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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 301-350 of 2,216 (2216 new)
message 301:
by
Laura
(new)
Mar 28, 2013 02:39PM
I am an Amazon customer, but I'm not happy to hear this news. I liked that Goodreads was independent. I for one do NOT want the reviews integrated. I like that I can find reviews here written by people who know what they are talking about and that you don't have to sift through "junk" reviews here from people about shipping or the wrong product. Also agree with others that I would have paid a fee to keep Goodreads independent if given the option. I like keeping my data here separate from that of Amazon. I also hope that you got all of that "retain your staff and identity" part on paper - giants like Amazon are known for buying up independents and slowly killing them off no matter what they tell the selling party. Not sure if I'll stick around or leave and start paying for LibraryThing.
flag
I would like to keep the option of privacy. Although I understand, people would like their reviews on both sites, I personally wouldn't. I'd rather keep my Amazon account as commercial and Goodreads account as communal. Maybe that can be offered as a choice --i.e. do/not post on amazon.com etc.
Time to find a replacement I guess. I'm not interested in yet more ads from/for Amazon.com.
kindle has the epub format it is uncommon, did you think which formats could be used for google chrome, google shop needs programs and content too.amazon has not much to offer for publishers in the moment, books on demand, ebooks.
Anyway I enjoy goodreads and its opportunities while we do not have a similar site to publish recensions, amazon is a great brand and delivers in a day, books are warehoused on open bills only, two small editors withdraw their offers to hand over books to amazon to be accounted when sold, this is warehousing, they have no money while the books are shelved. Suhrkamp is going down as the last court rule was to pay 2,2 million € for a minority shareholder who never wrote an article except for court files. The Leipzig bookfair was a success, the opportunity is goodreads for the suhrkamp out of stock books.
It's been a pleasure to me to use GR as an independent source for opinions and friendship. Amazon is great as a book seller (and everything else seller). It was nice to have both. I use iPad, so I don't see any advantage in synching with Kindle, nor do I feel it's a great advantage to link reviews automatically. I think we all know how to cut and paste by now. Any advantage from this move is infinitesimal so far as I can see.I like the illusion of an independent source for book-loving people. Too bad I now am sharing with Big Brother.
I'm so disappointed to hear this. I love GoodReads and I'm an Amazon customer but I'm not excited for the data-mining to sell my information and sell me things. I hope all of the things I love about GoodReads aren't lost in the relentless push for profit.
Please keep the rating separate from the reviews the way it is now. On Amazon you have to write a review to be allowed to rate a book. I don't have time to write a review for each book I read.Also would like to vote for:
the reviews between the sites being linked
books I buy being added to my goodreads shelf
Bill wrote: I have mixed feelings. My first thought is to delete all of my books, reviews and delete my account. Prove me wrong. I will give you 120 days.I agree with Bill.
I have written reviews and edited records on Goodreads to be part of a community of readers, and I don't want my work sold (or stolen) for amazon's benefit. And if I delete my account I better not see it on amazon in the future.
Well it's sad news indeed but the almighty dollar has spoken and it will be done.GR felt so fresh compared to Amazon and GR had total focus on reading books not selling books.
Bye bye...
Cries quietly. Another site ruined for me. Damn it Amazon, get your hydra head out of my Internet!
This is very disappointing - I find it hard to believe that links to Barnes & Noble and other booksellers are going to remain on the book pages. I'm going to be looking for alternatives to goodreads.
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. Readers should still be able to choose their retailer of choice, and not be railroaded into Amazon-only purchasing. Goodreads would lose a lot of users if this were to happen. And I'm saying this as a Kindle owner and a fan of Amazon. Please keep it fair for all your readers.
Patrick wrote: "* We don't expect to make changes to our review policy. Our reviews are obviously a strength of our site, and we don't plan to change how we handle them.* As we said in our blog post, we are going to remain a home for all kinds of readers, whether you read on a Kindle, another ereader, printed book, or audiobook. We have no plans to change how the links on our book pages work. That being said, if you do read on a Kindle, we expect to be able to integrate your Goodreads and Amazon experience, should you choose to do so, in exciting ways. " ALL EMPHASIS ADDED BY ME
None of which says anything other than "when the new owners take over they'll make us do it and it won't be our fault.
Wendi wrote: "Too bad. Another good independent thing bites the dust. Happy for you and the money you'll make off the cool thing you started; sad for me, and sad for the internet, which will soon be owned by Ama..."
Yep. Another blow to freedom. Another acquisition on the path to World Domination by the Amazon Empire.
At least it may end some of the Goodreads glitches (no advertising of ASIN books, vanishing Amazon book covers), and that's a good thing.
Yep. Another blow to freedom. Another acquisition on the path to World Domination by the Amazon Empire.
At least it may end some of the Goodreads glitches (no advertising of ASIN books, vanishing Amazon book covers), and that's a good thing.
Awesome! I so hope we can automatically add books to our shelves here & import our book list from Amazon!
The "vanishing Amazon covers" thing was actually partly Amazon's fault; GR's Librarians spent most of last January in a frenzy, trying to replace Amazon information in the database because Amazon were being snotty. The titles and authors had first priority, and the covers came later - if we could find a source for it that wasn't Amazon.And now Amazon has bought GR.
bad news - why oh why allow yourselves to be taken over like so - you will loose your independencs which was the best thing about you - Amazon will impose rules - and why for goodness sake just relate to kindle - there are many many other e-readers around all using e-pub - democratic which kindle is not. very sad news
It seems as though some GR users have left already, while others are adopting a "wait and see" approach. But the concept of GR as a collaborative, cooperative endeavour has I think died today.
