Historical Fictionistas discussion
Group Information Folder
>
Group Rules and Information
Thanks for this. I heartily agree. I was put off by a negative comment when I was introducing myself and have not come back but I am a reader and love to hear about historical fiction and join in with discussions. I will try it again. Keep up the good work.
Well done. Thank you mods for your hard work.
I have a question. If a reader is a blogger and has blogged about a book we're discussing, if the reader links to the specific review on his or her blog on the discussion thread would that be considered advertising the blog? I'm asking because this might come up for me in the future.
Mod
Hmm... I would say yes, it would be advertising per our definition, but I'd say that we'd allow it since it would be relevant to the discussion.
We tried to think of everything, but there are of course going to be situations we didn't think of, like that one.
Yes, this is very good: much clearer than before. I appreciate the hard work you put into updating the rules. This all makes sense to me.You mention that you plan to repurpose the Goodreads Author Zone folder (which I think is a good idea, along the lines you propose). Will you move existing posts there into the new folders, assuming they are still current? Just curious.
Mod
The GR Author Zone folder is ready for new threads, so feel free to start one. :)
Mod
Thanks JoLene!
Thank you :) I love the way everything seems to be sorted out. Makes it so much easier (I hate to break rules, even by mistake :D)
Hi Everyone. I have been a member of this group for quite a long time but I've never introduced myself and have mostly been reading the posts and getting tons of recomendations. I will introduce myself asap. I just wanted to comment on these rules...I think that they are Great!!! And I just wanted to let you know that I've never voted on any of the polls...since I haven't been really involved. I hope to change that soon and be more active.
Agreed, it's great, and clear too. Keeps for us the opportunity for writerly discussions -- that's what an Author Zone is, while advertising is Advertising.
Well solved.
I like the way you made everything so clear. I am someone who would NEVER walk on the grass, etc. & I was so afraid I'd break a rule unintentionally. I love the discussions. Thanks.
Mod
I think a group of readers who gear toward HF are the LAST ones who will object to a long read!
Mod
This is great, Becky, Jackie and JoLene.I especially welcome the guidelines for advertising and the number 2 item under Exceptions, “If your book is specifically relevant to a member request for recommendations, you may recommend it”, which sets out clearly what an author may and may not do. Previously, I was unsure of the rules on this.
Also the spam explanation is clear and precise.
However, is there a software glitch with regard to the changed focus Goodreads Author Zone? I clicked on the link and there is a message saying: “This topic has been closed to new comments.”
Otherwise, well done all!
Ian, that particular thread for Goodreads Author Zone is closed, but the folder is open for new topics. If you have something to contribute feel free to add a new thread under the folder.
So, I don't click on "* The NEW purpose of this folder". I click on new topic. I see. Took me a little while but . . . :-)Thanks, Jackie
Thanks for the new explanations/rules. I very much appreciate the hard work the mods put in to keep this place friendly, civil and useful!
Great work. I'm sorry that it was necessary to spell this out, but I believe the group will benefit from your hard work. Thanks,Martha
Kate wrote: "I think a group of readers who gear toward HF are the LAST ones who will object to a long read!"an astute observation, Kate. LOL.
As an new author who is a member of this group, I support the group's need to clarify its rules of operation. I am very pleased to be a member of Goodreads and this group. The Goodreads site offers tremendous opportunities for readers to communicate directly with, and learn from authors, and for authors to communicate with, and learn from readers. It is a positive step to specify where your group would like authors to post items you consider "advertising." On the other hand, insisting that there need to be 25 posts about reading before an author can post advertising, or that authors should not discuss marketing specifics with each other in a genre reading group such as this--- both seem unfriendly, given that the primary focus of authors and readers is not the same.
