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Exciting News About Goodreads: We're Joining the Amazon Family!
When Elizabeth and I started Goodreads from my living room seven years ago, we set out to create a better way for people to find and share books they love. It's been a wild ride seeing how the company has grown and watching as more than 16 million readers from across the globe have joined Goodreads and connected over a passion for books.
Today I'm really happy to announce a new milestone for Goodreads: We are joining the Amazon family. We truly could not think of a more perfect partner for Goodreads as we both share a love of books and an appreciation for the authors who write them. We also both love to invent products and services that touch millions of people.
I'm excited about this for three reasons:
1. With the reach and resources of Amazon, Goodreads can introduce more readers to our vibrant community of book lovers and create an even better experience for our members.
2. Our members have been asking us to bring the Goodreads experience to an e-reader for a long time. Now we're looking forward to bringing Goodreads to the most popular e-reader in the world, Kindle, and further reinventing what reading can be.
3. Amazon supports us continuing to grow our vision as an independent entity, under the Goodreads brand and with our unique culture.
It's important to be clear that Goodreads and the awesome team behind it are not going away. Goodreads will continue to be the wonderful community that we all cherish. We plan to continue offering you everything that you love about the site—the ability to track what you read, discover great books, discuss and share them with fellow book lovers, and connect directly with your favorite authors—and your reviews and ratings will remain here on Goodreads. And it's incredibly important to us that we remain a home for all types of readers, no matter if you read on paper, audio, digitally, from scrolls, or even stone tablets.
For all of you Kindle readers, there's obviously an extra bonus in this announcement. You've asked us for a long time to be able to integrate your Kindle and Goodreads experiences. Making that option a reality is one of our top priorities.
Our team gets out of bed every day motivated by the belief that the right book in the right hands can change the world. Now Goodreads can help make that happen in an even bigger and more meaningful way thanks to joining the Amazon family. (And if you want to be part of this, please check out our Jobs page for open positions. We've got a lot of hires to make!)
This is an emotional day for me. Goodreads is more than a company to me – it's something that Elizabeth and I created because we wanted it to exist. Since then it has grown a lot and become a place we love working at, full of incredibly smart and passionate people who also believe in our mission. I feel a little like a college graduate – happy to come to this milestone, nostalgic for the past amazing seven years, and incredibly, incredibly, excited for the future.
Otis
P.S. For the more official version of the announcement, here's the press release that went out today.
P.P.S. Please let us know – what integration with Kindle would you love to see the most?
Today I'm really happy to announce a new milestone for Goodreads: We are joining the Amazon family. We truly could not think of a more perfect partner for Goodreads as we both share a love of books and an appreciation for the authors who write them. We also both love to invent products and services that touch millions of people.
I'm excited about this for three reasons:
1. With the reach and resources of Amazon, Goodreads can introduce more readers to our vibrant community of book lovers and create an even better experience for our members.
2. Our members have been asking us to bring the Goodreads experience to an e-reader for a long time. Now we're looking forward to bringing Goodreads to the most popular e-reader in the world, Kindle, and further reinventing what reading can be.
3. Amazon supports us continuing to grow our vision as an independent entity, under the Goodreads brand and with our unique culture.
It's important to be clear that Goodreads and the awesome team behind it are not going away. Goodreads will continue to be the wonderful community that we all cherish. We plan to continue offering you everything that you love about the site—the ability to track what you read, discover great books, discuss and share them with fellow book lovers, and connect directly with your favorite authors—and your reviews and ratings will remain here on Goodreads. And it's incredibly important to us that we remain a home for all types of readers, no matter if you read on paper, audio, digitally, from scrolls, or even stone tablets.
For all of you Kindle readers, there's obviously an extra bonus in this announcement. You've asked us for a long time to be able to integrate your Kindle and Goodreads experiences. Making that option a reality is one of our top priorities.
Our team gets out of bed every day motivated by the belief that the right book in the right hands can change the world. Now Goodreads can help make that happen in an even bigger and more meaningful way thanks to joining the Amazon family. (And if you want to be part of this, please check out our Jobs page for open positions. We've got a lot of hires to make!)
This is an emotional day for me. Goodreads is more than a company to me – it's something that Elizabeth and I created because we wanted it to exist. Since then it has grown a lot and become a place we love working at, full of incredibly smart and passionate people who also believe in our mission. I feel a little like a college graduate – happy to come to this milestone, nostalgic for the past amazing seven years, and incredibly, incredibly, excited for the future.
Otis
P.S. For the more official version of the announcement, here's the press release that went out today.
