Why Should a Writer be Part of Goodreads?

ACFWAdvice, Authors and writing, Friends of ACFW, Goodreads, marketing, tips 2 Comments

By DiAnn Mills

The biggest reason for a writer to jump onboard Goodreads is from their own words: “It’s the world’s largest site for readers and book recommendations.” I’m convinced this social media platform is essential to a novelist’s recognition by readers and publishers.

Let’s unpack what that means:

  1. If I’m looking for a book to read, I can explore reviews and see what others are reading.
  2. I can read books, rate them, write an honest review, and make recommendations to others.
  3. If I’m a new writer, I can search my genre and read the recommendations from other readers. I can also learn why some books do well and others don’t.
  4. If I’m a seasoned writer, I can read reviews for my books to discover what readers appreciate or discount. Reading other reviews from my genre also helps me address reader needs.

Convinced?

This is your invitation: www.goodreads.com

This is your party page: https://www.goodreads.com/about/us

Take a look at the stats as of September 1, 2018: 80 Million Members, 2.3 Billion Books Added, 80 Million Reviews.

Now that you have your hat and balloons, I’ll reveal a few more goodies before showing you how to join. On the left side is a menu of all the tabs on the site. Oh, I bet you can spend hours, even days here.

So let’s get you signed up. Navigate back to the home page.

And don’t forget to follow Goodreads on their social media platforms.

Now, let’s explore what Goodreads means for an author.

Pull up the Author Program page here – https://www.goodreads.com/author/program

Read through Benefits of Claiming Your Profile Page. These tips and guidelines enhance your followers’ experience with your page. My personal blog for readers is linked to my Goodreads page, so I can expand my readership and make it easy for followers within my community.

Scroll down to Promote Your Books. The three suggestions are easy and the site provides instructions.

Take a look with Interact with Readers for more ideas.

Under Claim Your Profile Today, I suggest searching for yourself. Now you can view what followers see. Is everything in order? Do you need to make any edits or additions?

On the right-hand side of the page are specific topics to help educate the writer in all Goodreads has to offer.

Who can Join? Most of you have already registered with Goodreads, but if you haven’t given yourself this benefit, do so now.

On the right side, a highlighted list contains more valuable information. Begin by clicking on Author Guidelines. This page is essential for your success.

The Author Program Resource page gives more insight with information designed to ensure writers are successful.

Studying the topics for authors gives insight to Goodreads and how to broaden your visibility while providing followers with fresh material.

I value quotes, and once you’ve signed up, you can navigate here and add them for your books: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/new

Now, where do you find followers? Navigate to your photo on the right hand side upper corner and click. More goodies, but specifically, click on “Friends.” Take a look at the upper right-hand corner at Find Friends From. I suggest clicking on Facebook and Twitter. Goodreads will go through your followers and friends on those two social media sites and invite them to be a part of your Goodreads platform. Easy!

I’ve given you a few of the ways an author can reach readers through Goodreads. Take your time and explore what this site can do for writers.

Are you ready to dive into the many opportunities available for writers who subscribe to Goodreads? Let’s share experiences!

Why Should a Writer be Part of Goodreads? @Diannmills #ACFWblogs #bookpromo www.acfw.com/blog Click To Tweet

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; the Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. Her most recent book, Burden of Proof, releases this month. Connect with DiAnn here: www.diannmills.com

 

 

Comments 2

  1. I truly enjoy Goodreads. The site allows me to keep track of books I am reading, have read and want to read. I follow authors, enter contests to win books and find recommendations from other readers. I have my own author page for my children’s book, “Licky the Lizard”.

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