Paid Promotion Sites
| Service | Price | Erotica Allowed? | Requirements and Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Book Goodies | $10 - $399 | Yes | Submit 5 days in advance. One of the few paid services to explicitly allow erotica (no pun intended). Flat rate promotion, no complicated array of options to navigate and decipher. |
| Free Booksy | $30 - $200 | Not Stated | Pricing depends on genre. Horror and travel are at the cheaper end of the spectrum while fantasy and romance are the most expensive. The size of the email list used by the service differs per genre, as each list is targeted to specific genre fans. |
| Book Bub | $113 - $3,984 | Not Stated | Very strict acceptance criteria, excellent average ROI. Countless authors have reported huge success after being featured on Book Bub. The most popular genre on Book Bub, crime, has almost 4 million subscribers on the list. |
| Kindle Nation Daily | $29.99 - $139.98 | Not Stated | Offers myriad packages. You can buy either daily, weekly or monthly packages, and have the option of choosing to promote to specific genre pages or to the whole site in general. Service claims to be able to reach up to 180,000 Kindle owners each day. |
| Book Cave | $15 - $44 (Genre) | Yes, but no erotic covers | Must have 10-20 reviews, but a new release can have no reviews if you have good reviews on several other books. 100+ pages. Books cannot be more than $2.99 for the promotion, and need to be free, $0.99, or discounted by at least 50%. |
| Digital Book Today | $20 | Not Stated | Submit at least 4 days in advance. Onsite calendar feature allows you to quickly and easily see whether it will be possible to promote your book during your desired time. |
| LitNuts | $20 | Yes | LitNuts was created to bring "the best of the indies" to booklovers. Welcomes bargain books, but promotes books at any price point as long as the book is from an indie author or publisher. (LitNuts does not solicit or accept book promotions from the Big Five or any of their ~250 imprints.) Flat price, multiple genres, easy-to-use calendar and order form. |
| Book Tweeters | $15 - $65 | No | Tweet Your Books to 500,000+ Readers for 1-5 days |
| Author Ad Network | $129 | Yes and No | Promotes your book to 28 different promotion sites and other social media programs. If erotica, they'll only promote to certain sites that allow it. |
| Book Reader Magazine | $20 | Yes | $20 guarantees a featured spot on the homepage for 7 days. Also, allows you to submit an author interview for free. |
| Goodkindles | $25 - $45 | Yes | The costlier packages come with prominent home page promotion, social media and newsletter features. |
| Free Kindle Books and Tips | $25 - $125 | Not Stated | No specific details offered, authors must contact the site and ask for more info about what the service entails |
| Hot Zippy | $23 - $337 | Yes | One of the biggest ranges of options and prices available. Mix and match book promotions across four websites, audiences, and email newsletters: Bargain eBook Hunter, Pixelscroll, Romance eBook Deals & 13 Horror Street. Choose your dates, sites, and number of days you want to run (2 days up to 30 days). Use your book's product description or write your own copy. New author friendly - no minimum review requirements or minimum star rating. Erotica titles welcome. |
| Author Marketing Club | Varies | Not Stated | Service offers submission to 28 separate platforms. Many other tools found on the site which may help with your promo efforts, such as a 'bookalyzer'. |
| Free Books Hub | $10 - $20 | Not Stated | Your book will be promoted via email, on the website and through social media. Extra payments can be made in order to be more prominently displayed on both the site and on Facebook. |
| EBook Deal Of The Day | $5-10 | Not Stated | Costs $5-10 per marketplace (e.g Kindle, iTunes etc). Also offers a specific Kindle India promotion option. |
| Snicks List | $1 - $5 | No | One of the two cheapest paid promotion options. You can choose the number of days your promotion will run, with very small price increases for extra days. If you have a permafree book, your promotion will run for a year for only $5. |
| Buck Books | $9 - $29 | Not Stated | Book must be 0.99 or less during promotion, at least 10 reviews with an average score of 3.8 or higher, well written book description, pro cover design (specifically not Fiverr) |
| Awesome Book Promotion | $10 - $25 | Yes | 5 different platforms available. You can choose to spread out your promotion on specific dates on each of the 5 sites or stack them all in one day. |
| Planet Ebooks | $20 - $60 | Not Stated | Your book is featured on home page, promoted by social media blasts and weekly newsletter to our readers depending on package and if you are offering free or discounted book at the time. No minimum quantity/score, erotic romance accepted only with a tasteful cover. |
| Hidden Gems Books | $10 - $50 | Yes | Thousands of quality subscribers and growing daily, newsletter goes out twice a week and price varies on package. All genres of romance. Also has an ARC program for attracting honest reviews |
| Bargain Booksy | $20 - $220 | Yes | Price paid depends on genre. More popular genres have a bigger list and therefore cost more. |
| Book Basset | $8 per day - $22 per day | No | No explicit content whatsoever allowed. Choice of either being a 'featured author' or being the giveaway of the day. |
