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How to become a librarian
In order to become a librarian on Goodreads you must have at least 50 books in your profile, then just apply.
What can librarians do?
Goodreads members with Librarian Status can edit book and author data, add book covers, and combine different editions of books. Each book and author has one unique entry in the Goodreads database. Librarians help correct book issues, like if the data isn't correct, or is missing things like the book description or URL.
Why not make everyone a librarian?
Initially, we allowed everyone to be a librarian. Anyone could edit book and author data, add cover images, or combine books. However, we found that while 99% of the people did a good job, occasionally we had someone who messed things up. So we created a new status that we bestow on those interested in helping keep things nice and tidy, which has worked out well.
How to edit book or author information
To edit book or author information, navigate to the book or author's page, then click on the 'edit data' link which is found in the lower right side of the box containing the book or author's information. Please remember to be accurate in your edits, as your changes will be reflected on anyone's shelf who has that book.
What is the Goodreads Author Program?
The Goodreads Author Program is designed for published authors to have a presence on Goodreads. Goodreads Authors can connect with fans, add excerpts of their writing, post upcoming events, and add photos and videos of themselves.
In order to join our Author Program, you must have your books listed on Goodreads. If you can't find them by an ISBN search, you must manually add your books to Goodreads (advanced search => manually add). This option is only available to those with 20 books or more shelved. If you don't have enough books, please contact us in support and we'd be happy to help.
Tips for booksellers and authors
We welcome participation from organizations such as book stores, and we invite all published authors to join the Goodreads Author Program. However, spam and unsolicited advertising of any kind will not be tolerated and could lead to the permanent deletion of you Goodreads account. Posting of legitimate book reviews from organizations or individuals is the intended use of the site, but no review should have any content with an intent to sell. Goodreads members recognize this as spam, so this tactic is not a good strategy for gaining new customers. In contrast, becoming an active participant in literary discussion on Goodreads will win you friends and new readers.
What do I do if a book is missing a cover image or other data?
It is possible for members to change book covers, edit book and author data, and generally correct any inaccuracies. Much of Goodreads' data comes from Ingram, and occasionally the page number, author name, or publisher name is incorrect. To fix the data, look for the 'edit' link on any author or book profile page (lower right side of the box next to the image). However to keep the site clean we restrict this ability to people with 'librarian status'. We grant this status to users with at least 50 books who apply. If you don't have enough books, or don't wish to become a librarian, you can always post your issue in the Goodreads Librarians group for help.
How do I cancel my account?
To cancel your account on Goodreads, select edit profile from the drop-down list next to your picture in the header. Select the "settings" tab. Then select the "delete my account" link at the bottom of the page. Your account data, books, and friend list will be permanently erased.
How do I add friends?
Adding friends is easy. If you already have the profile link for someone you'd like to friend, just navigate to his/her profile, then click "add as a friend" beneath the "about me" section.
If you want to find friends on Goodreads and you don't have profile links, just click on the friends icon in the header, which is located directly to the left of your profile image. Then select the "add friends" tab.
On this page you have several options to add friends:
- use your Yahoo!, Hotmail, or Gmail address books to invite friends and see which friends are already Goodreads members
- invite friends by copy/pasting the message from the box and sending it to your friends using email
- search for friends already on the site using the 'find friends' box
How do I add a widget to my blog?
You can post a widget which shows off a list of books in your shelves on your website or blog. To do so, log in to Goodreads, click on edit profile from the drop-down to the right of your profile image in the header, then select the 'widgets' tab. Follow the instructions to copy the widget code into your blog. You can choose to show off any shelf you like: read, currently reading, or any shelf of your choice. We have both flash widgets, such as the "my books widget" and javascript widgets, such as our "grid widget" or "book montage widget" - please make sure your blog software accepts flash or javascript.
Using the book edit page
(This topic has now been broken down into subtopics for ease in using and editing.)
librarian change log
add a librarian note
title
sort by title
author
isbn - isbn13
publisher
published - month - day
number of pages
How do I create a group?
1) Click on "Groups" in the header.
2) Click create a group just above the "browse by tag" section on the right.
How do I join the Author Program?
1. If you are already a Goodreads member, make sure you are signed in. If not, sign up for an account.
2. Search for yourself and click on your published author name. The author name is listed below the title of your book in the search results. If you do not find your book in our database of published works, please see our section on who can join.
3. Clicking on your name takes you to your basic author profile page. This page has your name at the top and "author profile" to the right of your name. This page is part of our database of books and authors and is separate from your member profile page (which lists your bookshelves and friends).
4. Scroll down to the bottom of the page. Click "Is this you? Let us know." to send a request to join the Author Program.
Please give us a few business days to process your request. You will receive email confirmation when we successfully upgrade your user account to an author account. Joining the program merges your author page with your member page. The email will also contain further instructions for managing your author profile.
Why can't I list an ebook giveaway?
At the moment, ebooks aren't eligible for giveaways simply because we haven't yet found a system that works as well and as seamlessly for them as it does for our print books. We are committed to providing a superior experience for the people who enter and win our giveaways, and until we can absolutely do that for ebook giveaways, we won't allow them. We are currently in the process of experimenting with a few different titles and a few different formats, so hopefully we will be able to allow ebook giveaways soon!
