If you are an author, you are probably familiar with the major role publicity can play when it comes to turning a book into a commercial success. Unlike traditional authors who are receiving help from their agents when it comes to promotion, self-published authors have to fight this struggle on their own. The promotional campaign that includes spreading the word, connecting with the potential market and reviewers is completely dependent on them. Many writers find this even more challenging than writing the book itself, yet they still have to remember that the success of their book relies on how much effort they are willing to put into promoting it.

Still, there is some good news. The connection between the writer and the reader takes less time, less distance and less effort now. Goodreads.com is just one of the numerous sites that utilizes the advantages provided by the Internet to join the authors together with their readers.

For these kind of authors, there is an excellent opportunity to successfully promote themselves in the Goodreads giveaway. Goodreads can be considered as an online bookstore with millions of users. That means that there are millions of potentials readers and reviewers available if you agree to put your book in a giveaway.

Basically, your giveaway will be presented as a contest for the members of the community. You set the deadline of it and the number of copies you are giving away. When it ends, Goodreads chooses the winners.

Your book must be available in a physical format. If it is digital, use Createspace to create a low-budget copy of your e-book.

What are some of the best reasons to participate in these giveaways? What benefits will you receive from it as an author?

Firstly, your work will become public. Statistics show that 60 entrants usually add the book being given away to their 'to-read' lists and it doesn't matter how many copies you've decided to donate for the contest. Even though this doesn't mean that they actually will become your readers, your name has now become known. However, an average of 8% of contestants usually add the giveaway book to their to-read lists which means that the more books you give away, the greater publicity you might get back.

A second major benefit that giveaways provide you with, are the reviews. An average of 45% of contest winners decide to review their prize. You may now think that it's not such a great benefit after all, but you must bear in mind that most of the readers write their own book blogs, therefore the review of your book will not only be read by their fellow-readers, but there is also a large possibility that they may get published in a more popular blog.

Those authors that have given away their books previously, suggest not to be modest and give away as many books as possible and select a lengthy duration for the contest - definitely not a few days, rather weeks or months meanwhile promoting oneself in the community. If used effectively, this kind of promotion might just be the key to your success and enjoying great sales.