Creative Reviews discussion
?'s for the Members of CR
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How to build community on Goodreads?
Well, readers are most certainly on Goodreads. And this particular, crazy group is full of them. They call themselves reviewers or editors. See if you can find someone for more reviews, word will spread, eventually!I've been blogging since before publishing, and traffic on blogs is... meh. But having reviews is a good start to start finding those elusive readers! ;-)
Welcome to this very mixed group of authors, readers, editors and whatnot - and Moderators, can we forget birds for a second here?
Hi Germaine!Welcome to Goodreads and congrats on your written works! My best advice to you would just be to keep at it. Keep showing up in the chatrooms and let people get to you and you know them. This group is a great place to do that! We would love to get to know you!
I agree with Cambria, just keep talking in threads and it'll click.
Thanks, Barbara, Cambria and Ottilie. What a rarity, a place where people still take the time to get to know one another and lend support. I'm encouraged.
Haha your welcome!! That's why I love this site, almost everyone is like that on here :)
My story is not that different from yours, Germaine. Good reviews and sluggish progress with finding a readership. I just did a paperback giveaway here on G-reads. This got me onto a lot of "to-read" shelves but did not goose sales in particular. If you have a paperback, you can try also, but I suggest not including other countries than your own. I'm grateful to have prospective readers in Australia and Canada but, regrettably, it cost me $30 to ship two books to them.I'm on FB if you want to friend me.
Matt Posner
Thanks, Matt, for sharing your experience. I'll head over to FB now...
You won't find a finer group of people on GR. This group is the best. When I figure out how to go from good reviews to good sales, I'll let you know lol.
Splitter
Thanks, Splitter, I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry.
Mod
Well, I would say you made one great leap into getting your name out there! Find groups that talk with each other, help each other out, and really are serious about making new friends. Anyone will talk about helping someone they just know, but we all genuinely want to help our friends. That is one great thing about Creative Reviews, the people that are on here really are top notch. I am happy to know them!!
But just keep at it, one person reading your book will lead to another and another. It takes a while, just don't give up!!
Wise words, Amy, and yes, CR is a warm, inviting nest within the cosmopolis of Goodreads.
Mod
Germaine,
I read a lot more of Goodreads than just the threads where I post and I find the spirit of this entire community to be among the most supportive of any group I have participated in over thirty years of following online forums (fora? sp?).
In this as all such forums, respond when you have something to add and read as much as you can of what others post and you will enjoy this experience as much as the rest of us.
Bob Cherny
I read a lot more of Goodreads than just the threads where I post and I find the spirit of this entire community to be among the most supportive of any group I have participated in over thirty years of following online forums (fora? sp?).
In this as all such forums, respond when you have something to add and read as much as you can of what others post and you will enjoy this experience as much as the rest of us.
Bob Cherny
More wise words, Bob--and a reminder that I'm NOT the only member of this group over the age of 30.
Germaine- I am so glad you feel encouraged!! Thats what we are here for! We want you to succeed and we will help however we can! And no you aren't the only one here over 30. LOL.
Germaine, You are most definitely not the only one over age 30! LOL I did a goodreads giveaway, but I too shall wait to see if that translates into sales...though around 700 people entered. Wouldn't it be lovely to have 700 buy the book? Hah!
Let's hope, Dale, that there's some karmic payback from giving. :-)
You never know! But I'm off and running on the next project, so I see more give aways in my future.
Germaine wrote: "Thanks, Splitter, I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry."Both. Definitely both!
C.S. Splitter wrote: "You won't find a finer group of people on GR. This group is the best. When I figure out how to go from good reviews to good sales, I'll let you know lol.
Splitter"
Splitter - you forgot to mention "This group is the best... and nuttiest." Or Looney, as Amy likes to refer to herself...
:-)
Please consider me one more laughing, crying loon.
