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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 151-200 of 2,216 (2216 new)
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Christie
(new)
Mar 28, 2013 01:55PM
I *dont* actually want my goodreads reviews on Amazon where they will be used for commercial purposes. I used to review quite a bit over there and I really really disliked the fact that who saw the reviews was based not on whose tastes were similar to mine but on whether or not Amazon thought it was in their best financial interests. Yucko. Please do not do not publish my reviews by default on Amazon.
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Catherine wrote: "Feature Request: When I buy a book on Amazon I'd like it to automatically get added to my to read or reading shelf (unless I click a box to not post it, which I would do if it was something like a ..."Thats such a brilliant idea
Upon finishing a book on Kindle, we should be able to post a rating and review to GoodReads, and have it automatically dated to count in our reading challenges.
Is Amazon dumping Shelfari? Nervous about this decision but will wait and see.
Good news for you, bad news for us *sigh* it was fun while it lasted
As for your question -- I'll echo what others have said:1. When I purchase a Kindle book, add it to my to-read shelf (or another shelf I specify in advance).
2. Keep my reading progress updated periodically based on my Kindle progress.
3. Integrate GR and Amazon reviews.
:)
This is unfortunate. As mentioned, there should be advance notification before information is shared or posted from Goodreads to Amazon.I'm reconsidering my membership here.
I'm conflicted by this news. On one hand, I love Goodreads and I love my Kindle. I don't really have anything *against* Amazon. On the other hand, I worry about what will happen now. 1. I hope that authors will still be able to post reviews (because they like to read too, obviously) even though Amazon does not currently allow that sort of thing on their site.
2. I'd love it if I could post a review to Goodreads and have it automatically post to Amazon as well (though, I tend to use the spoiler tag, and as far as I know, Amazon doesn't have anything like that that lets you hide certain parts of your review...)
3. Once I finish reading a book on my Kindle, I'd like the review option to pop up, where I could write a review and have it post to Goodreads (as well as mark the book as read on that date).
With all of these things, I'd like it to be an *option* (In other words, I don't want it to post my review to Amazon automatically without me checking a box).
Gets a kindle a week ago Favourite website suddenly starts working with them
Amy wrote: "What about us Nookies?"Your Goodreads experience should remain the same, but without the bonus features Kindle users get. That's my guess.
I get it for the convenience of kindle users, but I'm not thrilled. I kinda liked the idea of Goodreads being on its own better. I hope it doesn't just get subsumed into the Amazon behemoth.
You guys complaining can't possibly be happy with the Goodreads UI or the sort-of-working Facebook integration, can you? Both of these have been screwy for months...maybe years!Consider this an opportunity for Goodreads to get the resources to finally right those wrongs!
To say "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" when partnering with Amazon is a contradiction. Amazon is THE force driving independent bookstores out of business, and it's notorious for not giving authors and publishers a fair cut. I've loved GoodReads the past 3+ years when I've used it weekly (if not daily!) -- and I'll be migrating my use to a site that does support a destructive corporation.
so...you sold out. to amazon. good job. one of the appeals of goodreads is that it is not amazon.
I don't own a Kindle. Don't want to own one. And I'm very sorry about this. I'm sure the money will be good for you. And owning yet another book review site will play into Amazon's desire to control every inch of publishing. It's been nice, Goodreads
on the new kindle fire hd (not sure if the original does this too) you are allowed to post your thoughts on twitter and facebook through the book. (shared notes & highlights option) would love to see a "goodreads" added to that feature
Catherine wrote: "Feature Request: When I buy a book on Amazon I'd like it to automatically get added to my to read or reading shelf (unless I click a box to not post it, which I would do if it was something like a ..."I think this is a GREAT idea.
I would lOVE a way to rate books in order of how I want to read them (1 being absolutely next to read) on my TBR!! I always lose the book I tagged while into another book and forget about it on the list, some are on my list as true rainy day desperation type books and I'd like a way to distinguish them!!!
Well this just ruined my day. So sad to see this happen.
nothing has been said about content exclusively for kindles...
Very mixed emotions on this - will watch what happens and then make my decision to stay or go.
Aw, too bad. Being an independent bookstore owner, I liked having a site with which to connect with my customers, provide reviews and recommendations, and link to without immediately sending them to the competition. I can't imagine that you'll still have a link to IndieBound, or really any other option to purchase the book other than through Amazon. Good for you guys, bad for us. Congrats on the huge step forward for your company, though!