This is really disappointing - I thought this was one corner of the internet free from Amazon. Can't blame you for wanting the money, but it's a little irritating the way you're announcing it, like we're all going to be thrilled and that this will benefit us all. It'd be a lot more refreshing to hear "We sold out - you would too." At least it'd be honest.
I am now boycotting oodreads until it removes itself from the fold of Amazon. SHAME ON GOODREADS.
Dear GR guys, If you read the comments, you will see that people are not happy and quite apprehensive about your merging. Books are instrumental in developing compassion and kindness. They are also powerful tools to deal with the aggressiveness of capitalism. Please remember, you exist because we do. Stay independent even in your affluence.
I'm kinda of split on what this means. I am an avid reader but I have a Nook device and usually buy my books from B&N. I am interested what this means for all users, not just the ones who choose to use Amazon.
Maybe someone will create a new Non-Amazon type Goodreads in the future. I'll gladly go there.I'm very upset. Amazon already censors and acts like Big Brother.
This is horrible news.
Douglas wrote: "Librarians at present give their work for free – at least as far as I'm aware – to improve the quality of the GoodReads database. I for one am most certainly not prepared to donate my time & work ..."
A-freakin'-men.
Zulfiya wrote: "Dear GR guys, If you read the comments, you will see that people are not happy and quite apprehensive about your merging. Books are instrumental in developing compassion and kindness. They are al..."
Well said.
I'm very sorry to hear this, if not really surprised.
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."My thoughts exactly. Thank you Mustafa
Great. More self-pubbed kindle crap spamming up my feed, I'm sure.Like I needed more reasons to not use this website. Get reading for the Amazon troll hoard and review censorship.
I DON'T want to merge my Amazon/GR experience. Next—Facebook merges with Walmart. What joy.
I just hope you don't change anything - Amazon ruined woot.com - I would hate to see a similar fate with the precious goodreads :(
This sounds like bad news to me. Amazon are like the Big Brother (George Orwell not Channel 4)of the reading world--and not in a good way. They delete reviews for books simply because readers didn't buy from Amazon and price fix books; price matching where they feel like it and selling at higher prices than other sites apparently out of spite.
Both Amazon and Goodreads have been good to this Indie author and are at the top of my promotional list. It sounds like perfect combo to me.Deborah Heal
I hope that Goodreads does not allow people to vote "no" and trash reviewers. That is a destructive element in Amazon. Please--no encouragement for trolls!
And we creep ever closer to the publishing singularity. Dun dun dunnnnnnnn.
I am completely stunned. As an independent bookseller, I have been a big supporter of Goodreads and use it to further connect with my own customers online. But there is no way that I can continue to do that if it is connected to Amazon and funneling more business in the book trade to them, and especially if the focus is on the Kindle (a device that is inherently unfriendly to competition in the book trade). I can't see how this decision was made with real interest in keeping literature independent or community-focused. I'm very sorry about the whole thing. Will Goodreads be providing easy means for users to download their personal data if we would like to quit before this full transition takes place?
It would be nice to choose to have a review appear on both sites. But I'd like to be able to choose some privacy if I want it. When I bought a Kindle and told Amazon to allow it to "share" with Twitter, it linked all my Amazon reviews to my public Twitter name--including stuff like reviews of nightgowns and underwear. Had to do some fierce backpedaling to keep that stuff separate. "Transparency" is okay but sometimes what we need is "invisibility!"
Well done and congratulations on this! Please include integration for the Kindle app on iOS! :)
I would prefer that my reviews NOT appear on Amazon. I would also love it if goodreads did NOT get flooded with suggestions for things we should buy or read. (I never look at the goodreads recommendations, either.) I love being able to interact with my friends around the topics of the books that they are reading. I hope hope hope our reviews will not be used by Amazon for commercial purposes and/or without our explicit permission each and every time. Thanks!
In Regards to Joining the Amazon FamilySince I was here about a year ago when the Amazon debacle went down and we librarians had to take on the huge task to rescue all those books that lost their information due to Amazon leaving, I see this news as a dreadful one.
Feature I would like to see get added
Since this seems final here is a request from a Kindle User. Add Goodreads as one of the share options on the kindle. If I highlight a passage on my Kindle I would rather share it with my Goodreads friends than with either Facebook or Twitter.
On that note, how about a form of GR-to-kindle sync where not only can we share passages if we please to, but that it can also be easier to update out challenge if the book is already on our currently reading list.
Since I received a Kindle update last night that basically re-designs the kindle UI, this shouldn't be too hard to implement. At least Amazon might be willing?
ETA
Never mind my question about Amazon buying GR, I just read the press release and Amazon has indeed acquired Goodreads... That is sad.
Cathy wrote: "So another good site succumbs to the lure of the big name...I hope the original purpose of Goodreads won't be lost. If it is, I'll return to pencil/paper to record my reading."I am with you on that one!
Angela wrote: "Not sure how I feel about this and I am an Amazon Customer. What I lOVE about GR is that it's truly crowd-sourced. Amazon is not a family- it's a profit making machine. Quoting Anne (message 33) "..."Yes. Ditto.
The only thing that's sad about this is that so many people are already packing up and getting ready to leave Goodreads just because they don't like the idea that Amazon is going to own it. I have a feeling the only thing that will change is that it'll be integrated with Kindle (which I think is a good thing!) and hopefully there will be more updates to the site to make it easier to use and whatnot! It's just like when a social network changes their layout/format every year or so, everyone hates it at first, but then they get used to it and forget that it was ever different.
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..."I agree.
First change..."Get A Copy" link. I doubt Amazon will be on board with the current set-up.
I hope all the mods and librarians quit, so Amazon can spend some of those billions paying for the work that would normally be done for free.
I hope all the mods and librarians quit, so Amazon can spend some of those billions paying for the work that would normally be done for free.
