readers to come up with funny captions for it! Thank you very much for commenting!
Thank you very much, Jolene! And very nice of you to host one giveaway a month for a paperback on your blog. I agree, it’s great to connect with those who enter!
I agree with some here if I am not interested in the book or the giveaway I won’t enter. I like amazon gift cards or ebooks. I can read better on the kindle than a paperback book. Being aussie most don’t send the more interesting items here (Although if someone had a giveaway world wide with peeps I would enter).
I will often comment and say please don’t enter me if I don’t want the book or have it already. I also am very slow reading at present and feel bad to win when someone else wants it more.
Thank you very much, Ausjenny! That’s very nice of you to give the chance for other people to win the book if you have it already or don’t want the book. And thank you very much for all the valuable feedback!
I just wanted to thank everyone for all valuable feedback and taking time to answer my questions!
Love giveaways! Would prefer books or gift cards – don’t usually need more “stuff” but the earrings sound fun! There are never too many giveaways and I don’t mind them taking time – the only bad part of giveaways is I never win! Oh, well, I am ever hopeful! :)
I enter giveaways because it’s fun to get a little “gift” in the mail. My favorite thing to win is a paperback, but an Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card would be great, too. I think a week is a good length of time for a giveaway to be open. I do usually wait to buy a book if I entered a giveaway for it, but that’s why I like the giveaway to be for a short time period. There can never be too many giveaways!
This is a good post. Thank you for addressing it. Thank you for being willing to have give a ways. I like gift cards, paper backs, ebooks and yes fun stuff that pertains to the story. I like reading new to me authors. This is how I find a lot of my favorite authors. If a book is offered as a prize, I will generally wait until the give a way is over and if I am not the winner, I will go and get the book. Makes no matter to me how long a give a way goes for. Though I do prefer shorter give a ways. LOL just me. I dont think there is such a thing as too many give a ways. There are a lot of people out there. So to me it makes sense that having a lot gives many people a chance to win something.
Hi Alexa, first, let me say a BIG thank you for the give away. I might be “grown” but there is nothing like winning a prize!!! I am one that whatever the “prize” is, is a special blessing to me.
I prefer give aways that aren’t so far off. Like a week being the furthest out. Saw one yesterday that was 5 months out. I would forget to follow that one.
I’m also of the mindset, that the person offering the giveaway is being very generous, and they get to make the rules. Thank you for caring enough to ask our opinions on this.
PS: Love your books!!! God bless you.
I enjoy giveaways as I have a limited budget. It gives me the chance to try new authors and share about them with others.
I prefer paperbacks. I rarely will enter for an ebook unless there is a gift card or other prize attached.
I like paperbacks, Amazon gift cards, themed prizes are tons of fun also
Ps I don’t like long giveaways…maybe a week max. I tend to forget about them. A month is ok i guess if it’s a big prize but still I tend to forget. shorter is better.
Thank you for answering my questions, Kris! Glad to hear you love giveaways but sorry to hear you never win. I really hope that will change soon!
Thank you for answering my questions, Ellie! I wondered about paperbacks since so many people prefer ebooks now. I apreciate you commenting!
Lori Smanski, thank you very much for your kind words about my post and for answering my questions! It’s truly my pleasure to do giveaways. :) And I agree, the more giveaways the better!
Peggy, awww, thank you so much for the kind words! Happy to hear you love my books. <3 :) I appreciate you answering questions. Hmmm, a week seems to be a popular length. And my pleasure to offer the giveaway!
Thank you so much for valuable feedback, Sabrina Templin! Thank you for sharing about new authors with others!
Do you like participating in the giveaways? If so, why?
I try entering a bunch.
Won a few books that way on GoodReads, Book Parties, and Love-Inspired Authors.
I’m still “mostly broke” so free book always makes me happy!
What do you prefer as a prize?
paperback book signed by author & bookmark!
but I’ll happily take an e-book version if that’s what’s offered.
Amazon Gift Card ALWAYS welcomed.
If the ebook is offered as a prize and you like it, would it make you wait until the winner is announced to buy it?
Depends. Sometimes I’ve pre-ordered the book and showed up at the party anyways.
If the book’s $10.00 …. DEFINITELY 100% waiting.
