Hi Readers,
I recently discovered many Goodreads features I previously didn’t know about. Goodreads is a platform designed for readers, where you can rate and review books, add books to different shelves, discover new books, and become involved in a community of fellow readers, as well as interact with authors. In this blog post, I’ll explain several features of Goodreads that I think all authors should use.
1. Create an author profile.
A few important things to include on your author profile include: your bio, a professional photo, a link to your website, and all your books.
2. Add your books to your page.
You can create a book page, even if you haven’t published it yet. Be sure to include the book’s synopsis, book cover, ISBN, format it’s published in, page count, and publication date. After you create books you’ve written on Goodreads, once they are approved, they will be added to your author page.
3. Share your Goodreads book links.
Post links to your Goodreads author page and your books on your website and social media, so your readers can easily find them.
4. Encourage readers to post reviews.
When posting Goodreads links on your website and social media, make sure to mention to your readers to leave an honest review. Goodreads is a great way for readers to discover new books. You can let your readers know all the ways posting reviews benefits authors.
5. Join groups.
You can join Goodreads groups as a reader to get to know other readers on the platform and recommend and discuss books. You can also join groups as an author to meet other authors and spread the word about your books to readers.
6. Find book reviewers.
While using Goodreads groups, you can look for groups that have ARC reviewers, book bloggers, and other types of book reviewers. If you see posts where readers are actively seeking books to review, you can join in the discussion with your contact information and a synopsis of your book, if they are interested in your book’s genre.
7. Answer questions on your author page.
There is a section on your author page where readers can ask questions about your books, what you’re reading, or if you have any works in progress. Goodreads also has a standard list of questions for authors to answer.
8. Add blog posts to your author page.
There is another section of your Goodreads author page where you can add blog posts. If you already have a blog, you can easily create and add those posts to Goodreads. This is another helpful way to drive traffic to your blog or website.
9. Follow readers and authors.
You can follow readers and other authors on Goodreads as well. If you follow them, you will be updated with any books they add to their shelves, their reading progress, and book reviews.
10. You can also add books to your shelves.
Although this feature is mainly for readers, authors can use it too. Some readers are interested in seeing what their favorite authors are currently reading or would like to read.
You can follow my author page on Goodreads here or add The Long Shadow on the Stage to your TBR shelf here. Don't forget to leave a review!
I hope these tips help you if you’re new to Goodreads or weren’t aware of all the features! If you have any other tips you would add or other features not listed in this blog post, please comment below.
Thanks for reading!