Question: Can you get a Book Bub deal if you are a new author with no reviews yet?
The short answer is: It is extremely unlikely that you will get a Featured Deal without any reviews; however, you have other options for new releases.
BookBub offers various promotional tools, and the role of reviews differs for each.
1. The “BookBub Featured Deal” (The Big One)
This is the highly competitive, curated email that reaches millions of readers.
No Official Minimum: BookBub’s editors state that they have no hard-and-fast minimum number of reviews required for consideration.
The Reality: Reviews are a critical part of their selection process. Editors use reviews to judge your book’s quality, content, and reader reception. They are “generally more likely to choose books with higher numbers of authentic and positive customer reviews.”
The Verdict: Applying for a Featured Deal with zero reviews is almost certain to result in a rejection. The competition is just too high, and editors will choose books that have already proven to be well-received by readers. Most authors recommend having at least 20-50+ strong, positive reviews before even applying.
2. “New Releases for Less” Promotion
This is a separate, editor-curated email feature specifically for new books. This is a much better fit for a book without an established review history.
What it is: A promotion for books within their first few months of release.
Review Expectations: Because the book is new, editors do not expect it to have hundreds of customer reviews.
What They Look For: When you submit, BookBub encourages you to include early social proof. This can include:
Links to early blog reviews
Blurbs from other authors
Any other information that helps them assess the book’s quality and early reception.
While you might get selected with zero reviews if your cover, blurb, and author platform are exceptional, your chances increase significantly if you can provide some form of positive, third-party feedback.
3. BookBub “New Release Alerts”
This is a free tool that relies on no editorial selection whatsoever.
How it works: BookBub automatically sends an email alert to your existing followers on the platform when you publish a new book.
Reviews Needed: None.
The Catch: The effectiveness of this promotion depends entirely on the number of followers you have on BookBub. If you have 1,000 followers, 1,000 people get an email. If you have 10, no reviews are needed, but the “sale” potential is very low.
💡 Recommendation
Don’t apply for a Featured Deal yet. Focus on getting your first 20-50 high-quality, authentic reviews from readers.
Focus on “New Releases for Less.” If your book is brand new, this is the service to target. Before you submit, try to get a few “early” reviews from book bloggers or an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) team.
Build Your BookBub Following. Claim your author profile on BookBub and start encouraging your readers (from your mailing list, social media, etc.) to follow you there. This makes your New Release Alerts more powerful over time, and it’s completely free.