If the book’s .99 or 1.99 …. “hurry up … I want to know who won!!”
How long would you like the giveaway to last?
Are you okay with the giveaways that span several weeks?
Depends on what kind it is.
GoodReads, for example, usually last a couple weeks
(and sometimes I get the “you’ve already entered this contest” message)
Book Parties usually have their giveaways either at the end of the night or within 24 hours.
Individual author pages vary.
Just like the number of genres I read … variety of giveaway options!
Is there such a thing as too many giveaways?
with the number of books out there? Ya nuts??
Do you get tired if an author offers giveaways too often? nope
Megan, wow! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer the questions! And I have to admit I love your writing style. :)
I love contests. Just the chance to win is awesome. Thank you for the chance to enter.
My pleasure, Aletha Kelley! Best wishes in the giveaway!
I love giveaways! My favorite is an amazon gift card, or book gift (paperback or ebook). I’m not to picky though as they are fun irregardless and the authors may have other things they want to give away. Bookmarks, notebooks and tote bags are also fun.
There is never too many giveaways. Lol! It’s nice to have Amazon cards. I can make it stretch and get some good kindle books.
I’m a book #romcom & #cozymystery book blogger. I love sharing about #book #giveaways. I think 24 hrs. to 3 days is a good amount of time for a small giveaway & a couple of weeks to a month for larger, more complex ones. All the suggested prizes are good.
I enjoy getting books or amazon gift cards as prizes. One thing I don’t like is when there is a giveaway for a new release that is currently selling for a reduced price, but then giveaway doesn’t end until after the price will be increased. I would like to know if I win the nook before it increases so I can take advantage of the reduced price if I don’t win.
Andrea Byers, glad to hear about the prizes. :) Thank you very much for your input!
Thank you for your input, Brenda! Lol about never too many giveaways. And Amazon gift card seems to be the most popular prize so far.
Thank you very much for your input! And sharing about giveaways is always apppreciated tremendously.
Melynda, a very good point about increasing the price. I agree with you. Thank you very much for your input!
Hi Alexa! Already commented once, but just received your newsletter this morning. Thank you for your generous spirit. Best wishes!
Giveaways are fun. I like the chance to win. I love Amazon gift cards. They allow me to purchase books I can’t afford. Thank you for letting your reader’s know about the upcoming box set. I appreciate knowing I will be able to purchase books at discounted prices.
Hi Alexa, I love your books and and thrilled you’re going to do a book set. Personal preference, but I don’t like to wait for the next book to come out. Love the giveaways! Even $5 gets some great books! God Bless and good luck to all!
Thanks so much for the opportunity to win your giveaway!
Thank you for the heads up on the box set
I love winning Amazon cards. I also love winning books that I can hold in my hands. I do not enter for e-books.
Giveaways are perfect for those on a budget. My favorite prizes are signed paperbacks, Amazon GC, book cozy and something unique that related to the book from the author.
I enjoy reading many kinds of books. Yours are some of my favorites. I’m elderly and on limited income which doesn’t allow me to purchase books, so I’m always looking for free, giveaways and contests.
Awww, Renate, you’re so sweet! Your comments always put a big smile on my face. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Hello, Cheryl! Thank you very much for your input. Amazon gift cards seem to be the most popular prize by far. And yes, happy to give my readers heads up. :)
Hi, Marty! God bless you! Awwww, so happy to hear you love my books! Thank you so much for your input and your support. And you’re so right. Even $5 can get great books (for example, if each book is on sale for $0.99). I appreciate you commenting.
Hello, Susan! My pleasure, and best wishes in the giveaway!
Happy to do so, Teresa Martin! Thank you for commenting!
Hello, Gladys! Yes, there’s that feeling of turning actual pages. And Amazon gift cards seem to be a very popular prize. Thank you very much for commenting!
Thank you so much for your input on the prizes, Caryl Kane! I appreciate it.
Hello, Judy! I’m very grateful to be one of your favorites. And I’m glad if I’ll be able to give you more books. I try to offer free and discounted books and giveaway often. Thank you for commenting! Best wishes in the giveaway!
I love the giveaways print books or gift cards it helps a lot where I am on a fixed income Thank You !
Thank you very much for your input and all your support, Sarah Taylor! Really appreciate all this information from readers!
