Quote:
Originally Posted by hleo12
Your post reminded me of this author who also had a similar problem with his goodreads. He casually mentioned that he was considering writing the next entry to his series. After that someone added that planned book to his series on goodreads. He only noticed when he was actually in the process of publishing the book. He contacted goodreads and goodreads basically said they couldn't do anything about it, and they couldn't remove the false book from his author profile.
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I am not sure I see why, if he was publishing the book then, he wanted it removed! He wanted a book which was getting published to be removed? Nor do I see what is wrong with goodreads policy or goodread users (librarians is the name for those who can add and edit books).
Goodreads database is not an author's website, and I think if authors saying they are planning to add to a series, it is fair enough to create a record. Creating records, later edited, for not yet written books particularly in series, can help readers keep track of things they want to read. If the author who wanted that book deleted, which he was in the process of publishing deleted, it would likely disappear from the shelves of anybody who might have put it it on their want to read list.
Goodreads can delete some books from public searches but deleting books people list on their shelves is a different matter.
What the author should have done in that case, was ask (and not goodreads, ask in a librarian group) for details of the book to be edited to match what would be published.
Goodreads is a site for readers, and each user can use it as they wish. Top most reviews are often very institutional (because early reviews get an advance in getting attention and those are often ARCs and/or people with many followers who get requests for ARCs accepted) but try sorting by new or filtering by stars.
Authors can give themselves a 5 star review but of course they can do it anywhere with sockpuppets. And an author giving themselves 5 star will be very visible and can be seen as tacky, so their choice.
The real drama about goodreads right now is the god awful new page interface which is dramatically badly designed and hiding so much information. I wonder why they did it and if it is connected to this.