A book swap is a cross-promotion between two authors: on an agreed date you feature their book in your newsletter, and they feature yours in theirs. Nothing is posted or shipped; it is email to email. This article explains the pieces once, so the articles on sending, answering and confirming swaps can stay short.
What a swap is made of
Every swap has two sides, and each side has a share date, a mailing list and a book link. You send on your date to your list; your partner sends on theirs. After each share date the sender confirms that the newsletter went out, and once both sides have confirmed, the swap is complete. A swap can also be paid instead of reciprocal: some authors sell a slot rather than trade one, and those requests carry a Paid Booking label.
The three swap types
- Browse Book Swaps is where you search other authors' lists and send requests, one at a time or in bulk.
- Received Requests holds requests waiting for your answer. The badge counts them.
- Sent Requests holds your own pending requests, which you can cancel until they are answered.
- Active Swaps holds accepted swaps: book links, date changes and, after each share date, your confirmation. The badge counts swaps waiting for your confirmation.
- History holds everything completed, declined, cancelled or expired.
What you need first
The Browse tab tells you what is still missing before you can send a request.
Your response rate
Your dashboard shows a Response Rate: the share of requests you received in the last 12 months that you answered, whether you accepted, declined or made a counter offer. Requests still waiting are not counted, and neither are short-notice requests, where the share date was within a day of the request. The only thing that lowers the rate is letting a request expire unanswered. Requests expire after 5 days, so answer even when the answer is no.
Swap limits by plan
The free plan includes 3 swaps a month, Growing Author 100, and Pro Author has no limit. The limit is checked when a request is accepted, for both authors. If the sender is over their limit at that moment, the swap goes on hold with an Awaiting sender upgrade label. It is cancelled automatically if they have not upgraded within 48 hours, or straight away when a share date is less than three days out.
Common questions
Can a swap happen on the same day I ask?
Yes, as long as you provide your book link with the request. Only requests with a share date more than three days away can leave the link for later.
What is a counter offer?
An answer that changes the terms: a different date, book or type. The other author receives it as a new request, and your original one is closed. A counter offer counts as a response.
Why does a request offer several lists?
Authors with more than one list can offer up to 20 of them in one request and let you pick the one that fits your readers. You choose when you accept.
Where did my completed swap go?
Once both sides have confirmed, the swap moves from Active Swaps to History. Swaps you hide on the Active Swaps tab end up there too.