An Introduction to GoodReads
As every 21st century author knows, writing a good book is only part of the equation. Connecting with readers is just as important. In fact, compared to athe energy spent on promotion, writing may seem like the easy part of being a writer!
Enter GoodReads.
GoodReads is a social networking site for bibliophiles. It’s much like FaceBook, only the main topic of discussion is reading. Writers, this site is a must-join!
Unfortunately, GoodReads is a labyrinth of books, groups, trivia quizzes, lists, and other goodies. The site can be overwhelming as well as confusing. One look may send you clicking out of the site!
Don’t despair! Although there is a lot to explore, it’s easy to sign up and begin building your presence. Becoming GoodReads proficient doesn’t happen over night, but here are a few simple steps to help get you started.
Sign up for a Good Reads account
Although time consuming, this process is easy, especially if you sign in using a preexisting FaceBook or Twitter account. Once you click on ‘create a new account’, GR will tell you which of your ‘friends’ are already using Good Reads (you may be surprised by whom you find!) Afterwards, you’ll answer a few questions so that the the GR algorithms can recommend books tailored towards your preferences. Finally, you will reach the “Find What’s Next” link which walks you through the basics of adding books to your shelves, rating books, and working with listopia.
Next step: Edit your profile
After creating a new account, you should edit your personal profile. Look for your picture (or generic avatar if you didn’t connect via FB or Twitter) in the upper, right-hand corner. Use the drop-down menu to edit your profile. You can upload a picture, tell a little about yourself and what books you like to read, create a user name and so forth. Put as much thought into creating this profile this as you would when creating any other online profiles.
Remember, you’re creating a your own brand. If you’re a romance writer, work the romance angle. If you’re a fantasy writer, you may want to pep up your profile with a few pictures of you in a wizard costume. The important thing is to connect potential readers to your books. Be professional. Spell everything correctly! And make sure that everything you post reflects your author’s persona.
Once you’ve finished with your profile, explore the other tabs (which include things like settings, feeds, etc.) The most important one (for me) was the widget button. This feature allowed me to create a GoodReads sidebar widget for my blog (which you can see over on the left).
Now, join a reading group (or two, or three…)
One of the best things about GR is that you can connect with other readers who love the same kinds of stories as you do! This puts you in contact with potentially thousands of readers most of whom are looking for new titles.
Joining a group is so easy! Simply click the ‘groups’ button at the top of the page and conduct a search for the genre that best fits your own book. For example, I belong to several urban fantasy groups. I am also the moderator of a group called Urban Fantasy. I also belong to a group of readers who love to knit! There are many, many kinds of groups out there.
Once you’ve joined a group, start posting! Make sure to adhere to the group rules, post frequently, be friendly, and – most importantly – do not mention you are a writer. Let me repeat that: DO NOT MENTION YOU ARE A WRITER. Why? Because it puts readers off. Although some groups are writer-oriented, most are there for readers. Having a pushy writer who constantly hawks his/her book is much like having a telemarketer dialing your cell phone over and over and over.
Instead, become ‘friends’ with those people already posting in site. Chat about what books you enjoy and recommend a few (not your titles, but titles of authors who are similar to yours.) You will find yourself almost immediately shunned if you begin spouting off about your book.
Remember: the key to Good Reads is building connections with readers, not blasting them with requests to read and/or buy your book! Eventually, people will become curious about you and visit your profile, and that’s how they’ll discover your works. You can also ‘friend’ people whom you enjoy conversing with. The more friends you have, the more opportunity you’ll have for making connections.
Finally: Find your book’s page and update your author page
Once you’ve started connecting with people, it;s time to make yourself a Good Reads author!
First off, look up your book in the ‘search’ bar at the top of the page.
Wait??!!! Your book’s not listed? No problem; you can add it manually. But before do, you must first (a) verify your e-mail and (b) wait one day. After that, you are allowed to manually add your book. It doesn’t matter if your book is self published, only in e-book format, or put out by a small press, it belongs on Good Reads!
After clicking the ‘add book manually’ button, fill out all of the information for r book. And don’t forget to upload a cover image!
It should only take a few minutes between the time you enter the information and the time it becomes available on Good Reads. Isn’t it exciting to see it there? But what happens when you click on the author’s name link? Most likely, if you’re new to the publishing game, your author page will turn up empty. Again, this is no problem. Simply fill in your author profile information just as you did with your personal profile.
WAIT…YOU’RE NOT TRULY A GOOD READS AUTHOR YET…
How to become an honest-to-goodness Good Reads author
Just filling in the author’s information doesn’t turn you into a Good Reads author. To have access to your own author profile, widgets, and dashboard, you need to jump through a few more hoops.
Start off by visiting the GR How to Use the Author Program page. That’s where you’ll find answers to a lot of your questions. After you’ve viewed the video and read through the FAQs, head on over to the Good Reads Author Program page. This page will give you step-by-step instructions on how to become an author.
What’s Next?
Well, there is so much to explore on Good Reads! I recommend taking it in a little bit at a time. Browse the groups, the recommendations, and most of all, the ‘explore’ tab at the top of the page. Read through the timeline of posts by your ‘friends’ and comment on them. Compare books with people you meet in the groups. Add books to your shelves. Not just books you’ve already read, but books you want to read.
Good Reads is just one, big playground, so play around and enjoy!
