Goodreads?

mr ploppy · 10-09-2011, 07:10 PM

Probably a stupid question, but what is it for? I was expecting something like the reading recommendations section here, where people talk about things they've read recently.

Anke Wehner · 10-10-2011, 07:12 AM

It's a sort of social network for readers. You can sign up, register your books, write reviews, and watch the accounts of people you know so you get notifications when they register another title or write another review... and/or follow authors, and if an author blog is attached to an author account, you can get notifications about updates to those, too.

There are various groups with forums, too, which I guess are a bit like the reading recommendations section here, only more themed? Though some seem to be book-club, like, "let'S read book X this month and discuss it", too. I'm not sure, I haven't spent much time in that section.

joycedb · 10-10-2011, 11:00 AM

I joined last month but find it very confusing. There are too many groups there to join and I haven't the faintest clue what I'm doing. So far, all I've done is post an intro in the intro thread and a promo in the promo thread.

Joyce

OneandonlyDoc · 10-11-2011, 12:39 AM

I've basically used it as a place to decide whether or not I want to read a book. They've actually kind of done a good job in merging some aspects of the social web with what's basically a giant book review site.

I'm actually set up as an author there, too, which is kind of neat!

Harper Kingsley · 10-11-2011, 04:38 AM

I've found that Goodreads has really helped to get my book out there. Though I got an invite to join because someone was already reading my book (I was like "Squee!")

Join groups that you're actually interested--Indie Book Collective, for example--and rate books that you've already read. Friend people that have similar interest to you and to your book. Basically, it's a chance to personally connect to your possible-readers.

Sometimes I give out freebie coupons to a group I'm a member of and that really helps. A lot of people will read my reviews to get my taste, get a free book, then someone will end up buying all my books at one time.

It makes it a lot easier to find people of your particular genre.

If you friend me on there, I'll friend you back. Just let me know where you're from

teh603 · 10-11-2011, 07:02 AM

I despise Goodreads. I've tried uploading HTML and .txt, and in both cases their upload system has stripped out anything that remotely resembles indent-based paragraphs. They may offer "established" authors better tools for a more professional look, but that still doesn't explain why the relatively new guys should have to have to format their fiction like a bad fanfic.

mr ploppy · 10-11-2011, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joycedb

So far, all I've done is post an intro in the intro thread and a promo in the promo thread.

Joyce

You've obviously got a bit further than me then because I still can't find either of those. I've fixed the mistakes on my listings (I was surprised they were on there at all), joined a group that seems to be either dead or silent, and added myself to a relevant list of books.

There seems to be a section where you can upload sample chapters for people to "like" as well, but no real clues as to how to do it, or whether you would need to censor them first.

anamardoll · 10-11-2011, 05:38 PM

One of the things I use Goodreads for is not buying books twice while I'm out at physical book stores. The phone apps are useful.

Harper Kingsley · 10-12-2011, 02:08 AM

You can sell copies of your books there and once you've sold $50 they'll cut you a check or pay your PayPal account. Go to your Author Dashboard and find the book you want to sell. Click your book, then when the page loads you can see in the upper right your "Book Stats" and "Upload Ebook" which is the one you want. Make sure you look on the upper right to post your book cover image when the page loads

If you just want to add some free writing, on your Home Page, go down to your profile section and "writing" is listed there. Above you profile is where you can add status updates, btw.

You can set up giveaways and Q&As and all kinds of advertising stuff. You can even advertise with Goodreads, though that costs money. Make sure you link your blog posts too because as a fan of like CJ Cherryh, I love reading about her real life.

Just connecting with your possible readership is invaluable.

Penforhire · 10-12-2011, 12:23 PM

LibraryThing is a similar site.

VydorScope · 10-12-2011, 05:08 PM

Im on Goodreads as an author too (I have no friends so feel free to friend me!

), but I do not sell via it. Goodreads just links to my Amazon and Barns and Noble listings. I have not found the "forums" there all that great but not spent much time in there. I need to start putting books I read in there and rating them to see how that goes... but so far I just have my author account and books I have written.

Keryl Raist · 10-13-2011, 06:37 PM

I am big Goodreads fan, both as a reader and as an author.

As a reader I use it to keep track of my books. I also use it as a place to talk books with other readers. It's fun to get into a good discussion of a book you enjoyed/loathed with other readers.

I also use it to find reccs for books. I follow the reviews of a few people who have taste I trust, and get little notes to tell me when they've reviewed a new book.

As a book reviewer I like it because it gives me a bigger audience than my blog alone.