| Book Gorilla | $50 - $100 | Yes | Erotica is accepted but must have "literary quality". Books must have 5 reviews with an average of 4 stars and be over 100 pages in length. |
| Book Lemur | $25 - $35 | No | No minimum review amount stated but "the more quality reviews the better". |
| ManyBooks | $29 - $79 | No, but states will in future | Your book must have at least 5 reviews with a four star or better rating. Your cover must be professional. |
| Riffle Books | $150 | No | Books must be over 150 pages and professionally edited and presented. |
| WhizBuzz Books | $49 | Yes | Erotica is accepted but only if the cover and title are suitable for a general audience. The fee buys promotion both on site and on social for one year. |
| Genre Pulse | $16 - $50 | Yes | No special requirements. Genre Pulse prides themselves on 'not being fussy.' |
| Robin Reads | $40 - $85 | Yes | Books promoted specifically by genre. Erotica is allowed but featured separately. Books must have a good cover and good reviews to be selected. No minimum reviews. |
| Ebook Hounds | $10 - $50 | Yes | Nonfiction books must be over 100 pages. Fiction books must be over 150. At least 10 reviews averaging 3+ stars. |
| The Fussy Librarian | $10 - $75 | Yes | Book must be $5.99 or less on the day of the promotion. They offer two newsletters — one for bargain ebooks (100,000+ readers) and one for free ebooks (500,000+ readers). |
| E Reader News Today | $40 - $140 | No | Full length books only. No minimum requirements but reviews are taken into consideration. |
| Dango Books | $15 - $18 | Yes | The discounted price must be below $2.99. Your book must be at least 125 pages. Children’s, non-fiction, and cookbooks do not have to meet this requirement. |
| TCK Publishing | $10 | No | Professionally designed book cover, must have at least 10 reviews on Amazon, average review rating of 4 stars, book must be $0.99 or cheaper at time of promotion |
| BookMelon | $19 - $49 | No | Nonfiction only, High-quality professional book cover, Must have more than 10 ratings (prelaunch book promotions excluded) on your chosen book sales platforms and an average of over 3.5 stars |
| BookDoggy | $18 - $20 | Yes | Your book is included in their newsletter and website. Includes a personalized post on their Facebook page. Will link to a series pages, specific giveaway pages, or a link to a video. |
| Unlimited Readers | $9 - $18 | Not Stated | Must be on Kindle Unlimited for at least the next 30 days. No specific review/rating requirement, but all books go through an editorial consideration that appraises your book’s cover, summary, and reviews. |
| bookdealio | $70 - $250 | Not Stated | Either Free or discounted by at least 50%. Typically, the highest price point in our deals portion of the newsletter is $1.99. Apply about 1 month in advance. |
| kbookpromotions | $140 - $780 | Yes | eBooks only. Max price is $9.99. |
| Books Go Social | $89 - $499 | No Erotica | Amazon and Facebook ad programs with NetGalley and Editorial Reviews |
| BookRunes | $25 - $40 | No | Must be $2.99 or less. |
| eBookSoda | $29 | Yes | Your book must have at least 8 reviews unless it's a new release and an average of 3.5 stars or more. Priced at $4.99 or less on the day of the listing. |
| Love Kissed Book Bargains | $5 - $50 | Yes | Your book must be priced under $2.99, have a professional cover, and a ranking of 3.5 stars or more. |
| NewInBooks | $299 - $499 | Not Stated | All books are subject to editorial review. Your book must be released in the past 120 days to qualify. |
| Free & Discounted Books | $12 - $25 | Not Stated | Submit at least 5 days in advance. Almost every genre imaginable found here. Also the option to list any permafree books you may have. |
| BookRaid | $0.15 - $60 | Yes | High quality covers only, no minimum reviews but reviews taken into account, price is cost per click basis with $40 maximum charge |
| Booksliced | $18 - $43 | Yes | Features eBooks only. Erotic romance accepted. Offers standard book promotions, series promotions and hand-crafted articles about your books. |
| The eReader Cafe | $25 - $40 | No | A minimum of 3 reviews with a score of 4+ Book must be submitted at least 3 days in advance and be over 100 pages in length |
| Artisan Book Reviews & Promotion | $25 - $390 | No | Please submit your book for approval for our proven book & author promotions & marketing campaigns. |
| AllAuthor | $24 | Yes | Regular promotions on Twitter for 6 months in front of 50,000+ followers |
| Joelbooks | $10-45 | No | Modern book lover website with a wide range of content for readers. They are active on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook. Their most popular genres are Children's books, YA fiction, Thrillers, Sci-fi, Fantasy, Self-help and Business books. |
| The Bookish Elf | $50-500 | No | They read all genre books, Historical Fiction, Psychological thriller books, Biography books, Self help books, Romance books, Horror, Mystery, crime, Children's Books. |
| Crave Books | $24+ | Yes | Guaranteed promotion to email list and website. Upgrades for social media, boosts, newsletter feature and more are available. |
| eBook Booster | $30 | Yes | Your book promotion sent to 13+ book blog sites. Your promotion is guaranteed and upgrades are available as well. |
| eReader Girl | $15 | No | Your book is guaranteed to be promoted via email and on the website. |
Ecommerce Success Blogs
What is the difference between Shopify CSV and Matrixify Products import and export?
