BookBub

Last updated
BookBub
BookBub logo.jpg
Type of business Private
FoundedJanuary 2012;13 years ago (2012-01)
HeadquartersCambridge, Massachusetts
Founder(s)
Industry
Employees120
URL bookbub.com
RegistrationOptional
Users 15 million [1]

BookBub is a book discovery service that was created to help readers find new books and authors. [2] The company features free and discounted ebooks selected by its editorial team, [3] as well as book recommendations, [1] updates from authors, [4] and articles about books. [5] The service is free for readers [6] and includes a website and personalized email newsletters. [1] The Guardian called BookBub the “Groupon of e-books.” [7]

Contents

BookBub has millions of users in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. [1] For publishers and authors, BookBub provides marketing tools that are intended to help them reach readers and sell more books. [1] The company also operates an audiobook retailer called Chirp [8] and a website-builder for authors, Author Websites. [9]

The company is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. [1]

History

BookBub was founded in January 2012 by Josh Schanker and Nicholas Ciarelli. [10]

In May 2014, BookBub raised $3.8 million in a Series A round led by NextView Ventures and Founder Collective, and joined by Avalon Ventures and Bloomberg Beta. [3]

In September 2014, BookBub launched in the UK. [11]

In May 2015, BookBub raised $7 million in new equity and debt financing [12] from its existing investors. [13]

In 2019, BookBub had 120 employees, tens of millions of subscribers, and launched an audiobook division called Chirp. [1]

Business model

The newsletter is free to customers, but authors and publishers pay to be featured in the newsletter. [10] Authors and publishers use BookBub to gain exposure with the intention to increase future sales. [10] The cost to have a book featured depends on the genre and price of the book. [11] In 2014, the cheapest slot was $40 to advertise a free book of African-American interest. [11] BookBub rejects about 80 to 90 percent of requests for eBooks to be featured. [14]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Green, Alex (December 1, 2019). "BookBub and an Age-Old Question: What to Read Next?". Publishers Weekly . Retrieved 2020-03-18.
  2. Turchi, Megan (August 1, 2016). "Cambridge-based startup helps readers browse books in the digital world". Boston.com . Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  3. 1 2 Kolodny, Lora (May 1, 2014). "BookBub Raises $3.8M to Help Readers Find E-Book Deals Online". The Wall Street Journal . Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  4. Donelan, Katie (January 4, 2016). "Introducing BookBub New Release Alerts". BookBub Partners Blog . Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  5. "BookBub Blog". BookBub Blog . Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  6. Leighton, Mara (August 29, 2019). "BookBub is a free newsletter that lets you know when the books you want to read are on sale — here's how it works". Business Insider. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  7. Bridle, James (2015-01-25). "BookBub – it's Groupon for ebooks". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2020-03-16.
  8. "BookBub Enters Audiobook Space with Chirp". Publishers Weekly . March 7, 2019. Retrieved 2020-08-03.
  9. "Early Look: A Simpler Way for Authors to Create Websites". BookBub Blog. February 10, 2025. Retrieved 2025-10-03.
  10. 1 2 3 Kirsner, Scott; Columnist, Globe. "BookBub, Cambridge site promoting free and discounted e-books, approaches one million subscribers". Boston.com. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
  11. 1 2 3 "BookBub launches in the UK | The Bookseller". www.thebookseller.com. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
  12. "E-book service BookBub raises $7m and pushes its global expansion". www.betaboston.com. Retrieved 2020-08-03.
  13. "BookBub Raises $7M to Help Bookworms Discover New Authors". WSJ Pro Venture Capital . May 20, 2015. Retrieved 2020-08-03.(subscription required)
  14. "Bookbub Is Luring Book Lovers To Site For Great Deals". www.inquisitr.com. 19 February 2016. Retrieved 2020-03-16.