Linking to Books or Authors in Posts: The How To Guide

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

ATTENTION ANCIENT & MEDIEVAL MEMBERS!

When posting comments in the threads please try and include links to the book or the author.
This is helpful for other members so they can easily see which books or authors you are talking about. Which not only assists others, but assists in the evolution and momentum of discussions.
People are less likely to use your recommendations in comments if they have to try and find them themselves.

Please include links to a book or an author if you think it may be the first time it is mentioned or it has been a while since the last time it has been posted. Eg if the book or author hasn't been linked in the last 4 or so posts.

Of course there are exceptions.

If a discussion thread is already discussing a book then no need to keep adding links to the book as most people will understand which book you are talking about.

If the thread is about a book (as in it is the reason for the thread) there is also no need to add links to the book when you post.
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For those who don't know how to use the add book/author feature, here's how;

When you go to write a comment...you will see at the top of the comment box the words 'add book/author'
Click on this.

A box comes up. Write in the book title (or click on the author option and write in author name).
Make sure the spelling is correct or it won't work.
Click on search.

Find the book you are looking for in the search results.
Click on add.

The book link will appear in your comment.
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That's it! Give it a try. It won't bite. :)

[Dawn]

Good post, much easier to look books up with a link. And easier to tell if they've been talked about already too. :)

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Dawn wrote: "Good post, much easier to look books up with a link. And easier to tell if they've been talked about already too. :)"

It sure is easier. I know a lot of members who join would do links if they knew how. I was ne of these people when I first joined GR in 2009. I had no clue as it was the first time I had been on a site like this. I had to have someone explain it to me and I appreciated it.

Now if anyone wants to explain that we link books or authors in comments in this group they (or me :-) ..) can link this thread to explain how to do it and why it is helpful.

Unfortunately we have had members that I have explained the add book author to, and they still refuse to do it. They don't care. Which is a bit anti social I feel. But with most members, it is not intentional.
:-)

[Lia]

Unfortunately, I still have not found a way to link books/authors via the iPad app. Whenever a link is needed, I post it via computer/laptop.

[Dawn]

If anyone else has an iPad maybe they'll be able to help. :)

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

I have asked for some info on this in the Goodreads Feedback group, Lia. By the sounds of it the app does not permit the feature to work..which is odd. I will get back to you here when I get an answer.

Can you not go to GR on the iPad and skip the app altogether? I do this on my Android tablet. I don't use the app I go straight to GR via a bookmark on my home page.

[Chris]

Terri wrote: "I have asked for some info on this in the Goodreads Feedback group, Lia. By the sounds of it the app does not permit the feature to work..which is odd. I will get back to you here when I get an ans..."

That's what I do on my IPad and I can put in links to books or authors, obut it does still do strange things on GR at times. Such as not showing the whole comment, which doesn't happen often, selecting a different book than the one you have actually tapped in recommendations, and having blank sections or two lots of text superimposed on each other in one part of the screen.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Strange...I wonder if there is a setting that needs to be changed. Eg changed from mobile to desktop.
With my tablet, not iPad though, I had to go to browser settings to change it to Desktop view. Mobile view for tablet and Desktop view look similar, but it does make a difference to change it to Desktop.
Of course, I don't know how the iPad works though. :-)

[Lia]

Terri wrote: "I have asked for some info on this in the Goodreads Feedback group, Lia. By the sounds of it the app does not permit the feature to work..which is odd. I will get back to you here when I get an ans..."

Thank you Terry, I posted this comment using the iPad browser and not from the app as you sugested. I can see the option to add book/author above the comment box... (test link )

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Worked! :D

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

I have finally heard back from Goodreads about the add book/author in the the app.

Apparently it is not something they plan any immediate action on. They said if you know html you can actually do it (I am not sure how they mean though), but the add book/author is not to be made available to the app any time soon.

I recommend that anyone who uses the app may want to add the Goodreads website 'bookmark' to their phone or tablet screen. Then you need only click on the GR website bookmark and you will go straight to the full website.
This is what I do on my tablet. I don't use the app.
For me the app is great on the run. Because you can go into a bookstore and swipe barcodes and then check out the details on a book.
But for a better Goodreads Group experience, I recommend going to to the full website via a browser bookmark is the best method.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

I asked about the html. This was Goodreads reply. Hope this may help some of you if you are on the app.


Hi Terri, for a simple URL you can just type the URL without HTML. The app (and the website) will display that as a "tappable" link.

Example: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1

Now to get the book URL is a little tricky if you are on the app, but doable. Go to the book page, tap on the "Share" button (on iOS that's in the top-right position) and then select either Twitter, Email, Text. They all display the actual book URL which you can copy and paste. I know this is not optimal but at least it's a workaround.

[Cassandra]

I'd just like to say hello and introduce myself. I write a medieval crime series featuring a nun sleuth Hildegard of Meaux. It would be terrific to talk to anybody interested in this period. It's the time when Richard II, the beautiful boy king, was on the throne of England, when Chaucer was writing his Canterbury Tales and when Katharine Swynford was doing what she did. I'm sorry I'm not sure how to use the addbook/author yet but I'll give it a go. They didn't have to know this in 1386, they all used quills!

[Cassandra]

Hangman Blind
Wow! It works! Thanks for your help. But why won't it find the latest book in the series? It's called The Parliament of Spies and came out last summer in hardback and in October in paperback. I think it's also on Kindle. Thanks for your help though. I really didn't expect to be able to do this.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Here you are Cassandra. Perhaps you spelled it wrong when you searched? A Parliament of Spies

As this is the thread that instructs people how to use the add book/author feature, I am afraid it isn't really the right place to describe your book to members.

There are a couple places you may prefer to post about Hangman Blind.
Such as the Historical Mystery thread: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
People will be able to see your post better there. :-)

[Vanessa Eden]

how do you add a book when you are using the app?

[Mark]

Which device are you using?

[Vanessa Eden]

android phone

[Mark]

Sorry dont know with that one. When posting just lets us know that u cant post the links.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

You can't add links via the app (unfortunately).
Mark has the right of it. If you are using the app and not on the GR webpage, just let us know you can't add links.

[Vanessa Eden]

I think I found a way around it, it is redundant but it works. :)

[Linda]

I cannot find the book/author link on Goodreads. In the "What are you reading right now?" topic, the b/a would come up if I responded. Now the Nook, Kindle or Android go to "Add a Comment" which has never had that feature. I give up unless someone using Nook, Kindle, Android is having the same problem. If so, let me know.

[Linda]

I have read all the comments and can say: I used to get in to GR through app or web. Web would showed the b/a link; app would not. I guess this means I have dropped my web path into GR. I don't know if 'web path' is the correct term.

[Dawn]

You'll figure it out Linda, you always do!

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

I am not sure why add b/a is giving you troubles, Linda, but I can confirm that there is no add book/author if using the app.
You have to come to the site via the web address for features such as add book/author.

[Linda]

Just so you know why I am not using the feature. I'll find the root of the problem eventually. Thanks to you and Dawn.

[Kim]

giving it a try. crossing fingers.

My favorite book is .....or is it ? Well, maybe both. No, it's definitely The Pillars of the Earth.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Worked! :)