Happening for the first time in October of 2021, Spooky Book Bingo is a reading challenge celebrating dark fiction and the spooky season.
Spooky Book Bingo challenges readers to read as many horror and horror-adjacent books as possible during the month of October, keeping an eye out for the tropes listed on the Spooky Book Bingo Card:
Readers can then mark the tropes they’ve read with a circle, square, or X. At the end of the month, they can submit their completed bingo cards for entry into a massive book giveaway. Each bingo will be considered one entry into the contest. Readers can earn additional entries by submitting proof that they’ve left reviews for books from our Featured Books list.
FAQ
What is the Spooky Book Bingo challenge?
Spooky Book Bingo is a challenge to read as many horror and horror-adjacent books as possible during the month of October, keeping an eye out for specific tropes as you read. When you find one of the tropes on the SBB bingo card, you can mark it off, and when you get a bingo, you can submit it to weeknightwriters@gmail.com for a chance to win a massive package of spooky books. Note that you can count one book for multiple tropes; there is no limit on how many tropes you can cross off per book.
When does the Spooky Book Bingo reading challenge happen?
The first annual Spooky Book Bingo challenge is happening during the entire month of October. Books should be read during that time to count towards the challenge. Bingo cards must be submitted by 10AM EST on November 1st, 2021 to be entered into the contest.
How can authors participate?
There are a couple of ways authors can participate:
- As a featured author, you’ll have up to three of your books featured in the official Spooky Book Bingo list. You’ll be asked to promote the challenge on your blog and social media, as well as to donate an ebook copy towards the giveaway prize. You must apply before September 15th to be a featured author.
- As a regular author, you can pay attention to the #SpookyBookBingo hashtag on Twitter during October. There will be regular threads inviting authors to share links to their books, with a list of the tropes found in their books. You can post in as many of these threads as you want.
And of course, authors can also partake in the reading challenge!
What counts as horror or horror-adjacent?
The rules here are pretty flexible. If you consider your work “dark fiction” and it contains any of this year’s Spooky Book Bingo tropes, it’s probably eligible. Works that blend genres, such as fantasy horror and horror comedy, are especially welcome.
What do featured authors get out of Spooky Book Bingo?
Featured authors will get:
- 1-3 books listed on the Featured Books page. Listings will include title, cover, blurb, and a list of the relevant tropes included in each book, plus all existing sales links. Your books will be listed together under your name.
- Access to a special Spooky Book Bingo Zoom wrap party, otherwise only accessible to paid Weeknight Writers members.
- Promotions on the official Weeknight Writers Twitter account, on a designated day of the month.
And there are other promotion opportunities in the works!
What is expected of featured authors?
Featured authors will be expected to share pre-written posts about the beginning and end of Spooky Book Bingo on their blogs and Twitter profiles.
Can featured authors participate in the reading challenge?
Yes! Featured authors are encouraged to read other featured authors’ books and participate in the Spooky Book Bingo challenge. Entries from the bingo cards will be added to the entry gained from being a featured author.
Can I be a featured author if I’m self published?
Yes! In fact, priority will be given to self published and small press authors. We love authors of all kinds, but we especially want to provide a boost to authors who haven’t
How many featured authors will there be?
We plan to include 31 featured authors, one for each day of the month. A few of these have already been selected, leaving 25 open slots.
How can you become a featured author?
To become a featured author, fill out the application form before September 15th, 2021.
How can book bloggers participate?
Book bloggers are welcome to participate in a couple of ways:
- As a partner, you’ll feature the official Spooky Book Bingo Reading Challenge Announcement on your blog and social media channels. In return, you’ll be listed in the Partners area of the Spooky Book Bingo page. You must apply before September 20th to be a partner.
- As a reader, you’re welcome to participate in the challenge and submit your bingo card to the contest! We would especially love it if you share the books you read to complete the challenge on your blog.
And if you’ve missed the application deadline for 2021, don’t fret! We’ll be back with a whole new Spooky Book Bingo card in 2022.
How can readers participate?
Readers can participate in three steps:
- Read a bunch of spooky books. You can read books that are already in your To Be Read pile or check out some of the books in our official Spooky Book Bingo list.
- Mark tropes on your bingo card as you read. We suggest using red circles or X’s to mark found tropes. Note that each individual bingo counts as one entry into the contest.
- Submit your completed bingo card. You can send it to weeknight writers@gmail.com (without the space). To accommodate different time zones, submissions will be accepted until 10AM EST on November 1.
You can also participate in conversations about the challenge and the books you’re reading using the #SpookyBookBingo hashtag on Twitter.
What can readers win?
Readers will be able to win a prize pack of books written by our featured authors.