I am not saying that authors do not read. But,an author who belongs to numerous groups on Goodreads is unlikely to read all/many of the books selected each month by the respective groups to which they belong. Why? Authors are working 12/7 in many cases, trying to balance the demands of the actual writing of books, the production of books, and all the marketing/social media activities they need to do ---these days increasingly on their own. Likewise, it seems appropriate that the members of any reading group do not feel obligated to read books produced by author members of that group, unless a book is selected for the group's reading.
Here is an example for you to consider---as to whether an author's posting is useful information or spam. Let's imagine that a Goodreads author sponsored a giveaway of their historical fiction book and 1300+ readers registered. (This level is double the Goodreads average.) Of those, 600+ placed the book on their TO READ list. A few weeks later, the author is planning a 2-day free eBook giveaway on Amazon. If you are one of those 600+ readers, wouldn't you appreciate being alerted that the book will be free during certain days? From my perspective as an author AND a reader who has a small TO READ list, I would consider this an act of reaching out to readers who have already expressed interest---rather than spamming with disregard. What do you think?
Mod
If an author's 'primary focus' is to advertise and not participate in the group otherwise, then this is the wrong group for them. We don't feel that asking authors to participate in the group is unreasonable or unfriendly, as you put it.
We allow advertising here. We're not obligated to provide a billboard to authors trying to find new readers or sell books, though generally both things are happy side effects of being in a book discussion group. But it is not our purpose. This group is here to provide a space for people to discuss books. That is our primary focus, and should be the primary focus of any member joining this group as well.
Bernice, we do realize and appreciate the fact that many of our author members take the time out of their busy schedule to read and post in our group. We show that appreciation in turn by allowing authors a space to advertise in the appropriate place. We also run a Featured Author Group Read roughly 3-4 times a year that features books written by our active (25+ posts) members. We also try to incorporate a task into our challenges that promote those participating authors. Technically, by GoodReads rules all groups set up their own rules, therefore we don't have to allow any kind of advertising in the group. We don't want to go that route though, because like I said we appreciate all the hard work authors put in. We also enjoy many of the discussions we've had with authors. I think I can comfortably say that our regular members find them enlightening, particularly those discussions centered around research.With that said, this group is not a billboard and our members are not walking wallets and shouldn't be treated as such. We've run into the problem with authors blatantly spamming conversations and creating threads without contributing anything to the group...not even an introduction to who they are. It's equivalent to a salesman barging into a conversation between you and a friend to tell you about their awesome product they're selling for $2.99 and how you must buy it now. Not only is it rude and spammy, but it leaves a bad impression on many people. Why would I want to support a rude author who only sees me as a walking dollar sign? I rather support an author who has taken the time to discuss with members whatever knowledge they have on a particular topic, what books they recommend, etc. A lot of people on GR feel this way as well. This is the reason why I always recommend to authors to introduce themselves as a reader first and an author second. I know authors want to sell books right away, but people are more responsive when they get to know an author first. 25 posts is really not that hard to achieve. You don't even have to read the monthly group books. We have several threads that are generic threads where people can contribute to the conversation. As you contribute members will check out your profile and most likely add your books to their To-Read list.
We debated over the issue of not allowing authors to discuss marketing tactics here. We came to the conclusion that we really want the group to focus on historical fiction discussions because really that is the purpose of the group. This group is not here to serve the needs of authors. The group was originally created with readers in mind and how we wanted to get better recommendations and have discussions about historical fiction. Having a marketing section really takes away from our purpose as group. There are also many great groups that already addresses the needs of authors, so our group really doesn't have to fulfill this need.
Mod
Not to jump on the band-wagon here, but we did a poll of our members and more than 50% indicated that advertising by ACTIVE members was preferred, so this is also the preference from the group members.
Mod
To be clear: Authors CAN nominate their own books if the book is specifically relevant to the group read theme.
These new rules seem straightforward. There are indeed other groups that address authors' needs,and conversations about marketing, etc., should take place there.
Mod
Where can I find out what the next month's book(s) is. Specifically, for Feb 2013?
