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Now You Can Preview Books on Goodreads! (U.S. Members)
Don’t judge a book by its cover…judge it by what’s inside with our new Preview feature, which launches today! With Preview, you can sample the story before committing to the whole book. Now our U.S. members can get a taste of their next amazing read right on the Goodreads website.
Preview is easy to use. You’ll find the "Open Preview" button on the book page of any of the millions of titles that have a Kindle edition.
Click on the “Open Preview” button and a sample of the book will open up inside Goodreads, using the Kindle Cloud Reader. If you like what you see, you can add the title to your Goodreads “Want to Read” shelf. If you’re ready to buy, there’s a link to purchase it on Amazon, or you can use the links on the book page to other online retailers.
Preview is only available on the Goodreads.com website for members in the U.S. (You will need to be using Goodreads on your computer/laptop. It is not yet accessible in other countries, via mobile web, or our apps.)
Want to check out our new Preview feature? Read samples of our Best Books of August, a list of the best books of the month that Goodreads members are reading and loving.
Happy Previewing!
Preview is easy to use. You’ll find the "Open Preview" button on the book page of any of the millions of titles that have a Kindle edition.
Click on the “Open Preview” button and a sample of the book will open up inside Goodreads, using the Kindle Cloud Reader. If you like what you see, you can add the title to your Goodreads “Want to Read” shelf. If you’re ready to buy, there’s a link to purchase it on Amazon, or you can use the links on the book page to other online retailers.
Preview is only available on the Goodreads.com website for members in the U.S. (You will need to be using Goodreads on your computer/laptop. It is not yet accessible in other countries, via mobile web, or our apps.)
Want to check out our new Preview feature? Read samples of our Best Books of August, a list of the best books of the month that Goodreads members are reading and loving.
Happy Previewing!
Comments Showing 1-50 of 106 (106 new)
message 1:
by
Alenka
(new)
Aug 28, 2014 01:44PM
Is this feature available to the American viewers only?
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Yup, it's obvious. There is no "preview" button here.
Hey all - this is only available for U.S. members at the moment. However, we would love to bring Preview to all of our members in different countries, and will hopefully be able to do this in future releases. I'm sorry about the wait! We'll be sure to let you know when this is available for your location.
What others are saying: Why only U.S? I hope this will be available for Europe soon.
That is so cool! :DLooking forward to it!
Mehsi wrote: "What others are saying: Why only U.S? I hope this will be available for Europe soon."
Copyright/legal issues, I'm assuming.
Not just America. Or Europe. Make it GLOBAL. And soon Pleeeease! :/
Why the hell is it just for US members? I really would like to hear the reason o.O
Hmm. I'm in the US, looking at the kindle version of this book: Under Witch Moon I don't see a preview button?
Maria wrote: "Hmm. I'm in the US, looking at the kindle version of this book: Under Witch Moon I don't see a preview button?"I do. It says "Open Preview" in a colored box below the green box that is below the cover photo. All on the left hand side.
Kristy wrote: "Maria wrote: "Hmm. I'm in the US, looking at the kindle version of this book: Under Witch Moon I don't see a preview button?"I do. It says "Open Preview" in a colored box below ..."
But I'm in the US and don't see it. I wonder if that is because I own it? I'm going to try it with a book not on my read shelf.
P.S. Thank you for looking at it for me!
I love this! Best feature ever! Great job GR's!!
Kristy wrote: "Maria wrote: "Hmm. I'm in the US, looking at the kindle version of this book: Under Witch Moon I don't see a preview button?"I do. It says "Open Preview" in a colored box below ..."
Okay, I see it. I think it was because I went through my own page and clicked. When I clicked on the link I made above, it was there. I checked another book and it looked like it didn't have it, but when I searched on the book and it came up in the search it did have the preview. Thanks! Appreciate it!
Maria wrote: "Kristy wrote: "Maria wrote: "Hmm. I'm in the US, looking at the kindle version of this book: Under Witch Moon I don't see a preview button?"I do. It says "Open Preview" in a col..."
Glad to hear that you can see this now! If you are signed in to your Goodreads account, you should be able to see the "Open Preview" button, even if you already own the book.
Come on I live in Canada this sucks. Why only America? What's so special about the US?
Amy wrote: "Come on I live in Canada this sucks. Why only America? What's so special about the US?" Amazon always rolls out in one country to start and it's almost always the US with Amazon. I'm guessing that since Amazon now own GR, they chose to roll out in pieces just like always and they always start with the US. In the past they add other countries pretty quickly (but also one at a time).
yay, previews! :DBut only America? >.> I live in it, but...
This book is the best book I have read. I would recommend this book to everyone. A MUST read.Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
I agree with those users who want to make this feature global (and I'm in the US). This should be for everyone, but, as Aubrey pointed out, it seems that there's a copyright issue here preventing them from branching out to other countries.It is quite shocking, however, to see some people's inability to understand a simple heading: the announcement says "US members"; the description, again, says "for members in the US". And people ask "Is this for US only?"
Seriously? It's unbelievable that those questions are coming from so-called readers.
Holy shit.
