Removing my books from Goodreads > Likes and Comments

Hello, I am unpublishing The Basilisk Trilogy (Technically Not Dead, Coded Humanity, and Web of Gold) on January 1st. I do have plans to republish it many years from now, but it will be entirely different, and these Goodreads listings will not be relevant.

To prevent confusion for my followers and readers, could we please delete these books from Goodreads?

What would be confusing would be if readers suddenly found books removed from their activity and history.

We don't remove out of print books. Please try to familiarise yourself with the mission of Goodreads. (It's not a store.)

Scott wrote: "What would be confusing would be if readers suddenly found books removed from their activity and history.

We don't remove out of print books. Please try to familiarise yourself with the mission of..."

I personally think it would be confusing to have a book in my activity and history that I've never read before, which is exactly what will happen if these books stay and I republish them in a few years, only to update the current listings with the new information. They will be under the same titles, but with an updated interior (plot, characters, names, arcs, etc), new covers, and the works. In short, readers will NOT have read those books.

I recognize that this is not a store, but is a cataloguing website, meant to reflect the books that a reader has read and enjoyed. Hence, my request for removing the books that will cease to exist as they are known to anyone.

Well, you're not the only one that reads your books (probably). If you don't want them in your activity, remove them from your activity. They will not be removed from Goodreads.

It’s not about my personal preference, it’s about clarity and organization. The titles must be freed up for the new books because the author (myself) and the titles will remain the same, but the books will be very different. They will not have been read by those readers, nor will reviews be relevant, nor will quotes be relevant, nor will anything else about the current listings be relevant. This is not as simple as adding an edition to the same listing. I ask that another Goodreads librarian review my request so that we can hopefully make an exception for my extenuating circumstances.

As for you, Scott, I don’t know why my request irritated you, but you are being highly unprofessional. I hope you’re not actually a Goodreads librarian because you are not representing anyone, including yourself, well.

These things may not be relevant to you, but they are relevant to readers.

I am simply telling you how it is. But yes, it is irritating when authors make demands that go against the core values of Goodreads because they do not bother to learn about the site or understand it, and when informed, continue to demand. It happens a lot.

The books will not be removed.

I’m sorry that your bias against authors made its way into this conversation. I am well aware of the “mission of Goodreads” and I fail to see anywhere that you clarified how my request goes against the “core values of Goodreads.”

I will be as clear as I can in this comment and then I will pursue other avenues since you are unwilling to help or have a reasonable conversation.

When I say, “relevant” I am referring to information that will no longer be pertinent to the books after the republication. It has nothing to do with reader sentimentality. There are, for example, reviews that have quotes from my books: After republication, it’s likely that those quotes will no longer exist, making that review irrelevant. I have quotes on my own profile, many if not all of which will no longer exist post overhaul. I could go on.

What would be most confusing to a new reader would be to come to Goodreads to post a review or a thought on a book they just read, only to find that the listing is filled with quotes and opinions on characters that no longer exist.

I would also like to say—in case you thought this had some bearing on my request—please note that the reviews on my books are overwhelmingly positive and understand that I do have some sentimentality attached to them. I have not put in this request to escape, but to do what is best for my community.

If you seek integrity and coherence, removing the books *is* the option most aligned with Goodreads’ mission to provide a comprehensive and up-to-date space for readers to connect over books they’ve enjoyed.

Actually, Goodreads' mission is to catalogue any book ever published, so that readers can keep track of them. Older books do not need to be brought "up to date." We do not remove them when newer versions appear.

What you are requesting would interfere with readers' activity and their reviews.