I love giveaways! There a good way to inspire readers. Shirl Halverson
I love giveaways! Gift cards are my favorite but I also love entering giveaways for books that are on my list or catch my eye. I have a VERY tiny budget so I enter giveaways as often as possible.
Let me start by saying this was a fun post. I don’t think I’ve ever read one on giveaways, so it was definitely interesting :) Now, as for your question, I’ll try and answer them in order:
– I do like participating in giveaways since they’ve introduced me to new authors/books. I also like when the giveaways are set for helping an author, as in Like/Follow their Facebook page, or Amazon/Goodreads/Bookbub account. I feel like it’s a simple way to support an author (second place after reviews, of course)
– Since I’m international, I’ve come to prefer Amazon gift cards and ebooks. However, I’m also extra grateful when authors’ set international giveaways (I’ve won paperbacks, bookmarks, and one author even sent me chocolate! So yes, that’s a very sweet and special gift).
– Yes, I would wait until the winner is announced to buy the ebook that was being gifted.
– At first, I was more partial to giveaways that lasted a week or so; however, since most giveaways ask for the participant to leave some kind of contact information, now I don’t mind if it lasts about a month or so. I’ve found out that by the time the giveaway ends I’ll usually have forgotten I’ve entered one in the first place, so it’s been a surprise to find a “You’re the winner” email in my inbox.
– Sometimes I won’t be in the mood (usually if the giveaway requires too many steps), and I’ll let them pass; other times the giveaways are just for US people, so I also won’t enter, or sometimes I’ll be in the mood and check all the giveaways an author is offering to check I haven’t missed anyone.
I read one of yours book, before I got for free. I Love it and I want to read more of your books. But, I can’t afford to buy Books right now. Hope I have the money to buy your box set, when it comes out. Thanks for all of us that can’t buy Books and want to read your books. I will definitely be looking for this box set and hopefully I can buy it. I want to read your books again. No author I know never said that about their books. I know you really care about your fans. Took bad you don’t have an ARC team. If, so I. Really want to join. Thanks for this Awesome chance. Your Fan always
Shirl Halverson, thank you very much! I loved how you said it, “a good way to inspire readers.” I appreciate your input!
Hello, Amelia! Glad to hear you love giveaways, but sorry about the tiny budget. I hope you’ll win as many giveaways as possible. Thank you very much for your feedback!
Priscila, thank you very much for your kind words about my post. And extra thanks for such a thoughtful and thorough answer. I’m learning a lit from this feedback. And yes, it was so sweet of the author to send chocolate internationally! I also loved it how you wanted to support authors, too.
Hello, Rose! Glad to hear you liked my book. Do you happen to be on Facebook? If so, please feel free to friend me (Alexa Verde in Harlingen, TX) and pm me, and I’ll be happy to add you to my street team. Thank you very much for commenting!
I love giveaways! Maybe it’s because it’s fun to be surprised (if I win). Or also I like to win a gift card so I don’t feel guilty buying a new book or just a little something for me only. I like print books because I enjoy holding a book, turning the pages to see what will happen next. I like the feel of the book in my hands. I like to see them placed in shelves in my home. I’m not just proud of them but I feel blessed when I see my friends on those shelves. I prefer a short giveaway lasting a week or so. E-books are okay but not my preferred choice. I tend to read a print book sooner. I don’t think there are too many giveaways!
I love giveaways – they help me support my reading habit :) As an international reader, Amazon gift cards & e-books are definitely my prize of choice (plus e-books can go with me wherever I go on my phone; I can read while waiting for my experiments to finish). I would probably wait to buy a book unless the announcement would take me past a stellar pre-order deal. Short giveaways preferred, but any giveaway is great!
Sally Davison, thank you so much for your input and your thoughtful comment! I loved how you called books your friends. You’re a wonderful reader!
Jenni, thank you so much for your input! Amazon gift cards seem to be the most popular prize. And I totally agree, ebooks can go with us everywhere!
The giveaway is over! Many thanks to all who commented. I loved reading the feedback and learned a lot, too. :)
I don’t think there is such a thing as too many book giveaways! I think the best prizes are an ebook or print book. Gift cards are fun too but it can be tempting to use them in other ways besides books so an actial book can be better.