Friday, April 8, 2016

G is for Goodreads



So for another tool I use but have no clue what I'm doing...

I present for today's book marketing topic... GOODREADS

I mean I SEE stuff... cover contests... Read wish contests... giveaways...

But how do you get on any of those lists? I haven't figured out how you get connected to the mechanisms for them. Are they nomination processes?

So from each of you I am asking

* Is there some particular thing YOU'VE found on Goodreads that works particularly well?

* How do you get involved with it?

*Any wastes of time to avoid?

* Things that can work but have tricks we should know?


And don't forget to come back and find out what others find helpful. And also go see other A to Z bloggers!


14 comments:

Unknown said...

Goodreads is a jungle, but yep a presence is helpful!
Damyanti, AZ cohost 2016

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

The giveaways are just things you set up there--no nominations or anything. Only thing is they have to be *print* copies. Here's a post on it: http://elizabethspanncraig.com/172/goodreads-for-writers/ . I also do their Author Q&A there: http://elizabethspanncraig.com/2475/goodreads-author-qa/ . Sorry about linking to my own stuff! I have to refer to my own blog posts to remember how I do things (my memory is now being outsourced to the blog and my calendar).

Jan Morrison said...

Oh Elizabeth, apologizing for being helpful -are you sure you aren't a Canuck? Again Tartlette I have no idea how this works but it seems you are in good hands.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

My publisher has done giveaways. Yeah, must be physical books. I've also had people add my books to lists. (You can add your own as well.) As for the reading list, I ended up on one, but not sure how to place yourself on more of the group reading lists.

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

I have a presence on GR, but I don't utilize it nearly as much as I should. I know there's an Ask the Author section of the profile. I don't have that set up on mine yet, but I've seen it in action on other profiles. My books have been added to To Read shelves, rated and reviewed but that was all the doing of wonderful readers, not anything I did. :)

Ted Cross said...

All I've really learned about Goodreads is that users there are much harsher than elsewhere, and often downright vicious. I had one person write to me that how dare I vote for one of my own books on a fantasy list. Did I really think that I was a better writer than Tolkien, Martin, et al? Well, of course not. I put my vote on the list only to try to grant some minuscule amount of attention to my books. But she went and gave my books one star though she clearly hadn't read any of them.

M.J. Fifield said...

Like Madeline, I have a presence on GR, but I don't use it much except to keep track of the books I'm reading. I certainly haven't had any experiences like Ted's...Yikes!

Andrew Leon said...

I'm certain that I don't use GR to its potential, but I have gotten some of my things onto some lists. You can actually do that yourself... though I'm not remember how at the moment since it's been since Shadow Spinner came out that I have done any of that.

Unknown said...

I don't use GR. I've got my hands full with Facebook, Twitter and my blog.

Chrys Fey said...

I love Goodreads. Whenever I have a book release I create an event and invite everyone I know. Within the invite is the blurb and links and a thank you message. I find Goodreads to be a great source. And if you're books aren't listed on there, you're missing out! A lot of people review books there.

Cynthia said...

I've seen those lists on Goodreads. I believe those lists are made by members. You can try contacting the member and ask if they can add you. Or maybe you can make your own list of books that fit the subject/theme of your book and then add your book to the list.

J Lenni Dorner said...

J here, stopping by from the #atozchallenge - where I am part of Arlee Bird's A to Z Ambassador Team.
How has the first week of the challenge been for you so far? Are you meeting your goals of posting and hopping to other blogs?
My blog has a giveaway with bonus a to z challenges to encourage people to visit more stops.
http://jlennidornerblog.what-are-they.com
There are a few I've seen which require the author to have more than 5 or more than 20 reviews of his/her book on Goodreads. Doesn't matter if they are good or bad reviews, just need to be reviews.

Yvonne Ventresca said...

Goodreads is useful for the giveaways because it's all automated for you. You set up the dates and number of copies and they pick the winner, etc for you to send the book.

Yolanda Renée said...

I'm in the dark again, although I've used their giveaways program. I find it hard to break into the groups too. Maybe I just need to try harder. LOL