How much do you use Goodreads?

I've been on Goodreads as a reader for several years and love it. When I published my first book, I signed up for an author profile, but I still mostly use it as a reader. I don't do much promo (except for announcements in groups that have folders specifically designated for promo). I do interact with other readers in groups, though, and have "met" several reviewers through Goodreads.

One immediate problem with goodreads is that if you post an excerpt from your book for people to download, it has to be no more than 10% or you aren't eligible for Kindle Select. And 10% is just going to make people mad, IMO.

You can have giveaways for your book, but you have to supply p-books, e-books not allowed. For me, living in Canada, that's a ton of hassle when most of the contestants will be in the US.

And so on. I've listed my book there, but I don't really see a lot of benefit that would justify the effort. YMMV.

I claimed my profile to keep it accurate but honestly decided not to use it in any way. It seems a bit hair-trigger over there IMHO.

I love Goodreads as a reader!

Ultimately I think it is a great site for readers that authors need to approach judiciously.

veinglory said:

Ultimately I think it is a great site for readers that authors need to approach judiciously.

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Yes, I agree. I tread very lightly as an author. My books are up there, and I write an occasional blog post, but I don't send invitations to things. I don't comment on reviews. (I did thank a few people back in the beginning with my first book or click "like" on their review but then found out that was a no-no and stopped.)

Most of my participation is as a reader, adding the books I'm reading, rating, and reviewing them.

The reader members of GR are wary of authors pushing their books, and rightly so--it's a site designed for readers.

I mainly post book giveaways and I think they do generate a few sales and reviews. As for the rest of the site, I try but don't see a lot of places where I have much to add. I guess these days I'm much more a writer than a reader. I recall hearing a lot a while back about people acting really nasty on there but I haven't seen anything like that. Not sure if such an outsider that it all goes over my head or if that's blown over or maybe the site owners cleaned it up?

Speaking from my own experience, I used to post reviews, but I haven't done that for a while. It's useful to keep track of books I've read and books I want to read, but I don't really use it socially anymore other than to reply to messages or comments on my blog posts.

As an author, it would behoove you to snag your author name and set up a profile.

You don't have to have a separate Goodreads blog. If you have a blog of your own on your website or through Wordpress or Blogger or whatever, Goodreads can automatically import your posts and alert your fans/followers by email when you have a new one.

You can limit your giveaways (as long as you have a physical book to give away, no ebooks allowed) to certain countries, which is useful if you don't want to worry about outrageous shipping costs. It's a good way to get your book added to "to read" shelves, but "to read" shelves doesn't necessarily equate "to buy" (and sometimes becomes "that place where I put stuff I intend to get to someday but usually forget about as soon as I click away").

Another bright spot is if you have fans who follow you on GR but not your Twitter, FB, newsletter, whatever, GR will alert them when you have a new book out (they do a monthly newsletter of "new books by authors you've rated").

Advertising on it got me bupkiss, so I don't recommend paying for ads.

Hope that helps.

I think it's great for engaging with readers interested in your book's genre. I wouldn't rely on it. I read somewhere that getting on there is the best thing an author can do to promote his/her book. It's not THAT great.

I still enjoy it

I just did a Giveaway. I had 1000 people sign up for 10 free books. I drop shipped them to the winners in the US and we will see if that results in any decent reviews.

I have been running an ad campaign for the last month, and when I post a new add, book downloads spike on several sales channels. May be a coincidence, or not. Hard to know for certain.

Some writers I know have done giveaways and contests there, and had sales spikes. Others did the same and got crickets. I use Goodreads as a reader, to get more in-depth reviews of books I might be interested in reading. As a writer, I'm barely there: I have a profile that links to my blog, and that's about it.

I have no idea if the high-school self-pub follies got cleaned up or not, I just simply chose to invest my time elsewhere.

My blog autoposts there. I've engaged with some comms to a small extent, but not for promo, and I post reviews under my real name, not my pen name, as I am wary of being too opinionated and putting people off.

