Tags, Lists, Shelves, etc.

[Karin]

I've worked my way through various FAQs and I'm still confused. I write transgender fiction, primarily YA. Yet my books don't turn up on any searches with those terms. Did I understand correctly that I, the author, am prevented from providing the appropriate Tags as to my Genre? I'm not talking about Groups or Booklists necessarily, but search terms.

My fiction should be classified, tagged, etc. exactly the same as Luna, by Julie Anne Peters, since our books are the same genre, age group, and so on. Over on the right of Luna's page, under Genres, is Young Adult, GLBT, Fiction, and GLBT>Queer. (I would hope that my books and Luna would also be tagged as Transgender or Trans, Trans YA, etc.) Are those only there because readers put them in the categories? What if they're wrong (putting Gone With The Wind in Historical Non-Fiction?)

As an author, Amazon asks me to provide the categories and tags for my work. Doesn't Goodreads automatically apply those same tags? I just want readers to be able to find my books.

Thank you!
Karin

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

You can shelve your books with those shelf names.

[Karin]

Thank you!

But, um ... how do I shelve them with those (or other) names?

I'm sorry to be such a chowderhead on this!

Karin

[Zoey]

Doesn't Goodreads automatically apply those same tags? No, Goodreads doesnt use tags. Genres are crowd sourced by how readers shelve their books. The more readers who shelve your book as a particular "genre" the more likely it is to appear on the right sight of the book page. (I think it needs at least 2 different members to shelve books for them to appear) As Elizabeth said above, if you shelve your books under particular genres you want to appear, this will help

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

This is not a librarian issue, and should really be addressed in the feedback group. However, this help topic may be of use:

https://www.goodreads.com/help/show/1...

[Karin]

Thank you, but the "Author shelving" process is done by me doing what, exactly? From Dashboard, the book's page Edit Details ...

So I should go through each book and shelve it (counting as one shelf, hoping for someone else to shelve it so it will appear)? I'm certainly willing to do that, but I tried one method (obviously wrong) and it said authors weren't permitted to shelve their own works!

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

Try using your regular member profile. I'm not an author, this is not a librarians issue.

[Karin]

Sorry! I'll follow the link. By the way; I recently updated all the covers of my books and I bless all of you librarians for your hard work (and putting up with me!)