Germaine wrote: "More wise words, Bob--and a reminder that I'm NOT the only member of this group over the age of 30."Definitely not, Germaine, definitely not! ;-) Sometimes I feel an old spinster because I don't like YA, but I've long forgotten my teen years and am not into coming of age stories... but then, I'm 46, right! ;-)
And I'm thinking of starting a Q&A group and see how it goes, but for the month of November as I'll be away for most of October... anyone in this group has done Q&A? How was it?
Barbara- Amy moderates another group (i'm a member- and forgive me but the name of the group is escaping my head, lol) and they have Q&A's all the time with authors. Let me get the name of the group for you...
Ah! Its called Writers and Readers. You should check it out. I personally haven't done a Q and A, but maybe someday!
Cambria wrote: "Ah! Its called Writers and Readers. You should check it out. I personally haven't done a Q and A, but maybe someday!"Looking up that other group! It's an option for Goodreads Authors that looks more feasible to me - because I'm in Italy, so it's easier to do a Q&A on a forum than a book giveaway! ;-)
I absolutely feel your pain Germaine, but definitely think you are in the right place here at Creative Reviews. Everyone is really friendly and full of great advice.
I've gone through a bit of a learning curve with Goodread's Groups and have come to the conclusion that it's really important to like the group you are participating in and have a real interest in the topics they talk about. That makes it far less of a chore and you will build genuine relationships with the other members. Too many groups that say they are for authors are basically a place where everyone posts their promo but nobody is actually interested in reading anyone else's.
I've gone through a bit of a learning curve with Goodread's Groups and have come to the conclusion that it's really important to like the group you are participating in and have a real interest in the topics they talk about. That makes it far less of a chore and you will build genuine relationships with the other members. Too many groups that say they are for authors are basically a place where everyone posts their promo but nobody is actually interested in reading anyone else's.
Thanks, Barbara, Cambria and Emma. I feel younger just by chatting with you :-). Interesting about the Q&As. I hope it's not considered poor taste to mention another site, but I am planning an Author Chat over at Library Thing shortly after my new novel launches in January. Any thoughts on how to build buzz for such an event?
In the meantime, Barbara, please keep me--us?--posted on any plans for your new group.
Germaine wrote: "Thanks, Barbara, Cambria and Emma. I feel younger just by chatting with you :-). Interesting about the Q&As. I hope it's not considered poor taste to mention another site, but I am planning an ..."
I joined the other group - now I have to catch up on all their posts! :-) I'll make a special announcement here as well, whenever I'm ready, promised! :-)
Germaine wrote: "Thanks, Barbara, Cambria and Emma. I feel younger just by chatting with you :-). Interesting about the Q&As. I hope it's not considered poor taste to mention another site, but I am planning an ..."
HEY!
LEt me jump on this conversation train!!! (whoot Whoot)
I know there's been some buzz about blogs not really doing it for sales.
The thing I have seen work most is, blog tours, giveaways and such.
For me personally, when I find a book that I like and the author is awesome, I push em like crack!
Seriously, I really do and some of my friends are the same.
IT may seem to come slow like molasses but just last week, I got two more peeps to check out Splitter's book.
With Indie its all about strategy, marketing and word of mouth.
You seriously could not have come to a better group though.
These people are amazing, and yes nuts but still amazing!
Thanks, Jenn. Nuttiness keeps it entertaining, and how else to cope with all the flux and unpredictability of the book world? Small miracle we're not all in padded cells by now!
Hey Germaine!TBH, as others have said, I think you've come to the right place. Imho to build community everyone needs to help everyone else and it has to be clear that no sniping or bitching is allowed. That's difficult to impose but sometimes it just happens, as here. That being the case, the sort of people we get on here make friends with each other and end up happily mucking in when we want to spread the word about stuff.
Even the lurkers (yes, I know you're all out there!) who don't necessarily have much to add in the normal course of things do still read the books and follow the links and take an interest, and we love 'em for it! (Though it does make it more difficult to thank you, you know!)
I think really it's a matter of being open and friendly and joining in the conversation if you have anything to add. I've ended up making a load of friends on this site and I love hanging out here, so this is my main must-check site even when I'm too shattered to look at Twitter or FB or any of the others which are supposed to be helpful (and at the moment my blog is sadly neglected while I'm editing).