Shopify CSV vs Matrixify Excel: A Comprehensive Guide to Product Management
Managing product data in an e-commerce platform can be a complex task, especially when dealing with large inventories. This article compares two prominent methods for handling product data in Shopify: the native CSV system and the Matrixify Excel approach. We'll explore how these tools differ and why choosing the right one can significantly impact your workflow efficiency.
Shopify vs Matrixify Comparison
| FEATURE | SHOPIFY | MATRIXIFY |
|---|---|---|
| File Type | CSV files | Excel files |
| Import/Export Visibility | No visibility or control; must wait for email. | Full visibility, progress updates, and cancel options. |
| Export Options | Exports full store with all fields, leading to duplicate rows. | Granular export filtering, saves time and file size, no duplicate rows. |
| Multiple Images | Requires copying rows and adding each image to a separate row. | Allows multiple images in one row, separated by semicolons. |
| Metafields | Cannot export/import Metafields. | Exports and imports Metafields as columns in the table. |
| Product Updates | Replaces entire product; no field-specific updates. | Allows individual field updates without replacing products. |
| Template Suffix | Cannot update in bulk. | Supports bulk Template Suffix updates as a column. |
| Product IDs | Deletes and recreates products with new IDs, losing references. | Keeps IDs and references intact, preserving Custom Collections. |
| File Size Limit | 15 MB (~10,000 products). | Supports large files (e.g., 600,000+ products). |
Detailed Comparison between Shopify & Matrixify Product Management & Uploads
File Format and Basic Handling
Shopify CSV
- File Format: Limited to CSV files only
- Process Visibility: Upload and wait system
- User Control: Minimal interaction during process
- Progress Tracking: None email notification upon completion
- File Size Limitation: Strict 15MB limit (approximately 10,000 products)
Matrixify Excel
- File Format: Works with Excel files (.xlsx)
- Process Visibility: Real-time progress tracking
- User Control: Full control with cancel option
- Progress Tracking: Live progress bar with time estimates
- File Size Limitation: Handles large files (600,000+ products)
Data Management Capabilities
1. Product Export Features
Shopify CSV
- Exports entire store inventory
- No filtering options
- All fields included regardless of need
- Creates duplicate rows for variants and images
- Limited customization options
Matrixify Excel
- Granular export control
- Custom field selection
- Filtered exports based on specific criteria
- Efficient row management
- Optimized file size through selective exporting
2. Image Handling
Shopify CSV
- One image per row requirement
- Multiple images need row duplication
- Complicated management for product variants
- Image Alt Text updates require full product reimport
Matrixify Excel
- Multiple images in single row
- Semicolon-separated image sources
- Streamlined variant management
- Independent Image Alt Text updates
Advanced Features
3. Metafields Management
Shopify CSV
- No metafield support
- Cannot export existing metafields
- No import capabilities for metafields
- Requires separate solution for metafield management
Matrixify Excel
- Full metafield support
- Export metafields as table columns
- Direct editing and updating
- Integrated metafield management
4. Product Updates and Maintenance
Shopify CSV
- Creates new product IDs on import
- Breaks existing collection references
- Full product replacement required
- No partial updates supported
Matrixify Excel
- Maintains original product IDs
- Preserves all existing references
- Supports partial field updates
- Selective field modification
5. Inventory Management
Shopify CSV
- Basic inventory tracking
- Single location focus
- No adjustment features
- Limited variant handling
Matrixify Excel
- Multi-location inventory support
- Inventory adjustment tracking
- Delta-based inventory management
- Advanced variant generation
6. Template Management
Shopify CSV
- No template suffix support
- Cannot modify templates in bulk
- Limited template customization
Matrixify Excel
- Full template suffix support
- Bulk template modifications
- Simple column-based management
Special Features
Matrixify Exclusive Capabilities
1. HTML Code Optimization
- Automatic fixing of escaped HTML code
- Converts symbols to proper HTML
2. Variant Management
- Bulk variant generation
- Option combination support
- Semicolon-separated combinations
3. Publishing Control
- Flexible channel publishing
- Online and POS integration
- Custom publishing scope settings
Best Practices and Recommendations
When to Use Shopify CSV
- Small product catalogs
- Basic product updates
- Simple inventory management
- Standard product configurations
When to Use Matrixify Excel
- Large product catalogs
- Complex product configurations
- Multi-location inventory
- Detailed metafield management
- Bulk template updates
- Advanced variant management
While Shopify's native CSV system provides basic functionality for smaller stores, Matrixify Excel offers a more robust, flexible, and efficient solution for managing product data. The choice between the two largely depends on your store's size, complexity, and specific needs. For larger operations or those requiring detailed control over their product data, Matrixify Excel presents clear advantages in terms of functionality, efficiency, and scalability.