As a writer, I find being able to connect with readers and other writers invaluable. I like the fact that I can sell my book through them. I like the fact that they connect into Amazon as well.

The sheer size of the thing is daunting. There are probably tens of thousands of groups and that can make things confusing. I went for ones that covered things I wanted to talk about/were related to what I write about (usually the same thing) and got to know people.

All in all, I'd say it's worth the time to get to know.

Harper Kingsley · 10-18-2011, 10:35 PM

I don't like LibraryThing. It was too hard for me to navigate and there just seemed to be so much going on that I was left confused.

When I try to use Shelfari, I have to shut off Peerblock because it just doesn't like the site. But Shelfari is good because if you update character profiles and add trivia stuff, it all shows up linked to your book on Amazon. So Shelfari is a good tool for making sure people are notified about all the little extras you've thrown into your book.

Shelfari is pretty user friendly too, though I like the tags on Goodreads a lot better. I can have more shelves, and Shelfari just crams everything together. Plus, it doesn't remember my settings

Still, very useful.

davidwfleming · 02-11-2012, 06:12 PM

Regarding Goodreads and using their forums, I think it can be helpful to write an introductory message on the profile pages of those who have recently accepted your friend requests.

People are fairly open to adding new friends but all those new friends can get lost in the mix if you don't introduce yourself at the onset.

Using the "compare books" button is a good way to establish "book compatability" and many members seem to have this as a criterion for friendship acceptance. So it helps to rate and add a bunch of books so that your tastes are established on the site.

flipreads · 02-13-2012, 02:59 AM

I participate in the forums there but arguably, to get good mileage out of Goodreads, it's mostly used as a way to track and review books (and from there, others in your network can also see and engage with your reviews/recommendations).

If you're an author, it's also one of the places where you can host giveaways and/or author interviews. Unlike other social networks, it's clearly a reader-centric place. (Similar social networks are Shelfari and LibraryThing.)

10-09-2011, 07:10 PM	#1
mr ploppy Feral Underclass Posts: 3,622 Karma: 26821535 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Yorkshire, tha noz Device: 2nd hand paperback	Goodreads? Probably a stupid question, but what is it for? I was expecting something like the reading recommendations section here, where people talk about things they've read recently.

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10-10-2011, 07:12 AM	#2
Anke Wehner Addict Posts: 249 Karma: 177956 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Germany Device: PRS-650	It's a sort of social network for readers. You can sign up, register your books, write reviews, and watch the accounts of people you know so you get notifications when they register another title or write another review... and/or follow authors, and if an author blog is attached to an author account, you can get notifications about updates to those, too. There are various groups with forums, too, which I guess are a bit like the reading recommendations section here, only more themed? Though some seem to be book-club, like, "let'S read book X this month and discuss it", too. I'm not sure, I haven't spent much time in that section.

10-10-2011, 11:00 AM	#3
joycedb Guru Posts: 997 Karma: 1086596 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Florida Device: none	I joined last month but find it very confusing. There are too many groups there to join and I haven't the faintest clue what I'm doing. So far, all I've done is post an intro in the intro thread and a promo in the promo thread. Joyce

10-11-2011, 12:39 AM	#4
OneandonlyDoc Fearless Writer Posts: 210 Karma: 375317 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: In a mitten! Device: Kobo Wifi	I've basically used it as a place to decide whether or not I want to read a book. They've actually kind of done a good job in merging some aspects of the social web with what's basically a giant book review site. I'm actually set up as an author there, too, which is kind of neat!

10-11-2011, 04:38 AM	#5
Harper Kingsley Clone Trooper Posts: 212 Karma: 4566103 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Washington Device: kindle	I've found that Goodreads has really helped to get my book out there. Though I got an invite to join because someone was already reading my book (I was like "Squee!") Join groups that you're actually interested--Indie Book Collective, for example--and rate books that you've already read. Friend people that have similar interest to you and to your book. Basically, it's a chance to personally connect to your possible-readers. Sometimes I give out freebie coupons to a group I'm a member of and that really helps. A lot of people will read my reviews to get my taste, get a free book, then someone will end up buying all my books at one time. It makes it a lot easier to find people of your particular genre. If you friend me on there, I'll friend you back. Just let me know where you're from

10-11-2011, 07:02 AM	#6
teh603 Autism Spectrum Disorder Posts: 1,212 Karma: 6244877 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Coastal Texas Device: Android Phone	I despise Goodreads. I've tried uploading HTML and .txt, and in both cases their upload system has stripped out anything that remotely resembles indent-based paragraphs. They may offer "established" authors better tools for a more professional look, but that still doesn't explain why the relatively new guys should have to have to format their fiction like a bad fanfic.