Sandra wrote: "Where can I find out what the next month's book(s) is. Specifically, for Feb 2013?"Sandra, do you mean the group read? If so, we don't have one for February. We had sign ups for a Valentine Buddy read. Whoever signed up was partnered and then they chose a book to read with their partner.
yes, the group read. So I guess there is none, only the Valentine Buddy read? I just joined the group yesterday.
Yes, that's correct. If you like you can join in the discussion for January's read- The Shoemaker's Wife. We don't close the thread and there is no timeline for the discussion.
I can't decide whether I'm a reader who writes, or a writer who reads, but either way I dislike seeing blatant advertising and self-promotion where they have no "reason to be". I love meeting other writers and finding new "must reads" (for my 1100+ to-be-read list), but frankly if my first introduction to them is blatant self-marketing, I'm not likely to go look up their work. *IF* however, their book does fit into the current discussion it's a different animal. I'm usually intrigued. I admit that I am a little overwhelmed by Goodreads. I've reviewed books here for ages, and have dabbled in the forums when I had time but I've always felt it impossible to keep up with any of the groups (and I admit that I joined too many long ago and finally just started deleting instead of reading because I couldn't keep up. I recently dropped all of the old groups I'd belonged to and rejoined others that hopefully will be more enjoyment and less stress. This is supposed to be for fun, after all! As the owner of a large online forum I know the headaches of being a moderator/owner. Thanks for "being here" and keep up what appears to me so far to be "the good work". I've already met some very lovely people "in here" and looking forward to meeting more. (Is there any list anywhere that has locations of members? I'm in Northeast Alabama and always hoping to find neighbors.)
Bobbye wrote: "I can't decide whether I'm a reader who writes, or a writer who reads, but either way I dislike seeing blatant advertising and self-promotion where they have no "reason to be". I love meeting other..."Hi, Bobbye! Is north Georgia close enough to be neighbors?
Can anyone tell what the etiquette is for recommending a book via the 'recommend book' button on someone's profile page. I've come across a few people while browsing discussions who I think would be interested in my own book. Is it ok to promote it in this way?
Hilda wrote: "Can anyone tell what the etiquette is for recommending a book via the 'recommend book' button on someone's profile page. I've come across a few people while browsing discussions who I think would b..."As a long time GR user I've observed that many people don't appreciate having an author recommend their own book in this manner. It comes off as spam and your recommendation is liable to get flagged as such, even if you are not intentionally spamming.
This isn't so much a group question as a Goodreads question. To answer for myself, I'd only be upset if advertised to in this way. For better info, go here - Goodreads' author guidelines: http://www.goodreads.com/author/guide...
Hilda wrote: "Can anyone tell what the etiquette is for recommending a book via the 'recommend book' button on someone's profile page. I've come across a few people while browsing discussions who I think would b..."I tend to be very careful about recommending my own book to strangers. If I have already established a relationship with the person in other groups, maybe. Although even then, I think that if the person knows I am an author, GR makes it very easy to find out what I write.
So I would recommend my own book only if the request was extremely specific (I'm looking for books featuring time travel to the world of the Scarlet Pimpernel, or I'm desperate for a novel with a steppe heroine, say). Otherwise, I recommend only other people's books, because as a reader I would automatically ignore or ban the recommending author.
My two cents.
Thanks for the comments. Now that I think about it I can see the sense in what you're saying.
Hilda, I've been trying to find the name of your book since you first started posting - my mobile app won't pull you up. Please help, even if off- list. Thanks.
Abbey wrote: "Hilda, I've been trying to find the name of your book since you first started posting - my mobile app won't pull you up. Please help, even if off- list. Thanks."Thanks for your interest, Abbey. I've sent you a message.
Are authors allowed to post their book trailers in the video section of the group?
Mod
We feel that it would clutter up the group homepage, and also that it would be unfair if there are small press/independent authors who might not have the resources to make a book trailer/video, and we want to be fair and support all of the authors in the group equally.