Tsunami wrote: "I agree with those users who want to make this feature global (and I'm in the US). This should be for everyone, but, as Aubrey pointed out, it seems that there's a copyright issue here preventing t..."I was thinking the same thing. :)
Nice feature! Let's hope it goes global soon!
Perhaps they are expressing their disappointment that yet again this service is just for US readers - special people?I doubt it not being available to others has much to do with copyright as it is the equivalent of Amazon's 'look inside' feature which is not geographically restricted.
Not living in either US or UK we are still not able to add books purchased on Amazon. Suprising how long it takes to make this available in these times of high technology in a global world.
Well, I do remember trying to buy an Australian e-book.The publisher was Penguin Australia, and they didn't allow me to purchase it because of the darn "sales restrictions".
Hopefully they'll work on this issue instead of letting it get cold and forget about it.
Tsunami wrote: "Well, I do remember trying to buy an Australian e-book.The publisher was Penguin Australia, and they didn't allow me to purchase it because of the darn "sales restrictions".
Hopefully they'll work..."
Yes Tsunami, I do too. It seems to me so stupid restricting sales in this way. Why do authors not want their work read by as many as possible. And yes, I know authors say it's the publishers who put the restrictions on, but let me point out that the authors sign the contracts with those clauses in them!
Working in a library I hear all the creative excuses from geographic restriction through to why ebooks are bad and it's really all total nonsense, just as the arguments that occurred when books begun being published in paperback. It occurs to me if they were to published a volume of all their excuses they could make a bestseller in the believe it or not category.
Ella's Gran wrote: "Yes Tsunami, I do too. It seems to me so stupid restricting sales in this way. Why do authors not want their work read by as many as possible. And yes, I know authors say it's the publishers who put the restrictions on, but let me point out that the authors sign the contracts with those clauses in them!Working in a library I hear all the creative excuses from geographic restriction through to why ebooks are bad and it's really all total nonsense, just as the arguments that occurred when books begun being published..."
Same here. Every time I inquired about that "geographic restriction" bollocks I plowed into a wall of stutters.
To me, that's the equivalent of saying "we don't want your money", and unless you're running a charity center, I don't see how that's beneficial for business.
Long ago I tried to buy This is Shyness (not published by Penguin) and they didn't authorise the purchase due to geographic restrictions. What's wrong with my money that you don't want it? Is it not shiny enough, is it too hard-earned?
What?
And it was a pretty inflationary price, too. Almost $20--crazy for an ebook, but you know, the heart wants what the hearts wants.
A volume of all the excuses would be boss, but one of us won't be able to buy it due to geographic restrictions...
Pff! as always they forget the other countries :( God, I hate that :/
As an American, I offer my apologies. (Doesn't help, but I feel bad...)
Randolph wrote: "It has to do with copyrights in different parts of the world."Well how is Amazon can let you have a preview no matter where you live. Furthermore, if I want to by the same book but in print I can no matter where I live and this book is still governed by the copyright it was published under BUT I CAN READ IT! It's all piffle.
Thanks, Goodreads, for a fun feature. :)
This is a fantastic feature! Thank you! I almost always check out the preview sample on Amazon before purchasing a book. It's nice to now have everything available here instead.
Is Goodreads becoming more and more U.S. centric??Lately it seems too be the case... well I would suggest amazon to simply block entire world and give services only to U.S.
Thanks.
or Next time, give announcement to U.S. Members only!
Really? that is so annoying. How come this didn't come out for everyone else?
Oh come on!! Be fair to all the readers all around the world!! *pretty please...* :)
Thank you for finally adding "US members" to the title. This makes it easier for the huge amount of people who aren't in the US to figure out if the news are relevant to them.At last someone listened.
Even if it still makes no sense why Amazon doesn't extend their preview rights to Goodreads for more regions at once. The preview feature exits different country versions of Amazon.
Baby steps.
And yeah, I'm not on some German booksite because most of my books are in English. Makes no sense to join a site that doesn't have the books or book editions I read.
I don't understand the copyright-point.If I want to read a preview of an US-book the copyrights still lies in the US. But I don't have the button on this US-books because I'm living somewhere else.
It doesn't really makes sense.
I understand that there are problems with books in foreign languages and the copyright. But I read most books in english, so why is there a restriction? Hmm.
Sandee (The Whimsical Reader) wrote: "Oh come on!! Be fair to all the readers all around the world!! *pretty please...* :)"You can always just receive a sample from amazon of a certain book?
Aubrey wrote: "Mehsi wrote: "What others are saying: Why only U.S? I hope this will be available for Europe soon."
Copyright/legal issues, I'm assuming."
I am assuming that too, I just wish they would tackle all of those before releasing it only to one region.
How come people aren't just using amazon for the preview part? I mean, instead of complaining about it find some solutions instead. There's samples available for most books on amazon people!
I am also using Amazon, but I would like to have it on Goodreads too. Makes it way easier. :)And not all books have previews on Amazon. :)
Because US is the only country in the world! #Sigh
Beacous they are thinkindg about what to do ..........not yet
You would think it would be available to other North American users. I only live 2 hours from the nearest USA border crossing into Canada.