Remember that investing time in learning the more powerful tool can save significant time and reduce errors in the long run, especially as your store grows and your product management needs become more complex.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
General Questions
What's the main difference between Shopify CSV and Matrixify Excel?
The main difference is that Shopify CSV is a basic file format with limited functionality, while Matrixify Excel offers advanced features like real-time tracking, multiple sheets, and partial updates. Matrixify also allows you to work with pure Excel files instead of CSV format.
Which option is better for my store?
It depends on your store size and needs:
Use Shopify CSV if:
- You have under 10,000 products
- You need basic import/export features
- You're doing simple updates
Use Matrixify if:
- You have over 10,000 products
- You need advanced features
- You want better control over updates
- You work with multiple locations
- You need to manage metafields
File Size & Limitations
What are the file size limitations?
Shopify CSV: 15MB maximum
Matrixify: Can handle gigabytes of data (600,000+ products)
How many products can each handle?
Shopify CSV: small catalog
Matrixify: 600,000+ products in one import
Features & Functionality
Can I update specific fields without replacing entire products?
Shopify CSV: No, you must replace the entire product
Matrixify: Yes, you can update individual fields
How do multiple images work in each system?
Shopify CSV: Requires separate rows for each image
Matrixify: All images can be in one row, separated by semicolons
Can I manage metafields?
Shopify CSV: No metafield support
Matrixify: Full metafield support with column-based management
Import/Export Process
How do I track the progress of my import?
Shopify CSV: No tracking wait for email notification
Matrixify: Real-time progress bar with estimated completion time
Can I cancel an import once it's started?
Shopify CSV: No
Matrixify: Yes, at any time during the import
Data Management
What happens to product IDs during import?
Shopify CSV: Creates new IDs, breaking collection references
Matrixify: Maintains existing IDs and references
How are variants handled?
Shopify CSV: Each variant requires a separate row
Matrixify: Can generate variants from combinations using semicolon separation
Technical Questions
How does each handle HTML in descriptions?
Shopify CSV: Leaves escaped HTML code as is
Matrixify: Automatically fixes escaped HTML code to normal HTML
Can I manage inventory across multiple locations?
Shopify CSV: Limited location support
Matrixify: Full multi-location inventory management
Best Practices
What's the recommended way to update product prices?
Shopify CSV: Must upload full product data
Matrixify: Can update prices alone using a simple price column
How should I handle large product catalogs?
Shopify CSV: Split into multiple files under 15MB
Matrixify: Can handle in single file with filtering options
Troubleshooting
What if my import fails?
Shopify CSV: Check email for basic error message
Matrixify: Detailed error reporting with specific row/column information
How do I fix broken product references?
Shopify CSV: Manually rebuild collections and references
Matrixify: No action needed references are maintained
Integration & Compatibility
Do these work with all Shopify plans?
Both work with all Shopify plans, but Matrixify requires a separate subscription.
Can I use these with other e-commerce platforms?
Shopify CSV: Shopify-specific format
Matrixify: Designed for Shopify but Excel format is more universal
Support & Resources
Where can I find documentation?
Shopify CSV: Shopify Help Center
Matrixify: Comprehensive documentation with tutorials and examples
Is there technical support available?
Shopify CSV: General Shopify support
Matrixify: Dedicated support team with Excel/import expertise
Cost & Efficiency
Which option is more time-efficient?
Matrixify is generally more time-efficient due to:
Faster processing of large files
- Ability to make partial updates
- Better error handling
- Real-time progress tracking
How do they compare in terms of cost?
Shopify CSV: Free with Shopify subscription
Matrixify: Requires separate subscription but offers more features and efficiency
