Booksprout has just removed the free plan:
https://booksprout.co/pricing
For those who've already used booksprout, do you think it's worth signing up to a paid plan?
Yes, I saw they revamped everything and took away the free plan.
I've been using BookSprout and BookSirens for a few books now. I only ever used the free option on BookSprouts and didn't really have a good experience. In most cases I would get 7-10 downloads but only 3 or 4 reviews. The reviews would come in only after the deadline was reached and they just regurgitated the blurb or are just generic nonsense. I get the sense they didn't read the book before the deadline and don't want to get penalized. They do usually give it 4/5 or 5/5 stars...but still. It just looks stupid.
However, with BookSirens - there's no subscription, which I like. I think $12 is fairly reasonable compared to places like NetGalley. If you bring in your own reviewers with the link they provide, you don't have to pay per reader. Otherwise, you pay $2 per person who downloads. You can set it up so people can apply to read/review and then you decide if they're a good fit (by checking out their profile/book social media/previous reviews/etc), so your $2 doesn't get wasted. For my books, every person who downloaded to read actually left reviews, they were posted within a timely manner, and it felt like they actually read the book and submitted a review that was grammatically correct and with no typos. Some of my reviews from BookSprout read like they were typed on a phone while driving.
The customer service at BookSirens usually replies pretty quickly and are helpful and friendly.
I also like that readers can read a preview of your book on BookSirens, so they can get a better idea if it's something they're going to like before downloading and being committed to leaving a review. I wish NetGalley did this.
All in all, I'm definitely not going to bother paying a subscription fee to BookSprouts based on previous experiences. I used to do because it was free, and figured might as well, I received one or two decent reviews in the past, but I won't be using them in the future.
I also think subscription fees are just not a good fit for this type of service. I don't know about you, but I only write/publish 1 or 2 books a year...or less. Why would I pay a monthly subscription fee?? Paying per book just makes so much more sense!
I realize I just gushed a bunch about BookSirens. lol I am in no way affiliated with them, I've just been happy with the service they provide.
Here's the link if anyone wants it:
https://booksirens.com/
And the thread about BookSirens here:
https://absolutewrite.com/forums/in...rens-has-anyone-used-this-review-site.349339/