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BookBub Review

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Should I use BookBub?

Book discovery service: free ebook deals for readers, paid promotion for authors. - bookbub.com

· 1 day ago

Readers should absolutely use the free deal newsletter — it costs nothing and surfaces big discounts. Authors should only pay for Featured Deals or Ads if they have multiple books and a promo budget, since ROI reports are mixed.

Confidence

Medium. Based on 24 public sources: Trustpilot, Reddit, App Store, author blogs, forums, and BookBub's own pages.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support qualityNo support evidence in sources reviewed
  • Security posture

Pricing

Free

Reader newsletter

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes
BookBub AdsSelf-serve; you set the budget
Featured DealCustom, priced per book and category

Best for

  • Avid ebook readers hunting discounts
  • Self-published authors with series backlists
  • Genre romance/thriller writers running price promos
  • Authors testing paid ads at small budgets

Not for

  • Debut authors with one book and no promo budget
  • Authors expecting guaranteed sales for their money
  • Readers who hate daily promo emails
  • Authors unwilling to write copy or manage ad campaigns

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

Fake BookBub reps call authors asking for payment; verify contacts before paying anyone

medium

Featured Deal pricing isn't public; costs vary by category and some authors report expensive placements

medium

Featured Deals can flop — an entire forum thread asks if a feature ever failed

low

Reader product is free, but every author-side tool is pay-to-play

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Free daily ebook deals, discounts up to 95% across retailers
  • Claimed 15M+ reader audience — the largest ebook promo list
  • Featured Deals can deliver major sales spikes
  • Self-serve Ads target readers by author, genre, and series
  • Free KDP keyword research tool for indie authors

Cons

  • Featured Deals are paid and editorially selective; rejections happen
  • Some authors report fading results year over year
  • 2,402 Trustpilot reviews reflect a mixed record
  • Scammers impersonate BookBub sales reps to phish authors
  • Ads demand testing and skill before they pay off

Sources & method

- 14 sources - No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

official x2review x8security x2news x2

Key stats

  • Value for money: 3/5

    Rating

  • Free

    Starting price

  • 14

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 3/5. Free for readers; author ROI hotly debated
  • Ease of use: 4/5. Readers: set-and-forget. Authors: editorial approval gate
  • Feature depth: 4/5. Ads, Featured Deals, profiles, keyword tool, author sites
  • Support quality. No support evidence in sources reviewed
  • Security posture: 3/5. Security page published; no public breaches found
  • 2,402 Trustpilot reviews mixed reader and author feedback
  • 15M+ Reader reach claimed newsletter audience
  • $7M Funding raised May 2015
  • Yes Free for readers author-side promos are paid

Pricing

Reader newsletter

Free

  • Daily personalized ebook deals
  • iOS/Android app

BookBub Ads

Self-serve; you set the budget

  • Pay-per-click placements
  • Target by genre, author, or series

Featured Deal

Not disclosed

  • Editorial curation
  • Email blast to category subscribers

Security

No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

What users say

Readers rave about cheap books; authors split between career-making wins and complaints about declining returns.

“Somebody needs to take bookbub away from me!!😂”
Reddit, r/kindle
“Guys tell me I'm not crazy that BookBub has become garbage”
Reddit, r/selfpublish
“Best deals on new e-book”
Apple App Store review
Full analysis

Based on 24 public sources: Trustpilot, Reddit, App Store, author blogs, forums, and BookBub's own pages.

Free deal newsletter for readers — easy yes. Author promotion is paid, selective, ROI-varies; needs a backlist.

Methodology

Based on 24 public sources: Trustpilot, Reddit, App Store, author blogs, forums, and BookBub's own pages.

Read how a report is made.

Sources

  1. What is BookBub - BookBubbookbub.com
    official
  2. How Our Promotions Work - BookBubbookbub.com
    official
  3. BookBub - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
    news
  4. BookBub Raises $7 Million in New Fundinginsights.bookbub.com
    news
  5. Read Customer Service Reviews of bookbub.com - Trustpilottrustpilot.com
    review
  6. BookBub - Ratings & Reviews - App Storeapps.apple.com
    review
  7. BookBub Review: What Authors Need to Know - Kindlepreneurkindlepreneur.com
    review
  8. Was My BookBub Featured Deal Worth It? - Mediummedium.com
    review
  9. Guys tell me I'm not crazy that BookBub has become garbage - Redditreddit.com
    review
  10. Got accepted to BookBub Featured Deal on my first try - Redditreddit.com
    review
  11. Why I Waited So Long To Try BookBub Adsmatthewjholmes.com
    review
  12. Has a BookBub feature ever failed for anyone? - KBoardskboards.com
    review
  13. Beware of BookBub scam targeting self-published authorsfacebook.com
    security
  14. Product security page - BookBubbookbub.com
    security

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