How should members ask you to add them as a friend? What should they put in the request?

[Elaine]

Hi. There are many members here at Good Reads. And there are those that send you a friends request. How should they do this instead of just saying, "Can you add me to your friends list?"

What other things can you suggest them type in the comment to make it more interesting?

[Lisa Kay, Moderator]

I am open to anyone asking me to be a friend that really wants to be my friend (and not just an author looking for fans). I like to know how they know me, if they have been following me, reading my reviews, or are in one of my groups. I always read someone's profile, look at their quotes (I ♥ quotes), take a look at the books we've both read, review their bookshelves, maybe check out a review, and then do the genre compatibility test. I've gotten a few requests from males that have NO books on their bookshelves. WTH? Those I don't touch with a ten foot pole.

[Lina]

Lisa Kay wrote: " I always read someone's profile, look at their quotes (I ♥ quotes), take a look at the books we've both read, review their bookshelves, maybe check out a review, and then do the genre compatibility test...."

Lisa Kay, what's the genre compatibility test?

Elaine - good question! So many people here seem to have hundreds of friends, it can be daunting figuring out how to make that first contact. I'll second Lisa that I'm open to a friend invitation as long as it's a sincere request rather than for self-promotion or from someone I've never even seen around the group forums.

I would suggest you check out the books they've read, and their profile page. All these things show you may already have things in common.

[Lisa Kay, Moderator]

Carol:

• When you get a friend invite, click on the lighten grey words “compare books” in the lower right hand corner of the invite. This will take you to…

• “Compare Books” screen. Review “taste” percentage similar and side-by-side book ratings here. Be sure to check out any “other books you have in common with” - which shows some of reviews written by this person at the bottom of the page. Use “skip” to browse.

• For the genre compatibility test, look at the upper right hand corner of the Compare Books screen, right under the inviter’s profile link, and click on “book compatibility test”. This screen gives you a different percentage reading. (I don’t know why they swapped the columns so that now your ratings are now on the left instead of the right!)

• To go to the inviter’s profile page, click on their name at the top of this screen. This next screen with show you an author’s profile page if they are one, a regular one if they are not.

• To accept them as a friend, don’t click on “add friend” – that is confusing and will send a message to them. Instead, use the drop down menu for “friend” and go back to “friends request” and click “approve” on the invite.

[Lisa Kay, Moderator]

Elaine, It can be a little challenging, when just starting goodreads, and you don't have any books on your shelves. I would do that first - add books that you have read or want to read, so people can get an idea of what interests you.

Then I would start making a few comments on the different discussion threads.

[Kit★]

Me, I'm not picky. I accept anybody who sends me a friend request. I like seeing what other people are reading, and what they're saying about their reads. It's better though when it's someone I know from a group and not just some author I've never heard of.

[Lisa Kay, Moderator]

I get a lot of authors that I've never heard of. I don't really mind. I look at their profile page and review their books. I used to add everybody that asked, but I haven't on a couple of authors recently b/c I'm not interested in the genre they write in.