Kobo Discounts: Coupon Codes + Discussion

[BuyMore]

55%
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[jimars]

Just in case the codes expire today.

You've received a 65% off coupon!
Coupon code: JL6JLZ

[Difflugia]

GET50SALE stopped working for me right at midnight. Also, if you're multitabbing a contest code, it looks like you only get Super Points for the first book.

[pthoke]

Well none of my promo codes are working now. I guess if you get a code you better use it right then

[BearMountainBooks]

EDITED: I had the countries wrong because my dashboard is telling me the sale is ongoing. Sorry about that. Canada should work today and then the only working code is the UK one according to the info I found and posted:

Customers will be able to redeem 50% off of any title published by KWL using the promo codes below an unlimited number of times—so please, let your readers and fans know about this incredible opportunity to stack up on eBooks while they can! Unlike last time, the sale runs in different dates by territory, and each territory has it’s own promo code. See below for the full details.

Canada
October 28th – October 31st
Promo Code: CA50SALE

United States/Australia/New Zealand
October 27th – October 30th
Promo Code: GET50SALE

United Kingdom
October 30th – November 2nd
Promo Code: UK50SALE

Promo code is valid for 50% off select eBook purchases from this list. Discount will be confirmed at checkout. Offer valid from October 28, 2015 at 12:00 AM EST through October 31, 2015 at 11:59 PM EST. This offer is not valid in conjunction with any other offer or promotion and cannot be used to adjust amount paid on previous purchases. Promo code must be entered at time of purchase to qualify for this discount. Discounts cannot be applied nor the discount value refunded once a purchase is complete. Rakuten Kobo Inc. reserves the right to change or cancel this offer at any time without notice.

INCORRECT stuff removed!!

[koland]

Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks

The GET50SALE is good in the US and UK and...I think New zealand until Nov 2.

doubled-checked...and Australia.

There is a different code for the UK however. It's UK50SALE. According to the note I received, only the Canada one expired on the 31st.

With UK50SALE I get "The promo code could not be applied." and with GET50SALE "We couldn’t apply this promo code to your purchase." (an Indie book that should accept codes). I finally managed to get one of the 30% off coupon codes to work on the purchase.

[lkmiller]

In the US, the last day for the GET50SALE was yesterday. And once again, the contest codes were shut off on time.

I think the UK is the only 50% off sale going until Nov 2. (Theirs started later.)

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by lkmiller

In the US, the last day for the GET50SALE was yesterday. And once again, the contest codes were shut off on time.

I think the UK is the only 50% off sale going until Nov 2. (Theirs started later.)

It is not all indie books for the 50 percent off code and let me find the link--but we were told it would work through Nov 2 in the US.

Only certain indie books qualify for the code (I'm not even certain books like Baen qualify--I think they do and I think that maybe Samhain titles work) Smashword titles and 2d2 or is it d2d? Do not qualify.

[BearMountainBooks]

Here is the pertinent info (and I had the dates wrong because my dashboard is saying November 2--sorry about that!):

Customers will be able to redeem 50% off of any title published by KWL using the promo codes below an unlimited number of times—so please, let your readers and fans know about this incredible opportunity to stack up on eBooks while they can! Unlike last time, the sale runs in different dates by territory, and each territory has it’s own promo code. See below for the full details.

Canada
October 28th – October 31st
Promo Code: CA50SALE

United States/Australia/New Zealand
October 27th – October 30th
Promo Code: GET50SALE

United Kingdom
October 30th – November 2nd
Promo Code: UK50SALE

Promo code is valid for 50% off select eBook purchases from this list. Discount will be confirmed at checkout. Offer valid from October 28, 2015 at 12:00 AM EST through October 31, 2015 at 11:59 PM EST. This offer is not valid in conjunction with any other offer or promotion and cannot be used to adjust amount paid on previous purchases. Promo code must be entered at time of purchase to qualify for this discount. Discounts cannot be applied nor the discount value refunded once a purchase is complete. Rakuten Kobo Inc. reserves the right to change or cancel this offer at any time without notice.


Sorry for the confusion. My dashboard is still telling me Nov 2.

[pdurrant]

I've updated the first post to show that only the UK 50% code is still valid.

[lkmiller]

Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks

Only certain indie books qualify for the code (I'm not even certain books like Baen qualify--I think they do and I think that maybe Samhain titles work) Smashword titles and 2d2 or is it d2d? Do not qualify.

I checked with an Open Road Media book since that's a publisher that's always worked in the US so far.

Incidentally, does anyone know when and why Houghton Mifflin Harcourt books stopped qualifying for promo codes in the US? I was able to use a code on them back in August, but I wasn't able to during the GET50SALE.

[BearMountainBooks]

It's my understanding (based largely on rumors and speculation and experience from what we have seen) they no longer wanted to participate. Most coupon codes (not all) come out of the pockets of publishers or indies. There are some sponsored by kobo itself, but if I understand how it works, we must opt in (and in many cases, must actually be invited.) Many of the smaller publishers choose to opt in because of the visibility it affords. It is possible that smaller pubs were NOT opted in and Kobo was covering the cost of the coupons for them (they tend to price lower so it wouldn't have cost Kobo as much). Remember that whole speculation thing above--deals differ for indies, small pubs and large pubs.

Kobo is constantly shuffling the promotions it offers and how they work. They recently did a HUGE revamp of the promotions (it's in beta now). Some of those rolled out in Oct with one hitting the end of Sept. That is not to say that trivia or any other promo is going away, but the ones I'm in have changed their structure and pricing.

Overall, I think we'll start to see more genre specific promos and shorter promos (one day, three day and that sort of thing.)

[peterwardgd]

Originally Posted by Blue2u

Which country is the best to travel to for published books, for price and tax/exchange rate?

For me its India or Hong Kong.

[lkmiller]

Thanks, Maria. That makes sense. I couldn't find anything about them getting swallowed up by one of the big publishers (like Harlequin getting bought by HarperCollins) so I was puzzled. But I could see the promos not being worth it for them. And since their books are on the higher side, Kobo wouldn't want to cover it.

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by lkmiller

Thanks, Maria. That makes sense. I couldn't find anything about them getting swallowed up by one of the big publishers (like Harlequin getting bought by HarperCollins) so I was puzzled. But I could see the promos not being worth it for them. And since their books are on the higher side, Kobo wouldn't want to cover it.

It's always worth checking the codes though because each promo is different. Some of the codes work on all indies (whether they are uploaded via Smashwords or d2d, etc). Those codes also usually work on Samhain and Baen, etc.

BUT, there are special promo codes that only work on subsets (these are usually the by invitation ones). And on the invitation ones, companies and indies have to opt in (each time). So in some cases, it could even be someone didn't get around to setting up the required parameters.

The new ones that just started in the past month have a whole new set of requirements and rules and whatnot. I'm STILL trying to figure them all out. I'm assuming that the small publishers probably have options that I don't see so it always pays to check if you have a code.