THE Group for Authors! discussion
General Discussion
>
Interacting as a reader/auhtor regarding book reviews
date
newest »
newest »
You need to do what's best for you Gary. Clearly you have a lot going on.To be honest, reading and reviewing other people's books may get you visibility with those authors. If selling books is your aim, is your market other authors?
if it isn't, then frankly, spending time, and/or money marketing to actual readers will be a better use of your time, in my opinion.
It's like posting your book details in a promo forum on Facebook. The only people in many of those are other authors. Who just like you, want to sell, not buy.
In general reading and reviewing the books of authors on GR is not likely to be productive in promoting your own books.However, being active as a reader of the genre of books covered by the group, and discussing them with the other members will make you part of the community, and once they find out that you are an author, some of them will take a look at your books.
What you are trying to do is to promote via word of mouth and recommendation. This is not the same as direct promotion or advertising, and will be a more gradual process. However, if your books are good, this can be more effective in the long run than paid advertising.
Barring the miraculous (e.g., Oprah recommending your book or Kim Kardashian saying your book saved her life) no single thing you do in promoting your book will make much of a difference. The hope is that, over time, the accumulated effect of hundreds of your efforts will start to generate some sales momentum. Even then it is a longshot. It's like screaming out in Times Square at midnight on New Year's Eve and expecting to be heard.
I've found that once you make friends on GR, targeted giveaways to individuals can work quite well. When I say giveaway, I do it with no strings attached, meaning I clearly state that a review is not required or expected. Rely on the quality of your work and the fact that the recipient is already interested in the concept of your books.
Dennis wrote: "It's like screaming out in Times Square at midnight on New Year's Eve and expecting to be heard.". Great.. I love the image.. and it does feel a bit like that.. and also like.. which corner of Times Square should I try screaming from next..?!
Gary wrote: "Since joining this webpage a few years ago, I've seen similar comments from members on Goodreads that have me a bit concerned about my involvement here. It would appear that budding authors like my..."Pretty much understand Gary. Found that the Giveaway - and sorry - I 'assumed' it would produce more than 1% of reviews, seemed to be taken over by people just wanting to win a free book (I know the feelings of many people who don't agree) - less that 3% actually placed my book in their To Read and deathly quiet has ensued. Think it should be a little more focussed - my historical fiction - with a caveat of drug use and contextual violence did not suit the majority of 'winners' who have historical romance as their preferred genre.
The Review system also seems too wide spread - tried to get the right genre but had to review a YA Fantasy - which may well be excellent - but I could not do it justice, as a reviewer, as someone who reads that genre.
V.W. wrote: "In general reading and reviewing the books of authors on GR is not likely to be productive in promoting your own books.However, being active as a reader of the genre of books covered by the group..."
That is exactly what I thought, and what I feel will be the weak link in the Goodreads chain for my needs. By not being actively reading other authors books and either reviewing them , but more importantly discussing them with the community, is probably not going to give me any exposure to the group. Its kinda like being the little boat out in the vast seas thats hoping to be found. The most I can hope for is that someone stumbles upon the Goodreads page for my book and take the time to read it.
As for whether the book is good or not, of course shall be determined by the readers and number of sales. Thus far the sales have been surprisingly good, for only having been available for two and a half months now, and being a book about local history. Other than the online book distributors advertising it on their websites, I've only been promoting it through my personal Facebook page and the FB page for the non-profit organization that is related to the book. Even more surprising, since it is only my second book, and I am far from being a professional writer, it has received several 5-Star reviews from the readers, which I believe is helping with the momentum of the sales.
I just had a lot of people, including my publisher tell me that if I wanted to get a lot of exposure for my book, that I definitely needed to post it on Goodreads. Thanks to all for your responses on this thread.
I think the answer depends on why you are on Goodreads? Are you here as an author looking for a sale or as a reader because you love books?I have an author account but I'm on Goodreads as a reader. I am in several genre groups to find new books to read or discuss books I've enjoyed. I read friends' reviews and seeing what they like and I use reviews and the GR recommendations to find new books to read. I'm not here to push my books and I don't review as I think author's reviewing is a fraught road and open to abuse.
