Members of the Alliance of Independent Authors are getting together on Goodreads to do exciting giveaways and other events in 2013. We believe that GR is the best social network for all writers, including self-publishing authors.
Often writers say: I can't get my head around it. Usually that's because they want to use it as a straight self-promotion vehicle.
You can do that there, but you'll have to pay advertising fees.
To use it as a social network, you need to think of it as a corner of the world where people who love to read and write come together to chat, enjoy each other's company, pass on news about great books and – only sometimes – connect with writers.
On Goodreads, it's all about the books.
Which is how it should be, right?
You'll do best on Goodreads as a writer if you approach it, first and foremost, as a reader.
GoodReads Author Programme
Perhaps that's why all members of Goodreads must create a User Profile (UP) first. This allows you to review books, add friends, and post information.
If you've published a book, you can then go on to join the
Author Programme and Goodreads will merge your
Author Profile (AP) with your UP. You'll still use the same username and password, but now your user profile will point to your AP. You'll also have access to a special Author Dashboard that contains useful links and statistics about your books.
All books listed in the Goodreads catalog carry a clickable link to the author's name, which takes the reader to their AP.
Having an Author Profile gives you special privileges on the site. You can edit profile information, add book cover images, post events, write a blog, upload videos, and start featured author groups.
But Goodreads isn’t a Social Network, its primary purpose is market research for Amazon who own it. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) doesn’t class Amazon and Goodreads as Social Networks yet – with social ‘influencers’ who would be subject to regulation as in place for Facebook and Twitter etc. Why, I can’t guess being in a top 100 of reviewers wields more power than any Facebook influencer. Librarians and Users might not realize this, but it’s true and they are doing Amazon’s work for free.
Goodreads is not as ‘independent’ and sociable now as many people think. Librarians and Genre influencers have been in their exalted positions for over a decade – they have the power to block Authors from breaking into a Genre, while complaints of blackmail are rare, sending ‘giveaways’ is part of the submission process…
Goodreads just adds more ‘free’ marketing power to Amazon’s grip on the publishing industry. (Done by ‘volunteer’ users and Librarians.)
[…] Forget Facebook. GoodReads Is The Best Social Network for Indie Authors | The Alliance of Independen… […]
It’s also worth applying for librarian status on Goodreads, then you can change any data about your books that is wrong, and just have a bit more access.
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This was a fantastic article! I had no idea this existed, but have signed myself up and am looking forward to using it. Thanks very much for this!