Joining the Ranks of Goodreads Authors
For book lovers, Goodreads is the place to be. With over 30 million members and counting, Goodreads is where bibliophiles can bond over the books they love. One of the best things about Goodreads is that it isn’t just a useful site for readers, it’s also a great tool for authors! Goodreads authors, both new and seasoned, have access to millions of readers on a daily basis, most of which are looking for new books to read.
When you make the choice to join the ranks of other Goodreads authors, the first thing you’ll want to do is sign up for Goodreads and create an author profile. A Goodreads author profile can be both informative and interactive; in addition to a picture and biography, you can include quizzes, blogs, excerpts, lists, and videos. To create a Goodreads author profile, you will want to search for your book on Goodreads (or add it to the system if it is not already listed), click on your name listed next to the title of your eBook, and verify that you are the author where it says “Is this you? Let us know.” Once Goodreads verifies you are the author, you will receive a “Goodreads Author” badge on your author page.
For self-published authors especially, Goodreads is a great place to get reviews. Every day, thousands of reviews are posted to the site, which currently contains over 34 million reviews. Goodreads members often post their reviews to retail sites such as Amazon or BN.com, as well as to their social media pages like Facebook or Twitter. Though it’s allowed, it is not recommended for Goodreads authors to write reviews of their own books. These reviews typically don’t hold much sway over the Goodreads community because they know it is coming from the author. However, you may consider posting on your profile about your inspiration for writing the book, or providing additional background about yourself that would be relevant to readers. Some people who read your book may post negative reviews; the best way to deal with such reviews is to refrain from comment. Goodreads even says that such reviews can actually help your book’s standing among members, as they give validity to the positive reviews. Check out all of the self-published Goodreads authors who are getting reviews!
Goodreads authors have many other opportunities to promote their work on Goodreads. One such way is with Goodreads advertising. With this service, Goodreads authors are able to create and target ads about their book to their target audience. You can also promote your book through participating in discussions on forums, in groups, and through your own profile.
Goodreads Groups are a great place to connect with readers and other Goodreads authors. Goodreads recommends that you join a few groups and participate first as a reader. Once you’ve established connections with fellow group members, you can start discussing your own book. Specific groups have specific rules about the participation of authors, so make sure you read the rules before you join. As an author, you can create a Featured Author Group, which is a forum where you can discuss your book, writing process, and background with your readers. You can also add videos and polls to make the experience more interactive.
At Publish Green, we have have a Goodreads Page and Goodreads Advertising service that helps authors establish their presence on Goodreads. With our Goodreads Page service, we help develop an author’s Goodreads book page and author profile page. For our Goodreads Advertising service, we create 4-6 advertisements on Goodreads targeted to the group of readers we believe are most likely to interact with your book. Whether you choose to establish your presence on Goodreads on your own or want our help to get you started, Goodreads is definitely a place you want to be active on!