P.P.S. Please let us know – what integration with Kindle would you love to see the most?
Comments Showing 451-500 of 2,216 (2216 new)
I understand that this is what most tech companies dream of, butI'm not quite as excited. Amazon, let's face it, is in it exclusively to make more money. I'll hedge my bets - keeping my GR account and hoping for the best while exporting my data (& deleting my reviews) just in case I need to quickly pack up and leave town.
Nina wrote: "Liz wrote: "LibraryThing is still unadulterated and unsullied"Nope, Amazon owns 40% of LibraryThing."
Humph. I didn't know that :(
I'm retreating to the corner sofa with a good book to cheer myself up now.
As a non-Amazon user, I find myself very sad by this development. I hope that this can remain as unbiased as possible in the future, but to be honest...I'm doubtful.
And after Goodreads disconnected from Amazon such a short time ago. Smells like money talks to me. Not good news.
Hal wrote: "Kimberly wrote: "Bye Bye Shelfari . . . Hello Goodreads!! I hope nothing changes with Goodreads. I hope Amazon merges my "To read" list with my Amazon Wishlist."I would not like to see that happ..."
Another vote for NOT merging these two entirely different things.
Jason wrote: "For those of you distressed by this news, consider that Amazon also owns IMDB (Internet Movie Database), which has remained a separate, thriving brand and site. It seems likely that Amazon will tre..."Well, then there's hope. Good to know that.
Too bad... I liked the somewhat neutral stance of this site for tracking my reading. The links to places like Paperbackswap, independent bookstores, and libraries to track down books. Now, I assume, everything will point to Amazon. Will have to move my book history elsewhere.
Amazon will not let author's rate or comment on each other's books...this seems to be a limiter on what Goodreads does now which is offer an open community.
Yeah, what about the Nooks? I've been waiting for more, but now it seems impossible :( And I am not an Amazon fan in general... I don't use the site. Ever.
Liz wrote: "Nina wrote: "Liz wrote: "LibraryThing is still unadulterated and unsullied"Nope, Amazon owns 40% of LibraryThing."
Humph. I didn't know that :(
I'm retreating to the corner sofa with a good book..."
Since LibraryThing is still ad-free, several years in, I'd say the 60% is speaking loudest over there.
Would authors like myself still be able to review books by other authors here on Goodreads or would Amazon make that a no-no?
Mustafa wrote: "I get it, you need money. But I hope Amazon does not hinder the ability to buy books from other sites and prevent competition."I agree. That is my biggest concern.
Great news for you, horrible news for book lovers. This had been a safe place to post and to read honest reviews. Amazon has been notorious for fake reviews and for removing unfavorable ones. Just as I prefer independent, honest book sellers, I'd preferred a more trustworthy place to read and share reviews.
Unfortunately, I can't read all the posts to see if I'm repeating people (which I likely am). But just in case:I'd like to be able to make status updates and add book quotes to my Goodreads account from my Kindle, while reading a book.
I join others in the request for an option to post a review simultaneously on both sites. Plus, I'd also like to be able to edit that review on both sites from here on Goodreads. (In other words, if I have to fix a typo, I don't want to have to go to both sites to do it.)
FEATURE REQUEST FOR AUTHORS (1 of 2)When a user shelves a book on Goodreads as "Wants to Read" please do two things:
1) add it to their Amazon Wish List automatically
2) send them an email if/when the book goes on sale suggesting they "buy it now" while the price is so great.
Those two automated sales tools would be of enormous help to Indie Authors (and I think readers would find it really nice, too, because who can actually keep track of when things go on sale???)
I still don't make my existing books EXCLUSIVE to Amazon (i.e. enroll in KDP Select restricting all access to Amazon's Kindle customers only and no other readers anywhere in the world) but I would definitely reconsider it for new releases just to get access to those two features.
FEATURE REQUEST FOR AUTHORS (2 of 2)
My #1 gripe with Amazon and every eTailer is the absolute LACK of a pipeline to my customers (existing, paid customers or people who are simply interested enough to mark, save, shelve, otherwise view but not enough to buy "right now")
If authors had a way to communicate with readers who have already expressed an interest, so we could follow up or have an automated follow up sent, that would be worth something. That would also be a FIRST -- no other eTailers offer that to their content providers (Authors)
Given the existing Goodreads shelving system that readers have set up themselves, it seems like a no-brainer in the programming department to merge the demographic data from the Goodreads shelving system with Amazon's existing suggestive selling tools.
I sure hope to see this kind of thing implemented by Amazon's mighty marketing powers!