How do I add a book to "my books"?
1. To add a book to your shelves, find the book by searching for its title or author in the search bar in the header. Searching by ISBN or ASIN (for Kindle editions) works best when looking for a specific edition.
2. On the book's profile page, you will see a green "want to read" button underneath its cover image. Click "want to read" to quickly add the book to your "to-read" shelf, or hover over the books icon on the right side of the button to add it to one of your other exclusive shelves (like "read" or "currently-reading"). You can also rate the book using the stars beneath the button.
What is a Goodreads Librarian?
Goodreads Librarians are volunteers* who are dedicated to improving Goodreads' data. Librarians can edit book and author information, as well as combine separate editions of books to help aggregate reviews and ratings. That said, librarians do not have the power to enforce violations of the site's TOS (i.e. delete user accounts or user content like reviews).
In order to be apply for librarian status you must have at least 50 books, then you can apply here.
*They are not Goodreads employees or representatives of the company.
How do I unsubscribe from emails?
To change the frequency (daily or weekly) or unsubscribe from the Goodreads update email or any other email, click on edit profile at the top right corner of Goodreads, then click the "emails" tab. All email settings can be controlled on this page.
How do I set a book's date read on the Android app?
1) Start on the main app page.
2) Tap 'My Books' the second option from the top.
3) Tap on the shelf the book is on.
4) Tap on the book's title.
5) Scroll down to the "My Review" section.
6) Tap 'edit review'.
7) You'll see 'date finished' and 'date started' on the top. Tap 'not set' or the date (if there is one already) to update it.
8) Enter the date and tap 'Set'.
What do I do if I'm not receiving emails?
If you are not receiving emails from Goodreads, please check your bulk or spam folder. Also make sure to add no-reply@mail.goodreads.com to your contacts to help ensure deliverability. Making sure your email address is verified in your account may also help.
To verify your email address, go to your "edit profile" page and select the "settings" tab. If your email address isn't verified, you'll see a red message next to it - click "re-send verification email".
If you've done all that, email notifications such as the friend update email, daily group digests, or message notifications may be blocked by your ISP or email provider, so you may want to contact them.
Why am I asked to import my address book?
Goodreads allows you to import your Facebook, Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, or Twitter address book to connect with your friends. This feature is entirely optional, and for your convenience. Privacy is very important to us, as we need to have the trust of our members in order to have a successful product. Just as we keep your profile data securely we handle your address book email and password securely, and do not under any circumstances store them. Please read our privacy policy for more information.
How do I leave a group?
To cancel your membership in a group, go to the group's homepage, click "edit membership" underneath the group's profile picture, then click "leave this group."
How do I remove a friend?
To remove a friend, click on the friends icon in the header (the icon directly to the left of your profile image) then the "edit friends" button. Click the X next to the name you wish to remove. The friend will not be notified. You can also navigate to the friends profile, scroll down to the bottom, and click "remove as friend".
Using the book edit page: part 2
format
In this field the format/binding type of the book can be added - i.e. Hardcover, Paperback, Mass Market Paperback, Audio CD, ebook, etc.
The format field has a drop-down box with the most common formats. Select the one that matches the book you have. If there is not an appropriate format, click on the "other" link next to the format field. The field will then turn into a text box where you can type in the format of the book. Please use the existing formats if possible (i.e. use Hardcover instead of manually listing Hardback, etc) and if manually adding a format, use correct spelling, capitalization and punctuation.
edition
This field is for such things as "2nd edition", "Film Tie-In Edition", "Large Print", "Special Illustrated Edition" and other edition-specific data that belongs neither in the title nor the format fields.
official URL
This field is for entering a URL officially associated with that book, such as a page on an author's site for the book. It may also be an author or publisher's website for the book, if it contains additional information or resources. Fan sites, reviews, book sellers, Wiki pages or other such pages should NOT be listed.
Be sure to include the entire link, including the http:// part.
Example of an acceptable link:
http://www.suzannebrockmann.com/breaking_point.htm
Examples of unacceptable links:
http://www.amazon.com/Breaking-Point-Troubleshooters-Book-9/dp/0345480139
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzanne_Brockmann#Troubleshooter.2C_Inc._Series
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Suzanne-Brockmann/47043285969
description
The description field is for entering a summary of the work. The best description to enter is one found on the back cover or on the dust jacket of the book. If the book does not have a summary listed anywhere on the cover or pages, you can copy a description from a different edition or you can write your own. The description can be a couple of sentences or a couple of paragraphs describing the content of the book. It should be a generic summary and should NOT include reviews or personal feelings (i.e. "This is a book about sisters. It was good. You should read it"). The summary should also NOT contain any important spoilers such as mentions of characters deaths, how the book ends, major twists or other information that would spoil the story for those who have not read it.
Descriptions copied from an outside source, such as Wikipedia, should contain a short citation stating where the summary originated from.
primary language
This field is for selecting the language of the specific edition of the book you are editing was written. For example, if the book you are editing is a German translation of a book originally written in English, the language should be listed as German.
source
Source is an un-editable field generated by Goodreads. It tells you where the book originated from - whether it was imported from Ingram, another source, or created by a user.
created
This is another un-editable field. It tells when the edition was added to the Goodreads database and also tells when it was last edited.
