Goodreads Librarians Group discussion
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[Closed] Added Books/Editions
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Adding NOOK and Smashwords
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The Smashwords edition was already added: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...I added the Kindle edition: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
We can't use the info from Barnes&Noble, but I could use the info from the link on the book's website and created the Barnes&Nobles/Nook edition: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
I do not understand how this has helped me, or readers, find my books. If I have the Amazon edition up, then they can't find the book as a Nook. If I have the Nook up. they can't find the Amazon book. They would have to understand the inner workings of "editions" to properly use the system. Librarians have no problem with that. Goodreads readers (and authors) have a tough time with it. I am very disappointed.
What do you mean? All your editions are here:https://www.goodreads.com/work/editio...
GR readers have no problems at all finding the edition that they want/have.
NB Librarians are Goodreads readers. Most are not actual librarians.
Temple wrote: "I do not understand how this has helped me, or readers, find my books. If I have the Amazon edition up, then they can't find the book as a Nook. If I have the Nook up. they can't find the Amazon book. They would have to understand the inner workings of "editions" to properly use the system. Librarians have no problem with that. Goodreads readers (and authors) have a tough time with it. I am very disappointed."I'm having trouble understanding what you would have liked to see. All the information/ISBNs/ASINs/covers etc. in one book record? Personally, I would find that very confusing. It's not just Goodreads that keeps different editions separate (but linked), all databases/libraries/bookshops/whatever do that.
Anyway, there only is room for one ISBN/ASIN/cover per book record on GR. Librarians did not design the system, so if you have any problems with it you should contact Support, or try the Feedback Group or Authors Feedback Group.
I know all the editions are on there. And I know they have all been done correctly. My point is this: let's say I set up a landing page in a blog post that points to my "default" page. The blog reader has a nook. The default page points at Amazon. The blog reader goes to "stores" and presses the B&N link. He gets nothing about my book. He lands on a generic page for B&N at best. The blog reader moves on. I have lost a sale. I only have 5 seconds to make the sale, and this reader, who would have bought the book, is gone, probably forever. That's my point. The Goodreads system works, but it requires too much work from good readers in this sort of world. I have been in marketing all my life, at ad agencies like Leo Burnett and Ogilvy Mather. I have been an editor at the Readers Digest. I know how easy it is to lose readers. That is why I find the system disappointing. It's brilliant for people who understand it. I am afraid most readers do not bother to understand it. Nor should they. Just my take. I've been wrong often in my life.
If readers are not familiar with Goodreads, that could indeed be a problem. The only way around that would be you explaining things on your blog, or posting links to the different editions, I guess.But as I said, librarians are not staff and don't have anything to do with the design of the site, so complaining at them is not going to help :-)
Feedback group: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
Author Feedback group: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
Support: support (at) goodreads (dot) com
Directing purchasers unfamiliar with Goodreads here expecting a sales landing page would indeed be a mistake. That is something much better handled by your own blog where you can add all the direct purchase buttons you want, and collect the affiliate income too.Here the buttons are customised per user, not per book. Therr is no way to know if I have an Amazon button at all (I do) or a bn one (I don't) or a button for Akademibokhandeln, which you have probably never heard of but likely have your books if they are available via the aggregators.
It helps to remember that Gr is not a store, it just adds the links as an extra affordance. The primary audience on Gr is people who already own or borrowed a book and are cataloguing that, and writing reviews. And Gr users generally learn pretty quickly how to navigate the editions in my experience, if they need to.
lethe wrote: "If readers are not familiar with Goodreads, that could indeed be a problem. The only way around that would be you explaining things on your blog, or posting links to the different editions, I guess..."Lethe:
I am so sorry you felt I was "complaining at you." E-mails are a cold medium. Your suggestion to have links for different devices is excellent, and I thank you for it.
Temple wrote: "I am so sorry you felt I was "complaining at you."."No, I meant at Arenda. And she's a very helpful, hardworking librarian, so I felt she didn't deserve it. :-)
Your suggestion to have links for different devices is excellent
Actually, Krazykiwi suggests cutting out the middle man (GR) altogether* and link directly to Amazon, B&N etc. from your blog. Even better! :-)
*Just to be totally clear: only for the direct purchase links on your blog!
Krazykiwi wrote: "Directing purchasers unfamiliar with Goodreads here expecting a sales landing page would indeed be a mistake. That is something much better handled by your own blog where you can add all the direct..."The existence of Goodreads Giveaways suggests that the role of Goodreads may go beyond the narrow scope you suggest. Nothing may be sold on Goodreads, but it remains a significant weigh station. I personally do not think an author's website and blog should try to sell books. Websites create tribes (usually camped around e-mail addresses). Fulfillment remains the job of Amazon, B&N, Smashwords, Kobo, Apple, och Akademibokhandeln (jag kan tala svenska ganska bra). Never assume. Sales, of course, are juiced by organizations such as ENT, Bookbub, LibraryBub, Fussy Librarian, etc. Books are successfully marketed horizontally, not vertically. Vilken harlig dag vi har i Florida.
I think it's a shame that the Goodreads structure cannot organize its dropdown buttons to work on all editions an author creates.
lethe wrote: "Temple wrote: "I am so sorry you felt I was "complaining at you."."No, I meant at Arenda. And she's a very helpful, hardworking librarian, so I felt she didn't deserve it. :-)
Your suggestion to..."
I did not mean to "complain at" anybody, Lethe. I am sorry that you feel that questioning the structure and value of an existing system amounts to "complaining at." I think the system can be fixed, and improved, and that will not occur if issues are not raised. I think we can end this conversation now. At the tender age of 73, I may be running out of time. When Descartes was asked what he would do if there were only a few days left, he supposedly said: "I'd write faster."
Temple wrote: "I did not mean to "complain at" anybody, Lethe."I understand that you didn't, and I'm glad you didn't. My last message (#10) was supposed to convey that, and if you misunderstood, then I am sorry for not being clearer, so I think we can say we are even.
And I will repeat that it is of no use to raise these issues in this group, because there is nobody here who can do anything about them.
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1) Barnes&Noble -- http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wrink...
2) Smashwords -- https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...