10-11-2011, 05:38 PM	#8
anamardoll Chasing Butterflies Posts: 3,132 Karma: 5074169 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: American Southwest Device: Uses batteries.	One of the things I use Goodreads for is not buying books twice while I'm out at physical book stores. The phone apps are useful.

10-12-2011, 02:08 AM	#9
Harper Kingsley Clone Trooper Posts: 212 Karma: 4566103 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Washington Device: kindle	You can sell copies of your books there and once you've sold $50 they'll cut you a check or pay your PayPal account. Go to your Author Dashboard and find the book you want to sell. Click your book, then when the page loads you can see in the upper right your "Book Stats" and "Upload Ebook" which is the one you want. Make sure you look on the upper right to post your book cover image when the page loads If you just want to add some free writing, on your Home Page, go down to your profile section and "writing" is listed there. Above you profile is where you can add status updates, btw. You can set up giveaways and Q&As and all kinds of advertising stuff. You can even advertise with Goodreads, though that costs money. Make sure you link your blog posts too because as a fan of like CJ Cherryh, I love reading about her real life. Just connecting with your possible readership is invaluable.

10-12-2011, 12:23 PM	#10
Penforhire Wizard Posts: 2,230 Karma: 7145404 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Southern California Device: Kindle Voyage & iPhone 7+	LibraryThing is a similar site.

10-12-2011, 05:08 PM	#11
VydorScope Wizard Posts: 3,418 Karma: 35207650 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: iPad	Im on Goodreads as an author too (I have no friends so feel free to friend me! ), but I do not sell via it. Goodreads just links to my Amazon and Barns and Noble listings. I have not found the "forums" there all that great but not spent much time in there. I need to start putting books I read in there and rating them to see how that goes... but so far I just have my author account and books I have written.

10-13-2011, 06:37 PM	#12
Keryl Raist Zealot Posts: 140 Karma: 379182 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Charleston, SC Device: Kindle for PC	I am big Goodreads fan, both as a reader and as an author. As a reader I use it to keep track of my books. I also use it as a place to talk books with other readers. It's fun to get into a good discussion of a book you enjoyed/loathed with other readers. I also use it to find reccs for books. I follow the reviews of a few people who have taste I trust, and get little notes to tell me when they've reviewed a new book. As a book reviewer I like it because it gives me a bigger audience than my blog alone. As a writer, I find being able to connect with readers and other writers invaluable. I like the fact that I can sell my book through them. I like the fact that they connect into Amazon as well. The sheer size of the thing is daunting. There are probably tens of thousands of groups and that can make things confusing. I went for ones that covered things I wanted to talk about/were related to what I write about (usually the same thing) and got to know people. All in all, I'd say it's worth the time to get to know.

10-18-2011, 10:35 PM	#13
Harper Kingsley Clone Trooper Posts: 212 Karma: 4566103 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Washington Device: kindle	I don't like LibraryThing. It was too hard for me to navigate and there just seemed to be so much going on that I was left confused. When I try to use Shelfari, I have to shut off Peerblock because it just doesn't like the site. But Shelfari is good because if you update character profiles and add trivia stuff, it all shows up linked to your book on Amazon. So Shelfari is a good tool for making sure people are notified about all the little extras you've thrown into your book. Shelfari is pretty user friendly too, though I like the tags on Goodreads a lot better. I can have more shelves, and Shelfari just crams everything together. Plus, it doesn't remember my settings Still, very useful.

02-11-2012, 06:12 PM	#14
davidwfleming Ebook Dude Posts: 88 Karma: 5183884 Join Date: Feb 2012 Device: Kindle	Regarding Goodreads and using their forums, I think it can be helpful to write an introductory message on the profile pages of those who have recently accepted your friend requests. People are fairly open to adding new friends but all those new friends can get lost in the mix if you don't introduce yourself at the onset. Using the "compare books" button is a good way to establish "book compatability" and many members seem to have this as a criterion for friendship acceptance. So it helps to rate and add a bunch of books so that your tastes are established on the site.

02-13-2012, 02:59 AM	#15
flipreads Connoisseur Posts: 99 Karma: 433632 Join Date: Dec 2011 Device: iPad	I participate in the forums there but arguably, to get good mileage out of Goodreads, it's mostly used as a way to track and review books (and from there, others in your network can also see and engage with your reviews/recommendations). If you're an author, it's also one of the places where you can host giveaways and/or author interviews. Unlike other social networks, it's clearly a reader-centric place. (Similar social networks are Shelfari and LibraryThing.)