As a reader, I love it. As an author, it's an easy way to have a presence where there are readers.

I have my blog auto-posting there. I did a giveaway for the first time, and had a bunch more people add it to their shelves, but my book isn't released yet, so I'm not sure the results as far as sales. I did use the ARC group to solicit reviews in exchange for ebooks. I got some takers, but I don't know yet how that will pan out as far as reviews.

I've been enjoying using it as a reader!

It's great as a reader. As an author, I've found people to be really touchy and it's not really an environment I find very friendly. I don't really use it much.

I promote occasionally, but don't overdo it, and most of the time I post it's about general book stuff and I don't mention my novel.

I have a separate blog site and I copy my writing pieces onto my Goodreads blog, which has been pretty good in terms of response. My policy regarding the site is to make info available for people who seek it out, rather than actively chase engagement.

I've done two giveaways - the second (an Australia Day promotion) finishes today - which have generated quite a bit of awareness, though I haven't had a review yet from the 5 copies I sent to winners in early December. My book is on more than 500 'to read' lists due to the giveaways, but as members often have hundreds, if not thousands of novels, on their lists, I can't see many sales eventuating.

I promote in lots of places, so I can't attribute any of the sales spikes specifically to Goodreads, but I do very much like the site, as both an author and a reader.

I agree with Isobel. Goodreads is one of the few sites I really enjoy and I've met some great authors there.

For me, goodreads never really clicked as a reader, partly because I was already a member of LibraryThing, so my expectations about layout and community and useability were already set to something other than goodreads default. And then they started doing to facebook log in thing automatically, which means if I want to use my actual goodreads account without linking it to my facebook I have to log out of facebook before I visit the site, every single time. I have an author account there, but honestly, I dread having to visit whenever I have a new book out to make sure it's added, because it's such a massive faff just navigating the site and making it do what I want it to do.

I like it as both a reader and an author. I don't really promote at all, but my blog is set to automatically post to Goodreads... And I'm always getting likes and comments through Goodreads.

I hosted multiple giveaways for my first two books. I honestly didn't mind including the USA in my giveaways... Postage is more, but not outrageous. For my two latest books, my publisher hosted giveaways.

I read reviews of my books there. I don't believe in not reading reviews... I do believe in not commenting on reviews. To date, I only have good reviews... Knock on wood.

I also have had readers friend me and then private message me fan mail.

I'm happy with Goodreads overall.

I should have added, the only stinky taint I see going on at Goodreads is by authors... Not readers. I can't tell you how many friend requests I have received from authors who have, basically, only their own books on shelf... And have 5 - starred them. I check before I accept requests. Any asshat author who would 5-star their own book--I have zero time or tolerance for. And it's also authors who seem to mass private message with thinly disguised PLEASE BUY MY BOOK shit. That is NOT what Goodreads is about.

... not a bad resource. Downside is that there often are a lot of reviews, many of which tell you absolutely nothing. So you have to wade thru a lot of bunk to get to something of substance that tells you something about the book. Can we please not post a review unless we have something to say, people !

Yours Truly, Ken

I use GoodReads a lot as a reader to find new books to read and see what else an author has written. I don't really blog on it / participate in the giveaways ... I have a book blog and work with Xpresso and Rockstar Book tours because I get so many great free books that way! But I do always crosspost my reviews on GoodReads so that other readers will see them.

KTC said:

I should have added, the only stinky taint I see going on at Goodreads is by authors... Not readers. I can't tell you how many friend requests I have received from authors who have, basically, only their own books on shelf... And have 5 - starred them. I check before I accept requests. Any asshat author who would 5-star their own book--I have zero time or tolerance for. And it's also authors who seem to mass private message with thinly disguised PLEASE BUY MY BOOK shit. That is NOT what Goodreads is about.

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I received a private message on GR yesterday in which some author out of the blue invited me to purchase his book on Smashwords and included the coupon code. I found it VERY annoying being approached that way by some random. And we weren't even friends in the first place. Gah!