Catherine wrote: "Feature Request: When I buy a book on Amazon I'd like it to automatically get added to my to read or reading shelf (unless I click a box to not post it, which I would do if it was something like a ..."I second this request!
i've got very mixed feelings about this...on the one hand, yes, i own kindle paperwhite and i love it.
on the other hand, i liked goodreads better when it was independent. i don't know many services that really profited from being acquired by a huge company.
Hmmm, mixed emotions on this one. I can see why you guys are excited, but think I'll hold off on the balloons and cheering for a wee bit longer.......
are there any alternative sites like goodreads out there? but ones who haven't sold their souls to the devil / amazon?
Sarah wrote: "This curious since Amazon already owns and neglects Shelfari.I would say nothing needs to be done for readers except include more of the website features in to the existing app for Nook and Kindl..."
I was just wondering about Shelfari. Merged or shelved (pardon the pun) maybe?
Please, please address the issues about what will happen with our reviews:- Whether reviews will be cross-posted to Amazon (by default or as an option)
- Whether Amazon will assert ownership of review content posted on GR
- Whether authors will still be able to rate and review books
Even if the answer is "none of these things will change from the way they've always been," it would be VERY reassuring to have information.
Goodreads was nice while it lasted. I can't imagine that this will be a good thing. I liked that it was an independent entity and now it's in Amazon's back pocket. :(
I'm on my second Kindle (Paperwhite) which I love and adore very much, but this news doesn't make me happy at all, because Amazon isn't the only manufacturer out there, and most certainly not the only bookseller out there, so what's happening is an independent-of-any-company community of book lovers is now aligned with one eBook manufacturer and online retailer. Not good.I used to tell people that the answer to your question, "what is the next book I should read?" is found at Goodreads.com - I think the question needs a bit of altering now to arrive at the same answer. Very sad.
At least it's not Google - that would be even worse.
Too bad. Will be a corporate site now. I probably will also return to my other means of tracking my reading :(
I'll echo those that said they would have preferred the option to pay a fee to use the full services of GoodReads and potentially get integration to all ereaders, like the iPad and Nook. This seems like a great deal for the GoodReads team, and Kindle users but not so much for those that aren't.
I used Goodreads as my source for book information so I did not even have to give Amazon pageviews. How long before the Kobo link disappears? And how long before the buy button to Amazon is the only one available? Will priority advertising and visibility be given to Amazon-published books? This completely violates the trust of the Goodreads user; the site is no longer unbiased or community-driven. Really, really disappointing.
If we have to start paying for things I'm out.
I am very excited gor this. I've been dying for my goodreads account to be linked to my kindle.
I might be in the minority, but I would prefer NOT to have reviews automatically crossposted to Amazon. Or at least, the option to keep my user-submitted comment from cross-pollinating via user-side controls.
I despise Amazon and do not shop there. I love the option to find books at other sites goodreads now offers. Will that function be disappearing? I also want to be very clear that Amazon does not nor will ever own the rights to any reviews I write.
If this will help new Authors, I am all for it. It would be nice to have reviews on Goodreads go to the Amazon site automactically or for us to have that option. After all, reviews do help Authors be seen.
Catherine wrote: "Feature Request: When I buy a book on Amazon I'd like it to automatically get added to my to read or reading shelf (unless I click a box to not post it, which I would do if it was something like a ..."YES! Synch of Amazon books on Kindle to GoodReads would be awesome. I'd love to see that first, followed by reviews flowing from GoodReads to Amazon. It would also be neat to have a book owned on Kindle be able to open in the Kindle Cloud Reader.
Not to mention that now there is an option to buy a book you're looking at from various distributors. Will that option go away, given Amazon's partnership?
I'm not very hopeful that this is going to turn out to be a good thing, for readers. It wouldn't surprise me if before too long, amazon.com will have its stamp all over goodreads.com, and its fingerprints too.
Will we have any say in what information gets shared with Amazon? This is a major bummer. I don't want to have to reenter all those books some where else, but I guess I'll have to.
Amazon is not a "family" a family is made up of real people. Amazon is a non-natural corporate entity. Anthropomorphizing corporation makes people forget that corporations are competing with humans for control of our world.
I don't know how to feel about this though I am trying to be optimistic.My only concern is the rating of reviews. Amazon users tend to gang up on reviewers downgrading anything that isn't a four or five star review by marking it unhelpful.
I appreciate that GR has never allowed reviewers to be subjected to this sort of bullying and would be very upset if their acquisition by Amazon opened the door for it.
I have a suggestion: let me download all my info and books and reviews with one click so I can take it elsewhere.
Congratulations! I feel good about Goodreads. I also have only positive things to say about Amazon. Best wishes to you.
So I guess people who have e-readers other than Kindle are screwed? Typical.
