Client FAQ & Resources

Call Outs:

Get your message out to our readers in a listical-style email blast and Instagram post featuring the latest sales, preorders, ARC team sign-ups, cover reveals, or whatever news you might be announcing.

  • provide graphic and the link for what you want to promote on time

  • Send group email and post joint Instagram announcement on scheduled day.

  • Emails and posts are typically on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month.

Reader Outreach Catalogs:

“Who wants a free book from The Nerd Fam?” They don’t call us “bookish Santa” for nothing. We leverage the combined influence of past and future clients to gather as many readers as possible who consent to receive and hype your story.

    • Provide a quality product with professional cover, interior formatting, and sensitivity read

    • Research potential Kindle Unlimited and third party distribution conflicts

    • Complete info form on-time including: genre, tropes, short line hook, and long blurb

    • Protect private reader information and respect communication boundaries

    • Sort and select recipients from TNF provided list*

    • Set up Bookfunnel ebook download page link

    • Provide books to influencers on-time

  • What TNF will do:

    • Announce applications on Instagram and Email

    • Create sign up forms and email communications based on submitted information forms from the client

    • Compile reader requests into a comprehensive spreadsheet

    • Deliver the unsorted list to the client

    What TNF will NOT do:

    • Manipulate or coerce reviews in any way

    • Guarantee a certain number of posts

    • Reach out to readers who do not submit a request

    • Create marketing hooks or placeholder images

    • Distribute physical books

    • Distribute ebook link*

    *unless booked with Digital Distribution

  • There are two sets of form data included in your spreadsheet. Some readers filled out a request as part of the catalog form which includes additional information about what else they requested. Some readers filled out an individual request that does not include information about other titles. You can tell which form they completed based on the headings and empty cells.

    We HIGHLY RECOMMEND: selecting readers who are:

    • Over 18

    • Have selected “Agree” to the marketing agreement

    • Prioritizing readers from the communities represented in the book 

    • Pay attention to “additional considerations” 

    • If part of a catalog announcement, see how many total titles they requested and which genres they preferred

    • Check social links and look at engagement rate over follower count.

    • Beware of readers using engagement groups and artificial engagement

  • According to our MNDA, clients may deliver the contracted title with bookfunnel links, physical book tracking information, press releases, physical book mail, and confirm that books were delivered/received.

    Clients may NOT: 

    • Solicit any kind of newsletter, social media, discord, or community sign ups

    • Coerce or police reviews in any way

    • Share private information.

  • When clients book the Digital Distribution add-on, The Nerd Fam takes on these additional responsibilities:

    • The Nerd Fam will sort and select suggested recipients based on client-indicated quantities and estimated return on investment.

    • The Nerd Fam will deliver a client-provided bookfunnel link to approved e-book recipients

    • The Nerd Fam will follow-up with book recipients to solicit review links

Influencer Mailing Campaigns:

If you want to leverage social media hype by sending influencers PR boxes, we will take care of the content creator outreach and expertly curate/design the packages for strong marketing hooks and impact.

  • What TNF will do:

    • Cover/Blurb email blast to members of The Nerd Fam including the request form

    • Cover/Blurb/Sign-Up announcement on social media

    • Curate and design custom packaging, swag, and paper-good designs

    • Luxury box items proposal with where to purchase based on client budget

    • Curate a list of influencers with contacts, social links, follower counts, and mailing addresses

    • Specifically schedule 10 influencers to post their un-boxings on agreed upon dates

    What TNF will NOT do:

    • assemble and ship boxes unless assembly is added

    • commission or create illustrated character art

    • Provide a quality product with professional cover, interior formatting, and sensitivity read

    • Complete info form on-time

    • Pay for swag, packaging, books, and postage

    • Assemble packages unless paying for assembly add-on

  • After booking, the client will complete a form that includes everything we need to know to get started on designing the boxes. Then, during the client’s assigned design week, we design the boxes, announce the sign-ups, and order everything to put them together. Once everything arrives (usually 2 weeks), the boxes are assembled (by the client or us depending on the assembly add-on), and shipped to the pre-decided number of influencers that we believe will give the client the most return on their investment.

  • What is the average price of a promo box?

    • The cost of an individual PR package depends on the amount of items ordered (most wholesale suppliers give volume discounts) and the kind of items ordered. For example, a rigid envelope from Vistaprint is a quarter of the price of a full print custom box. 

    • Most of our clients spend between $2,000-6,000 in addition to our fee on Influencer Mailing Campaigns.

    How many packages do authors usually send?

    • We typically recommend authors to send between 25-100 books to make the most of a campaign. It's usually best to start with a budget and decide what kind and how many with Rachel based on that budget.

    Do you recommend paperback or hardcover?

    • Either is great. What is more important is that if it is being sent post-release that it is something unique that will motivate people's interest since it is already available elsewhere.

    Do you source the printers and items for the boxes?

    • Yes, unless the author has a preferred supplier.

    Do you have the actual boxes printed and if so how much are they? Do you cover them with another box or paper?

    • Fantastapack is our supplier. You can see the general cost-per-box here. We usually ship them as-is with a label on the bottom.

    Do you have a commercial shipping rate? And if so how much does it cost to send from the US? 

    • We use Pirateship. You can see their rates online.

  • When an IMC is booked with the assembly add-on, The Nerd Fam will assemble and ship up to 100 PR packages. Postage will be invoiced to the client after it is calculated.

Other Notes:

We nearly always suggest promoting the first book in a series rather than a later book in a series.

We require authors to have an established review base before offering Influencer Mailing Campaigns.

When deciding what format of book to send, consider:

  • Physical books = Posts on social media for impression based marketing (higher cost, higher risk, higher possible return)

  • Ebooks = Foundation of reviews (lower cost, lower chance of social virality)

The more books you send, the more posts and reviews you’ll receive. Industry standard review submission rate for sent ARCs is only 10%. The Nerd Fam has an average submission rate of 20%-30% for packages that include management.

There is inherent risk when providing a stranger with a gifted book. The Nerd Fam does our best to minimize that risk by including a marketing agreement in all request forms, keeping track of readers who we have found reselling books, and leveraging future title prioritization to readers who submit review and post links. 

Want Rachel to walk you through choices and more personalized strategy? Re-inquire to specifically:

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