Improving Ratings and Reviews on Goodreads: Updated Guidelines for Pre-Publication Books and More

We know how important early and authentic feedback is to building excitement for new books and helping readers discover their next great read. As part of our commitment to our community, we're excited to announce updated guidelines and processes that will be rolling out in the coming weeks to enhance the overall trustworthiness of ratings and reviews on Goodreads. These changes support pre-publication ratings from advance copy readers and help reviews stay focused on a book's content. These enhancements preserve the valuable advance reader insights that drive discoverability while supporting readers to see reviews that help them evaluate books.

Pre-Publication Book Reviews and Ratings
Here's how we support early feedback from advance copy readers:

• Reading Confirmation: We've introduced a verification process that requires reviewers to confirm they've read the book before rating pre-publication titles. This covers all reading experiences, including readers who didn't finish (DNF).
• Book Source Transparency: Additionally, we ask advance copy readers to indicate how they obtained their copy, such as from the publisher or author, Goodreads Giveaways, or other sources. This will soon appear alongside their reviews, helping others understand how they accessed the book.
• Reader-Only Ratings: Readers who mark a book as Want to Read cannot rate it until they change their shelf status to Read or Currently Reading. This protects rating authenticity while preserving readers' ability to express excitement for upcoming books through Want to Read shelving.
• Publication Status: The "Not Yet Published" label, launched earlier this year, makes it clear when a book is forthcoming, helping readers set appropriate expectations.

Off-Topic Reviews
Here's how we help ensure that review feedback is focused on the book itself:

• Review Assessment: When a review is reported, we evaluate it to determine if it complies with our Rating and Review Guidelines. Reviews that don't meet our guidelines for relevance will not be displayed in the Community Reviews section, helping ensure that readers see reviews focused on a book's content, writing, and storytelling.
• Community Driven: Anyone in the Goodreads community can report a review for evaluation. Authors and publishers are welcome to report reviews too.

How You Can Help
If you see content that you think doesn't meet our Rating and Review Guidelines, do not respond to it; instead, please report it for evaluation. While these policy updates primarily focus on new ratings and reviews, we will assess previously posted content that is reported to us.

Read our updated Rating and Review Guidelines in full. Thank you for being a part of the Goodreads community.

The Goodreads Team