I am new and I have read the Rules, which seem pretty clear. Looking forward to interesting conversations.
Stacielynn wrote: "I am new and I have read the Rules, which seem pretty clear. Looking forward to interesting conversations."Hi, Stacielynn. Welcome to the group!
I am new to this group and I certainly do not want to overstep the boundaries! I love historical fiction and, once I enter 25 comments, I will mention my own book. In the meantime, I will certainly follow your group avidly and look up the books that you like!
I remember the first day I learned to read (It was Dick and Jane and the word was "LOOK"). And from that point on I have read every chance I get! Historical fiction, in particular historical romance, is my favorite genre, but I will give anything a try!
Welcome, Dorothy! Looking forward to hearing more from another HF reader/writer!
Thank you so much for taking the time to explain the etiquette clearly. As both a reader and new Goodreads author of HF it's a learning curve - look forward to participating in the group.
Historical Fictionistas
Books mentioned in this topic
The Wolf and The Willow (other topics)The House on Tenafly Road (other topics)
The Shoemaker's Wife (other topics)
What Is Our Purpose?
Historical Fictionistas (HF) was created to provide a virtual space for discussions of historical and period fiction with people who share our interests. Our members have a variety of perspectives & backgrounds, from historians to pure enthusiasts. Authors are welcome in HF, and we support authors in many ways, including periodical Featured Author Group Reads, but the group is primarily geared towards readers. Authors should join and participate in the group as a reader first.
Who Are Our Moderators?
Becky - Group Creator & Group Read Mod
Jackie - Co-Group Read Mod
JoLene - Group Challenge Mod
We work hard to ensure that HF offers a discussion and book-focused experience for our members. We love the group, but we are volunteers, so response time in some threads can vary, depending on our schedules. Any pressing group issues that need addressing can be raised in the Group Related Comments, Questions or Suggestions? thread, or sent to any of the three of us via private message.
What Are Our Rules?
1) KEEP IT CIVIL.
1. Disagreements and differences of opinion are fine and welcome, as long as they do not descend to personal attacks. All viewpoints are welcome, but no matter how strongly felt our disagreement may be, with either idea or person, it must be expressed with basic respect for the group, and for other participants. All the common-sense limitations apply: no name-calling, and no hate speech that singles out racial, religious, ethnic, sexual/gender, sexual orientation, or political groups, no insults.
2) MARK ALL SPOILERS.
Please mark all spoilers in any discussion topic or post. If you are unsure whether the detail is a spoiler, err on the side of caution and post a warning.
To hide a spoiler using HTML:
[spoiler] place text here [/spoiler]
Replace [ ] with < >
3) DO NOT MANIPULATE NOMINATIONS OR POLLS.
It is not acceptable to create fake accounts to nominate books or vote in polls. It is not acceptable to invite people to the site and/or HF for the sole purpose of nominating a book or voting for a book in a poll. It is not acceptable to ask for votes or influence the poll in any way, EXCEPT discussion in the nomination thread/poll comments. If we feel that a group read poll has been manipulated, the book in question will be disqualified, and the user(s) may be removed from the group. If we feel that the user(s) are fake accounts, these will also be reported to Goodreads for further review.
To aid in preventing poll manipulation, the group will be made private for the duration of the poll, to ensure that only current group members are able to vote. After the poll ends, the group will be made public again.
4) ADVERTISING
In an effort to make these rules as clear as possible, we consider all of the following to be advertising (allowed when following the guidelines below):
• Mentioning one’s books by title
• Linking to one’s books, either here on Goodreads, or on other sites, either via text or image
• Linking to one’s website, including blogs
• Advertising for Goodreads or Blog hosted giveaways, promotions, free books, or sales
Advertising and/or Self-promotion is allowed ONLY when the following circumstances are met:
- You are an active and participating member in the group. This means that you participate in group discussions or challenges, and have made a MINIMUM of 25 posts in the group, not including advertising or self-promotion posts.
