How to Use Instafreebie to Grow Your Newsletter Subscribers

Many self-published and hybrid authors will tell you that two of the best ways to increase your readership are offering free e-books and building a newsletter subscriber list so potential readers can stay up to date on your latest work. Instafreebie combines these two methods in an ingenious way that can take your readership to new heights in a short amount of time. As an editing and writing company dedicated to helping authors build their writing careers, Midnight Publishing is always on the lookout for indie author-friendly options to sell more books. Below is our rundown on this great marketing tool:

How Does Instafreebie Work?

Founded in 2014, Instafreebie began as a way to connect readers with authors and offer advanced copies, giveaways, and sneak peeks while linking them to the authors’ newsletters. By signing up on the homepage, readers can provide their email and select free e-books from Instafreebie’s list to receive as a mobi file (for Kindles), epub file (all other e-readers), or in PDF format. Once the desired e-book is selected, the reader provides their email address to the author in exchange for the free e-book file being sent to their inbox.

Getting Set Up as an Author

To offer your e-books for free through Instafreebie, you first need to make an author profile. Authors are offered three plans:

1. Basic: This plan is free forever and allows unlimited distribution and giveaways. Instafreebie also offers their “acceleration” to the right readers—as in, once someone downloads a romance novel and yours is another one that’s currently available, it might be advertised next.

2. Plus Plan: $20 per month. In addition to everything offered in the basic plan, this one includes the ability to integrate your MailChimp or MailerLite newsletter system into theirs, so you don’t have to manually insert the email addresses yourself. It also provides diagnostics on your giveaways, so you know how well you’ve done.

3. Pro Plan: $50 per month. In addition to everything offered in the basic and plus plan, this plan provides authors with the ability to add up to five pen names and personalize their branding with a color and style.

**Note: All plans include the ability to set expiration dates and download limits on your giveaways, the option for DRM watermarks to protect your work, and the potential for additional promotions on their homepage.

Once you’ve created a profile and chosen your plan, you can begin to add your books. Setup is simple: input your title, ISBN/ASIN information, the book’s synopsis, upload the cover art, and an author photo. You must upload an epub file (one that’s under 10 MB), and you have the option to offer mobi and PDF files to your readers as well. Once you’ve created your book’s profile, you can then choose to do a giveaway. There are two options for giveaways:

1. Private Giveaways: These would be through your website or on your social media platforms, and can only be accessed with a specific giveaway code that Instafreebie generates. The giveaway would not be advertised for Instafreebies website subscribers.

2. Public Giveaways: This option would offer your book for free to any reader on the Instafreebie website who options to subscribe to your newsletter. This is the best option for growing your readership, especially if Instafreebie selects your book as one of their top exclusive deals of the day.

For more information be sure to check out Instafreebie’s website and start offering your latest short stories, ARCs, and books through them today to grow that readership!

For assistance in editing, organizing, writing, and marketing your books, contact Midnight Publishing today! We’re a group of award-winning writers and editors based out of Phoenix, Arizona, and have been working with authors locally and internationally for nearly a decade! Trusted with over five million words—find out why today.