D.G. wrote: "3. Amazon supports us continuing to grow our vision as an independent entity, under the Goodreads brand and with our unique culture. I really hopes this is true. I don't post reviews on Amazon fo..."
I agree with you.
This seems a bit disturbing.1. Doesn't Amazon already own Shelfari? (Does this mean one of them will be closed or merged with the other?)
2. Part of what makes sites like this work is independence from a particular store. That objectivity will now be lost. (In fact, many Shelfari users switched to Goodreads for this very reason.)
3. I've never actually seen the "big company buy small company but promise to keep the culture and what made it unique intact" scenario actually work out in anyone's favor. Sometimes it's ok for a few years but in the end it's always bad. I would love to be wrong but, as I said, haven't seen it happen yet.
I'm a longtime Amazon customer but that doesn't mean I approve of everything they do. I have a very bad feeling about this move. Every time one of these giant netglomerates buys up an independent site, the users get hammered with increased rules and regulations. We'll have to wait and see. Jay
Posting a review that would go both places would be handy. But there is the whole Amazon review controversy that has me a bit worried.
I hope this will not be like PlanetAll all over again... Once Amazon got a hold of them, it was over in no-time...(NB: for thos who are too young to remember PlanetAll: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlanetAll )
I have mixed excitement and trepidation about this announcement. It depends on how intrusive Amazon gets in terms of our user experience and your business decisions. I hope smaller name authors and non-Amazon retailers aren't penalized by the acquisition.If you're looking for input on what to do for Kindle users, I for one would love the option to send some of my highlighted quotes to Goodreads. Not all of them, mind you, but the option to do so would be great. I know that's an Amazon decision, because it involves their hardware, but I thought it might be worth mentioning.
Amy wrote: "This is gross, but unfortunately I am speaking from the minority. My (or any of us) leaving Goodreads won't stop what Amazon is doing to the publishing industry. There are thousands more that are g..."Yeah, because the publishing industry is such a nice, non-exploitive, ungreedy industry. /sarcasm
I don't want this to impact the web interface at all, because that would be very disappointing. I use Goodreads to review books and read others' reviews because I try to stay as far away from Amazon as possible.
Marjorie wrote: "FEATURE REQUEST FOR AUTHORS (1 of 2)When a user shelves a book on Goodreads as "Wants to Read" please do two things:
1) add it to their Amazon Wish List automatically
2) send them an email if/w..."
God, please NO!!! I really DO NOT WANT SPAM from authors just because I expressed an interest in a book here. At the first email I'd be gone so fast you wouldn't see the smoke.
I think this is awesome news! Ever since I got my new Kindle PW, the feature I've wanted the most is to automatically update my reading progress, I can't wait for this to happen!
Marjorie wrote: "FEATURE REQUEST FOR AUTHORS (1 of 2)When a user shelves a book on Goodreads as "Wants to Read" please do two things:
1) add it to their Amazon Wish List automatically
2) send them an email if/w..."
And as a reader 1) is exactly what I DON'T want to happen.
I wouldn't object to two though, if I could limit it to a specific shelf (IE a "library doesn't have" or "want to buy")
Amazon is also noted for caving into the censorship demands of EU countries (which have thousands of banned books) and even religious groups.I doubt we will see much benefit, the coding will be off shored to India. Moderation will be out sourced to Tunisia and will be either ineffective or draconian.
Also corporations often buy companies just to dismantle and sell off their assets. Goodreads will prob be liquidated or crippled like News Corp did to Myspace.
I would not expect useful comments from Otis & Elizabeth - at this point they would already be bound by a strict contract that prob requires them to submit every public statement for vetting by Amazon legal dept.
I'm not at all happy. I never bother reading Amazon reviews anymore because there are so many fake ones, and even more simply inane ones. I do not want my reviews appearing on the Amazon site. Please do not integrate Amazon and Goodreads reviews!
Teufel wrote: "Amazon is also noted for caving into the censorship demands of EU countries (which have thousands of banned books) and even religious groups.I doubt we will see much benefit, the coding will be o..."
Almost as many banned books as the US... ;)
I have a Kindle, and it's what I prefer to read on, but there are other eReaders out there. I like diversity. I like it that people have a choice of eReader and eBook format. Having GoodReads skew towards Kindle is not something I welcome.I also hope that if there is integration of reviews, it is optional. I use Goodreads as a more "personal" site, and Amazon as the more public. I generally write very different sorts of reviews for each site. The reviews on GR are for myself, my family, and my friends, and then for other general readers. My reviews on Amazon are targeted toward people who are considering reading (and buying) the book, and I try to make them useful for someone to decide whether they want to spend the time/money/effort on the book -- whether I have similar taste to them or opposite -- and once I write them, I rarely look at them again.
