First of all thanks so much to all those who entered, and to those who have helped me spread the word.

Three winners were picked by Goodreads and the signed books are about to be sent out. Congratulations to the winners, I really hope they enjoy the book.

I ran my giveaway of Visions of Zarua for 2 months, not having put much research into what is a good timescale beforehand. Others have suggested that a shorter period is better, but maybe for a new indie author the longer the giveaway runs, the better.

2070 people entered the competition and of those 835 marked it as to read on their bookshelves. I’ve also managed to pick up some new followers. These are people that would never have heard of Visions of Zarua without Goodreads, so I see the competition as a great success. I really enjoyed running the giveaway and I may run another competition again soon.

I have also considered doing a Rafflecopter giveaway, but know even less about this than I did Goodreads. Can anyone offer any advice?

A bit cheeky I know, but if you were intrigued by the giveaway and fancied picking up a copy, Visions of Zarua is available for only £2.99 on Kindle, Kobo, iBooks, Nook, and Smashwords for other formats.

For any authors out there considering a giveaway, I say go for it.

UPDATE – 17th February 2016

A small note of caution. Running the giveaway is free, but the costs can still add up. My lucky winners were from Romania, India and USA. In all, the postage has cost me £27.45. Add to this the cost of the books which I brought direct from createspace and had to pay shipping on as well. I’d say I’m around £50.00 out of pocket.

However, as far as advertising costs go, that’s a bargain.

I know 2070 people (plus their friends on Goodreads) have now seen my book. Being in the fantasy section of the giveaway ensures I have done all I can to target my ideal audience. So although the giveaway hasn’t had much impact on sales yet, I’m hopeful it will help spread the word about Visions of Zarua. I read somewhere that consumers need to see a product a lot (something like 7 – 10 times) before they buy. So I shall just keep plugging away and keep dreaming of those sales and reviews rolling in.