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TikTok giveaway ideas for bookstores

Readers who buy online out of habit and book clubs that would happily meet in your store. Here's how bookstores can win them over on TikTok, then pick a winner everyone can check.

Pick your TikTok winner

Your comments

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Copy your TikTok comments in three steps
  1. On desktop, open your TikTok video and its comments panel. Expand replies and load the comments you need.
  2. Select and copy the visible authors and comments. Check that the selection includes the usernames.
  3. Paste below or upload an author/comment CSV. If the mobile app won't copy a thread, use desktop web or an export you already have.

0 comments → 0 eligible entries. 0 didn't tag 0 friends; 0 duplicates; 0 excluded; 0 missing the word; 0 removed.

Paste comments to see who's in.

Check this list before continuing. You can edit names on the next step. Parsing stays in your browser; eligible names are sent to Perkadoo when you draw and appear on the public results page.

5 ideas that fit TikTok

  1. BookTok shelf tour

    Walk your BookTok table on a trending sound and pause on three books with on-screen hooks like enemies to lovers or found family. Ask viewers to comment the trope they'd die for.

  2. Stitch a book rant

    Stitch a creator ranting about a book ending and have a staff member defend it or agree. End with the giveaway. Book fights in the comments run for days.

  3. Recommend me a book

    Ask people to comment their last five-star read. Staff reply with video recommendations based on it. Every commenter enters for a book a month, and the replies show real staff taste.

  4. Pack a mystery box

    Film the mystery box being built: book wrapped, candle in, tea tucked in. Viewers comment the genre they'd want. The box is the prize and the video sells the next ones.

  5. Rating covers without reading

    Two staff rate covers from the new arrivals table in seconds. Viewers comment which cover they'd judge harshest. Funny, fast, and it shows off your stock.

A caption you can post today

Swap in your own name, prize and end time. Entry is simple: follow your account and comment on the giveaway video.

TikTok caption
Comment your favorite trope and we'll pick one random reader to win a book a month for six months from Dog-Eared Books 📖 Follow to enter, ends Tuesday 8pm PT. US only, 18+, ships free. Not affiliated with TikTok. #booktok #indiebookstore

Prizes bookstores can afford to give

Pick something that brings the winner back through your door, not just a gift card.

  • A book a month for six months, picked by your staff (about $90 at cost)
  • A signed first edition from a recent author event
  • A tote of five staff picks and a store bookmark (about $80)
  • Hosting rights: free space for the winner's book club for a year
  • A mystery book box with tea and a candle (about $45)
  • Two tickets to your next author event, with a signed copy

Run it on TikTok

  1. Show the prize in the first two seconds

    Viewers swipe fast. Bury the prize at second eight and you lose most of your entries before they hear what it is.

  2. Put the rules on screen

    Overlay the steps and end time as text, then repeat them in the caption for sound-off viewers.

  3. Reply to comments with videos

    Each video reply is a fresh post that points back to the giveaway while it's live, and replies often outperform the original.

  4. Paste, draw, film the reveal

    Copy the comments into the TikTok comment picker, draw, then post the results link in a short reveal.

Watch-outs for bookstores

  • Media mail is cheap but slow, so promise a date loosely.
  • Signed copies are one of a kind. Have a backup prize.
  • Book club prizes need a booking calendar and house rules.

TikTok's promotion rules

  • Say that TikTok doesn't sponsor, endorse or run your giveaway.
  • Creators you pay or gift to post it should switch on TikTok's content disclosure setting.
  • Never ask for anything risky to enter. Check TikTok's current promotion and Community Guidelines.

Team up for a bigger reach

A collab doubles the audience for the same prize budget. For bookstores, good partners are a coffee shop or tea room, a local author, a candle or stationery maker. Each of you posts, and entries from both posts go into one draw.

Questions people ask

What's the best bookstore giveaway prize?

A subscription, like a book a month. It brings the winner back six times.

Can a bookstore ship giveaway prizes cheaply?

Yes. Media mail keeps book shipping low, though it's slow.

Can I ask people to duet or stitch to enter?

You can, but duets live on other profiles and are hard to collect. Make the comment the entry and treat duets as a bonus.

How long should a TikTok giveaway run?

Three to seven days. Most views land in the first 48 hours.

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