I hope that GR does, indeed, remain independent.
P.S. Congrats to the Goodreads team for their success.
Does any body know of any good INDEPENDENT sites for book people? I will be leaving this one shortly and just wondered if their is any other available out there.Thanks Kay
If you do please private message me.
This is very sad news indeed. The blithe, breathless cluelessness of Otis's announcement almost made me physically ill. Since the beginning, Bezos and company have been using every questionable,nasty, bullying tactic that they can dream up in an effort to put my employers and others like them out of business. I can't stay here. It was nice while it lasted, though.
amazon likes to control how its products are reviewed. How can a peer author review a book written in his/her field without being subjugated to amazon's nefarious practice of controlling how its products are reviewed (in this case books)? I will be closing my account with Goodreads. You have been swallowed by the corporate dinosaur.
Julia wrote: "I find this very sad news. I hope the information I have entered will not be made available on Amazon. If that is the plan, I trust there will be advance notification to allow removal by those of u..."Julia brought up a good point because I may not want my information shared from Good Reads to Amazon.
I do not care to have my review parameters changed. Amazon has different guidelines for reviews on that site, and one of the reasons I still do reviews for both pages is that I can express all of what I think about the book honestly at GoodReads. I do NOT wish to have the reviews forcibly integrated. The OPTION to do so would be nice for those that don't mind such things, however.
I'd also like a formal apology from Amazon to all the GoodReads Librarians who did extensive work when they pulled their support for the Database.
Look, I have 3 Kindles and spend $200 a month on books from Amazon. I love the Kindle and I love the site. But I liked having GoodReads be a separate place.
Congrats on your work being financially rewarded. I'm in two minds about this and while I'm not about to throw the dolly out of the pram, close my goodreads account, go off to write a blog about how much this sucks; I can't say I'm going off to celebrate either.I guess it all depends on how Amazon decides to play it, thus far and for the most part they have done a fairly decent job of keeping their brands separate.
I really don't want my to read list, or anything else I choose to do on this site end up on their website.
Wait and see, I suppose.
Gutted by this news. Will somebody please start up another site because I can no longer be a party to this one.
How many things have you ever known to get better when large corporatios get control of them?
Are Goodreads condoning Amazon's murder of the book trade? Because that is the result of their zero tolerance of competition policy. It's already happening.Besides, if you needed money, you could have just asked. Look at Wikipedia.
Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
I thought that I should let you know that though I am an Author who has published on Amazon's platform through their publishing wing - Createspace and bought many copies of my books from Createspace - I was surprised that they did not let me write a review for another authors book unless I bought something directly from the Amazon bookstore or some other item from them. I thought that this was ridiculous and deprives other authors of the credit of having a review written about their books - hope your site does not inculcate this capitalistic and materialistic culture!Deepak Menon (Author of "Tales of the Booga Dooga Land -Pickwick's Plan and The Wormus!
So you say I keep seing amazons advertise on everywhere of this website. + censorship. Worst ever.
I am ambivalent about this. Even though I am an Amazon Prime customer, I do not want my Goodreads reviews to appear on Amazon automtically. I am already annoyed that I have to "opt out" rather than "opt in" on reviews going to Twitter and Facebook. If controlling who can see my reviews becomes even more tedious, I'll stop reviewing.I also find the Amazon recommendation algorithm rather useless, especially for fiction, so I hope it doesn't become the default at Goodreads.
Also, if there now will be a Goodreads app through the Kindle, I hope it will work with the iOS Kindle app--but also allow one to control the amount of "sharing." I have played with a Kindle Fire, and I wouldn't trade even my 1st gen iPad for the newest Fire.
Dijun wrote: "I am not sure I am happy with that announcement but we'll see.(I find it sad that it's certainly be all about the kindle...It already is when you read this article. there is more than one brand f..."
Dijun, I definitely agree with your statement about it being all about "Kindle". Myself I own a KOBO e-reader and it's so frustrating with so many FREE e-book sites that cater ONLY to Kindle owners. With this move by Good Reads they are forgetting about the variety of e-readers and those who make/own them.
Something funny, but up until recently if you owned a Kindle you didn't have the ability to borrow books for it from the Los Angeles Public Library.
I'm happy for the news. Hopefully we don't have to repent in the future, I don't want to close GR after purchase. I'll give them a chance, trust in Amazon and its good work.
Yea what about us??