Goodreads Authors/Readers discussion
Are there any decent book discussion forums?
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Aloha; Lostedge,
I am a new author, and do not have any insight into the kind of discussion groups you mean; however, I too have been somewhat confused about many aspects of the Goodreads site. Perhaps you have some suggestions?
J. A. Stubbs
I too, find Goodreads difficult to navigate sometimes. I wish there was a better way for me to find bookclubs to offer my book to for discussion, but Goodreads prohibits this.
Lostedge wrote: "Goodreads.com is great for finding a book that fits your taste. On the other hand the community forums/discussion groups are a mess: There are thousands of subgroups that nobody reads, and the gene..."Lostedge,
Click on the Community heading and select Groups. You will be able to locate some that are dedicated exclusively to readers wishing to participate in serious discussions about books they have read and to share information and recommendations with other avid readers. These groups strictly prohibit blatant or cleverly disguised self promotion and marketing by authors. Attempts to do so are quickly deleted and the violator is removed and permanently banned from the group.
On the other hand, there are some groups that cater exclusively to authors who can promote and market their books to each other as much and as often as they like.
Many groups cater to both readers and authors, but limit promotion exclusively to the thread dedicated for that purpose.
Whatever type of group you are looking for, a cursory search will find it among all the groups listed.
Lodstedge, I think a lot depends on your interests. What types of books do you like to read? I see you are currently a member of only three groups. For general books, I recommend "Constant Reader" and "Book Nook Café."
J. A. wrote: "Aloha; Lostedge,
I am a new author, and do not have any insight into the kind of discussion groups you mean; however, I too have been somewhat confused about many aspects of the Goodreads site...."
J.A. Goodreads is not an easy site to navigate. Discussion Groups tend to wander and ramble all over the planet! A discussion about a book or any specific author is very difficult to find. There are a lot of books, and a lot of authors, but Goodreads as a forum for finding and discussing books and authors is not the right place to go.
Effie wrote: "I too, find Goodreads difficult to navigate sometimes. I wish there was a better way for me to find bookclubs to offer my book to for discussion, but Goodreads prohibits this."You are not the only author to think this, Effie. I'm with you.
Thanks, Doug. Authors shouldn't be obnoxious, constantly promoting and not getting involved in other discussion. I understand that bookclubs could get annoyed. However, I have to believe that there are book clubs that would welcome an introduction to a new author and the chance to receive a complimentary copy for its members to read and discuss.
You would think so, Effie. I've tried contacting several, without any success. I have had a couple of bookclubs read and discuss my first book ('Between Two Harbors'), but I've not had any interest with my second book ('Five Weeks to Jamaica'), even though I think it would be a more interesting and stimulating book to discuss and review. As I mentioned, I just don't think Goodreads has the right forums or group discussions to help connect with readers.
It's too bad. It's such a huge site. It should be more than just about finding books. I've gotten in on some discussions but they always take a turn in another direction.
When I saw this thread on my feed and read your comment I was kind of shocked. I've been a member of Goodreads since 2011 and I think the setup for groups and forums is one of the best around. In fact I can't stand sites that use basic forums such as KindleBoards which I find confusing and quite a mess. Not to mention forums use of html also makes it sloppy and annoying.A person can join any group they like, comment on which ever thread they like and post their own..I'm not sure why it is you find it confusing or messy. Perhaps your used to the basic forum setup they have on other sites?
Please don't take me comments as a shot as I mean no offense, I'm merely just like to know what specifically it is about this site you don't like.
I'm not offended and I'm not putting down goodreads. In fact, I hang around here more than any other book or author site. My critique partner like k-boards and is always telling me to go on there, but I don't like the site very much at all. K-boards is actually easier to navigate though.Sometimes, I find it difficult to figure out how to do certain things on Goodreads. other authors have said the same. I've hit some discussions that were terrific and helpful.
I find it hard as an author to promote a book on this site. There are so many rules. I understand though. Too much book marketing can get annoying to readers.
I have jumped in on a few good book discussions. Some things just baffle me, though. Like listopia. I'm not sure how it works or what it's good for. I remember adding my book to a couple of lists. Now I can't because the rules have changed. With all that said, i learn more every day, and I do come on each day to see if anything interesting is going on.
I think Goodreads is the best out there!
Effie wrote: "I'm not offended and I'm not putting down goodreads. In fact, I hang around here more than any other book or author site. My critique partner like k-boards and is always telling me to go on there, ..."I fully agree with this. I like the site as a reader, mainly because I can keep a record of what I read, a list of books to be read and access reviews. I don't promote much, as it's not that kind of venue.
But navigating the site to find discussions is a nightmare of frustration and requires a great deal of patience. You can't even search for discussions unless you are in a group! It's like the early antiquated days of the internet, when sites were still clunky and awkward, which is a shame as Goodreads is a fantastic resource and could potentially become the best book discussion site on the internet.
The format for discussions used by K-boards and several other groups I belong to is much better and far easier to navigate. Instead of having to go into each group separately, you can see them all listed and move between them with ease.
Sorry if that came a across as a rant. I suppose it was...
I find groups that are new to me and discussions in my Friends feed. You can click on discussions in your Friends feed even if you're not a member of the group. You do need to be a member to post.
Doug wrote: "Effie wrote: "I too, find Goodreads difficult to navigate sometimes. I wish there was a better way for me to find bookclubs to offer my book to for discussion, but Goodreads prohibits this."You ar..."
Me too. I find it almost impossible to navigate. I'm here because I often can't post reviews on Amazon owing to their £50 rule, and so I post them here.
I'm also having trouble navigating Goodreads. Is there a simple way to find your reviews after you post them, or to see if anyone has read them?
This must be the most non-intuitive site ever. It's a brilliant idea, but couldn't it be made easier to navigate? I'd use it more if it were easier.
I do agree that the number of posts is staggering and sorting through for what you want takes some doing.
Unfortunately, far too many self-published authors utilize the Book Discussion Forums to only promote and comment upon books they themselves have written - no others.There are self-promotion discussion topics listed within nearly all the various discussion groups which are intended exclusively for that purpose. For whatever reason, some insist upon utilizing every topic, regardless of intent, for self-promotion.
It is nice that you can form your own group, but there should be a main category for discussions. So are there any decent large book discussion/recommendation forums that follow the traditional forum format? Sorry, if I am rustling someone jimmies but this layout is just crap ...