A.W. wrote: "I'm not here to push my books and I don't review as I think author's reviewing is a fraught road and open to abuse." I think this is a very important statement you make, well one that resonates with me. I'm new to Goodreads and discovered quite by accident that my book was being read and reviewed by people on this site. I set up a profile some months ago, and have only just set up an author's profile.Yes, there are lots of books I really like, and I have reviewed a few.. but I could imagine that must be a difficult path to tread objectively. Knowing how hard it is to create something and to promote it, I would rather rate books that I love, than shine a torch on elements of books I don't like as much.
Gary wrote: "Since joining this webpage a few years ago, I've seen similar comments from members on Goodreads that have me a bit concerned about my involvement here. It would appear that budding authors like my..."Being active as a reader here certainly can help. However I would never suggest doing so just to gain notice for one's own books. And way too many authors get caught up in "reviewing" the books of other authors in ways that is really just promotional material.
There's really nothing wrong with an author being here just wearing his/her author hat, but engagement here can certainly help there too.
My advice, when you do read something try to take the time to rate it, if you can and feel like it, write some quick thoughts about it - BE HONEST - don't write promotional material. Don't post reviews to "help" other authors (because that becomes blatantly obvious and isn't what consumer reviews are for), write them to share your honest opinion with other readers. Engage, if you can and feel like it, with others just talking about books.
You can do this in Groups, or can comment on a Friends review, respectfully, when their review is interesting to you, or you had similar thoughts when you read the book, etc.
Engage as an author, respectfully, commenting in Groups, or sharing about a new release, etc.
GR is a community, mostly of readers, and joining in can naturally cause people to click on an author's profile and take a look at his/her books.
Caven wrote: "The Review system also seems too wide spread - tried to get the right genre but had to review a YA Fantasy - which may well be excellent - but I could not do it justice, as a reviewer, as someone who reads that genre. "There's no "review system" on GR, and no one is ever required to review (that'd actually be a TOS violation), so I'm not sure what you're talking about here?
Gary wrote: "I am far from being a professional writer"If you've published a book for retail sale you are, by definition, a professional writer. :D
Alexandra wrote: "Gary wrote: "I am far from being a professional writer"If you've published a book for retail sale you are, by definition, a professional writer. :D"
Wow! for having had such a rough night last night and lousy day today due to my cancer, Alexandra you have given me some feel good moments with the comment you made. I have dreamed of someday being able to become, and considered by others as a professional writer. Maybe these are what one calls the "first steps" in becoming one. Thanks!
Gary wrote: "Alexandra wrote: "Gary wrote: "I am far from being a professional writer"If you've published a book for retail sale you are, by definition, a professional writer. :D"
Wow! for having had such a r..."
My pleasure :D
You take care of yourself, and only be as active here as you want and feel able. That's what most of us do :D
In my case when I first joined, I fully intended to try and take the time to read and review books published by other members here on Goodreads, but have failed miserably to do so. Especially when you look at the number of books the average member here reads and comments on. But with my work schedule, dealing with my on-going battle with an aggressive stage four neck and throat cancer of almost two years now, and trying to complete the manuscript for my recently published book during the height of me being sick with my cancer, there certainly wasn't the time for me to sit down and read other authors books. Now that my second book is finished and that time has been freed up, I'm still dealing with the cancer and just trying to stay alive and make it through the work day, and then get online and read a few post on the websites that I like to frequent, before having to go to bed early due to the exhaustion caused by my cancer medications, etc. I don't even interact on the other webpages like I used to.
So my question is, does it truly make a difference on Goodreads when it comes to whether on not one is more or less interactive? Especially when it comes to reading and reviewing other's books. Does that affect the amount of interest regarding your own book page(s) on this site, if people see that you yourself have not read and/or reviewed books written by other authors here? I truly wished I could spend more time reading, but I can't right now, nor do I know what the future holds. But if it does make a notable difference in the amount of exposure I get, then I would have to question whether I should continue to utilize this venue as a method to spread the word about my own book(s), or use my energy and money though other methods of advertising, that don't seem to require or expect one to join book reading challenges and writing reviews. I do enjoy coming here and reading the different threads and post, and have learned from them. I just question if this is the right fit for what I guess could be considered as being a non reader author as I've been.