What do I do if I win a giveaway and don't receive the book?
Every once and awhile, a book will be lost in the mail. Goodreads is not involved in book shipment, but if you don't receive the book within one month, we suggest that you contact the person who listed the giveaway (usually the author or a publisher). Here's how:
1) Click on the giveaway that you won. You can find your history here.
2) Click on the name of the person who listed the giveaway on the top right of the page.
3) Click "send message" on the top of his/her profile.
If you do not hear back in a reasonable amount of time, please let us know, and we'll do our best to intervene.
Why is my whole ebook visible on the site? I only set the preview to a small percentage.
Since you are the author of the ebook, you have the proper authorization to read the whole ebook on the site without paying. However, if your settings are correct, all other users shouldn't be able to.
If you log into another account (friend, husband, etc) and you can still see the whole ebook, you might not have set it up correctly. Please note that only ePub files can be offered for sale with free previews. PDFs can only be uploaded as completely free excerpts. If you've uploaded a PDF by mistake, you can delete it by navigating to your book page, clicking "edit details" underneath the description, and clicking "delete" on the right side of the screen (underneath the ebook file).
I've added the Goodreads app to my Facebook Timeline, but my updates aren't appearing on my Timeline. What's going on?
Here are some things to check:
1. Do I have a Timeline?
Currently, our integration only works with Facebook Timelines, not Facebook walls. See more information here.
2. Did I grant the app all the permissions it needs?
Navigate to the apps tab of your edit profile page. In the Facebook section, you should see a series of checkboxes. If you see these, and all the options you'd like to post are checked, move on to #3. If you see a button reading "Add to Timeline", you need to grant some additional permissions before the app will be allowed to post to Timeline for you. Just click that button and grant all permissions when the Facebook pop-up appears.
3. Did I check the Facebook checkbox before posting?
At the bottom of the review window, you'll see a little Facebook icon next to a checkbox. If it's unchecked, sharing to Facebook is disabled, so make sure it's checked off.
4. Have I added Goodreads as a "Favorite" on Facebook?
Navigate to your Timeline. On the top of your Timeline, you'll see a couple of boxes: Friends, Photos, Likes, etc. There should be a tiny drop-down to the far right with a number (see screenshot). Click on that, which should cause more empty boxes to appear. Do you see Goodreads in its own box (the "Likes" box does not count)? Click the plus sign on the top right of an empty box and select "Goodreads" to add it.
5. Is the update in my "Activity Log"?.
The more you interact with our app, the more prominently our updates will display on your Timeline, your News Feed, and the Ticker. If you just added the app, new Goodreads updates might first show up in your Activity Log. To check, click on your Activity Log link, which should be on the top of your Timeline (see screenshot). If you see a Goodreads update on the list, you can force it to appear on your Timeline manually. On its far right should be a circle. Click on the circle and select "Shown on Timeline" from the list. The update should then appear. If you don't see the update in your log, go on to #4.
6. The update still isn't appearing.
Sometimes our access to your Timeline expires, but this can easily be fixed. Log out of Goodreads, then log back in using Facebook Connect by clicking on the Facebook icon on the home page. Try to post a new update.
If you've tried all these steps, and you're still having trouble, please contact us.
How do I set the "date finished" or "date started" for a book in the iPhone app?
1) Navigate to the book page for the book in question (you can search for it using the "search" icon on the bottom of the screen or find it in one of your shelves).
2) Scroll down until you see the "My Review" section.
3) Tap "write a review".
4) Tap the blue "More" button near the top.
5) You can see the start and finished dates on the top of the page. Just tap on either "started" or "finished" to edit that date, using the toggle option below.
6) Click the blue "done" button when you've made the necessary changes.
I noticed an odd or inaccurate avg rating or other data
Goodreads often caches data, and sometimes it gets out of sync. Cached items include average ratings for books, the number of books in "my books", the number of friends in your friends list, the number of books an author has and other items. We correct all cached items each night, but even so sometimes observant people notice the discrepancies. We are working to fix all the issues, but until we do just be assured things will be corrected each night.
How do I add a book to a specific shelf?
If you haven't already added the book, find it by searching for its title or author in the search bar in the header. Searching by ISBN or ASIN (for Kindle editions) works best when looking for a specific edition. On the book's profile page, you will see a green "want to read" button beneath the cover image. Hover over the books icon on the right side, and you should be able to select shelves from the resulting drop-down menu.
If you have already added the book, you can search My Books to find it. Once you find the book entry, click edit under the "shelves" column, select the shelves you want, and save.
Note: Under "covers" view, there are no columns. You will have to hover over the book cover in question, and click the resulting "edit" link. A review page will pop-up - select the shelf you want from the drop-down menu, and save.
How do I change my email address?
1) Click on the arrow next to your profile pic in the header.
2) A drop-down menu should appear. Click on edit profile.
3) On the edit profile page, select the settings tab.
4) Edit your email address in the email address field and save.
