As a small-ish indie author, there’s always this annoying little question lurking in the back of your mind.
Should I send out free copies of my book, even though my budget is already clinging on for dear life? Or should I just let nature take its course and hope the right readers find it?
The temptation is always there. You see other authors go viral after one amazing influencer review, and suddenly it feels like maybe that could be you too. One post. One reel. One reader screaming about your book in the right corner of the internet.
But the risk is there too.
Because sometimes, you send your books out and nothing happens. No review. No post. No mention. No movement. Just your precious little book disappearing into the void while your bank account looks at you like, “Really?”
“And let’s be honest, it is hard out here for indie authors.“
Since AI entered the creative space, the market has been flooded with low-quality books, which makes it even harder for genuine authors to be noticed in the sea of new titles. Sometimes it feels like swimming against the current, or walking through the wind with leaves smacking you in the face from every direction.
Ads are not always an option either. Especially when you’ve already exhausted your budget on editing, formatting, cover design, proofs, paperbacks, ISBNs, and all the other things people forget about when they say, “Self-publishing is free.”
“It is not.”
And God forbid you want character art, bookmarks, PR boxes, or merch to help attract future readers and make your book feel special.
So then the question becomes: is sending your precious baby to book influencers actually worth it?
Honestly? If you send it to the right ones, yes. But that is the key part. The right ones.
I see a lot of authors make the mistake of sending their books to reviewers who do not even read their genre. Or they send books to creators they do not follow, do not interact with, and have never supported, then hope that person is going to suddenly rave about their work.
“Don’t be that author! I mean it!“
Book influencers are readers first. If someone has built their account around cosy fantasy, why are you sending them dark romance? If someone only reviews traditional publishing titles or the same trendy books everyone else is posting about, they may not be the right fit for your indie release. That does not make them bad. It just means their account is probably built around what performs well for them.
“And that is where follower count can be misleading.“
A huge following does not automatically mean a creator is the best choice for your book. Sometimes those big accounts are drowning in book mail. You can see it in the constant unboxings. Stack after stack after stack. And as much as it looks impressive, you have to be realistic. Are they actually going to have time to read your book? Or is it likely to become one more title in a very pretty pile?
No shade to bigger reviewers, because many of them work hard and genuinely love books. But smaller reviewer accounts are often the ones who will actually read your book, talk about it properly, and shout from the rooftops if they love it.
They might not have fifty thousand followers, but they might have a small, loyal audience who trusts them. They might actually read indie books. They might interact with authors. They might understand how much it means when you send them something you created with your whole chest and your very traumatised bank balance.
That matters.
So, is it worth it when your budget is so low that it is basically in hell?
There is no guarantee.
Sending out a book will never promise you sales, reviews, or visibility. But there are definitely creators out there who will honour the fact that you sent them your baby. Readers who understand the indie struggle. Reviewers who genuinely want to support smaller authors. People who do not just want the most hyped book of the month, but are excited to discover something new.
Those are the readers worth looking for. Not necessarily the biggest accounts. The right accounts.
So before you send your book, do your homework. Watch how they review. Check what genres they actually enjoy. See if they support indie authors. Look at whether their followers engage with them properly, not just whether the number at the top of their profile looks impressive.
Because when you are working with a tiny budget, every copy matters.
Send your book with intention, not desperation.
And remember, your book is not less valuable because you are indie. It deserves to be placed in the hands of people who might actually love it.
What’s your opinion on the topic? I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences below!
xoxo Ava