The following will be considered spam (NOT allowed at any time):
• Author marketing discussions, including tips & tricks
• Review Swap Requests
• Author stats (anything from Amazon sales rank to NYT Bestseller List placement) etc
• Using any banners or signatures
• Phishing or other generally recognized spam (Any user caught phishing etc will be deleted and blocked immediately.)
• Linking or embedding videos pertaining to one's books, including in the videos section of the group.
With three exceptions (below), ALL advertising or promotion must be posted in the "Advertising and Promotions" folder, in one of the three available threads. Choose the one that is closest to the purpose of your post:
• Contests & Giveaways - Advertise blog contests or GR giveaways
• Deals & Discounts - Amazon discounts, reduced rate e-books, discount codes, sales, etc.
• News & Upcoming Releases - Advertise when we can expect a new book release or other news, etc.
Exceptions:
1. An initial introductory comment (for new members only) stating that you are an author or blogger, etc, is allowed.
2. If your book is specifically relevant to a member request for recommendations or a group read nomination round, you may recommend/nominate it. Otherwise, recommending your book will be considered spam and the post will be deleted. By "specifically relevant" we mean that your book must share characteristics that the asker is looking for, IN ADDITION to genre or sub-genre (Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Historical Fantasy, Historical PNR, etc).
3. Discussions mentioning your own books in the Author Zone folder will not be deleted as a general rule, unless the thread or post contains spam that we do not permit in the group - see below.
How To Tell How Many Comments You've Made in The Group:
1) Find yourself in the member list (located in the menu at the top right of the group homepage). You will see how many comments you've made, which is also a link that will take you to your group comment history.
2) Find a comment you've posted in a thread in the group, and hover your mouse over your picture. You will see a popups with a link to your comment history in the group.
Authors in the Group
Authors in the group have a folder for their use, the Goodreads Author Zone. This was previously the only "approved" place for authors to advertise, but we are changing the focus of this folder in order to allow a place for authors to discuss their work, writing, research, etc.
This folder is available for any topic of discussion, EXCEPT marketing, how to improve sales, or author stats, etc. This folder should not be used for requesting reviews, or for review swapping.
When and How Do I Start a New Discussion Thread?
We welcome any discussion topic that is relevant to Historical or Period Fiction.
First, search for the topic to determine whether a similar thread already exists. There are two ways to search:
1 - Use the search function on the homepage to search for the term entered in any thread in the group. Narrow down your results on the results page by toggling between searching all posts or searching only thread topics.
2- Click on the Folder Names on the group homepage to see additional topics. Only the first 5 topics in a folder will show, so older threads may be hidden.
• If you cannot find a thread devoted to the topic of interest to you, then create a new one, either by clicking on the "new" link, at the top right of the Discussion Board section, on the group homepage, or on the new topic link, at the top right of any given folder's page (accessible by clicking on the folder name)
• Give your new topic a name - something that will indicate to other group members, at a glance, what it contains - and assign it to the appropriate folder, using the folder descriptions above. Use the "This topic is about" feature if your thread is addressing a specific title or author.
• Post your comment!
Remember that a new discussion thread is only needed if one does not already exist. Also, please be aware that threads that are placed in the wrong folder - in one of the book-club folders, for instance - will be moved by moderators.
How Do Polls Work?
Polls are used to determine the Group Read selection for the group, as well as any miscellaneous group business as needed. When moderators create a poll, we will send out a broadcast message to group members via private message. It is then up to you to vote within the polling period. You can change your vote at any time during the poll by clicking the "Change your vote" link.
Only one poll displays on the group homepage at a time, so if there is more than one poll running, and you are trying to find the others, you will need to click on the Polls link, at the top right of the group homepage. Please be aware that polls are used for official group business only, and should only be set up by group moderators.
Again, if you have any questions that are not answered here, you can post them in the Group Related Comments, Questions or Suggestions? thread, or send them to any mod via private message.