But mainly, enjoy yourself, contribute and just be who you are; people investigate authors who they get interested in as people (I know I do) and so actually coming to have a laugh and talk about armadillos etc is probably one of your better audience builders, and much more fun / much politer than mass-spamming or anything vile like that!
JAC
PS Mind, blog-swaps are quite good too, if you just have the time...
Thanks, JAC. We seem to have come full circle with this thread: participate, be genuine, and keep at it. Guest blog, time allowing. And don't underestimate the power of Creative Reviews. Have I missed anything?I'm grateful for all the input and encourage you to go forth and help other members. My questions have been answered, doubts allayed, and heart warmed.
Talk about making friends via Goodreads: I just had the pleasure of going out to dinner last night with a fellow author I met through Goodreads! I'm visiting Birmingham for a couple days. So... if anyone happens to visit Kenya, make sure you let me know you're coming!
Vered wrote: "Talk about making friends via Goodreads: I just had the pleasure of going out to dinner last night with a fellow author I met through Goodreads! I'm visiting Birmingham for a couple days. So... if ..."Ohhhhh send me a ticket! I'd love to visit Kenya!
I heart you, Jenn lol. Anyone else that pimps out my books, or writes a review, or even reads them has a special place in my heart. People on here are the BEST and I am going to take care of them. Truth be told, I might never have done book two without this group. Not for the kind reviews, but for the encouragement. Writing kinda sucks when you disregard opinions of your friends and family (they really can't be honest with you). In this group, you are going to get real opinions even when they are being nice and I LOVE that.
Splitter
C.S. Splitter wrote: "I heart you, Jenn lol. Anyone else that pimps out my books, or writes a review, or even reads them has a special place in my heart. People on here are the BEST and I am going to take care of them..."awwww, isn't he simply the best?
We wuvs you too, Splitter-sweetie! Proud for you!
Germaine wrote: "Thanks, JAC. We seem to have come full circle with this thread: participate, be genuine, and keep at it. Guest blog, time allowing. And don't underestimate the power of Creative Reviews. Have I..."So glad to hear that Germaine!! That's what we are here for. So glad you found a group to make you feel welcome. I think we are beginning to have our own community here in this group! We're certainly big enough.
That is what I find so extraordinary, Cambria, that a group can grow and extend its embrace to every continent and yet feel as cozy as a gathering of friends in a neighborhood coffeehouse. Thanks again for the welcome, and wild success to all!
I agree Germaine!!! This group soes feel cozy. And yes, Wild success to all!
It feels like I'm sitting in a soft leather chair with more chairs in a circle around a large coffee table and all of you are sitting there while we "talk"! It's a HUGE library, bookshelves stretching all the way to the ceiling and a few windows that reach the ceiling too. Just a lovely place, with all my new friends... :)
This is home away from home...though when your physically home and chatting on the computer in your other home, the physical home hubby gets very annoyed. LOL
Mine is always hollering for me to spell a word for him. *rolls eyes* I'm the walking dictionary for all my family and friends, heehee!
Dale wrote: "This is home away from home...though when your physically home and chatting on the computer in your other home, the physical home hubby gets very annoyed. LOL"That's why I got rid of mine....life is good...lol
Sara, when I grow up I'm going to have a library like that. I've always known that.... and when I do you're all invited to come for a coffee!JAC
Mod
AWE SPLITTER!! Now we all feel awesome for that! I remember seeing you in here for the first time, you were one of our first male, regular participators...now look atcha! :)
And make sure you keep letting us know what you are up to, Germaine!! We love to bask in the glories of our friends!
As a new Goodreads author, I am wide-eyed and filled with admiration for the site and the people who spend time here. I sometimes feel, however, like the puniest minnow in a vast sea. I post blogs on my author page and no one seems to read them. My books, despite highly favorable reviews, find their way onto few shelves. Any thoughts or advice on how I might reach out to readers more effectively? Thanks, and all the best! http://www.goodreads.com/germainewrites