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Goodreads can be a good marketing tool for authors, but it is often overlooked and underutilized. Goodreads is home to the greatest book enthusiast community in the world, with over 90 million users! It gives authors a direct line of communication with readers who are excited to recommend books and share their love of reading. Readers often review books on Goodreads, keep track of their read books so that friends can see what they’re reading, and shelve new books that catch their eye to be read later.
Goodreads provides authors with a forum to cultivate connections with readers, generate excitement about upcoming releases, and bolster authentic reviews. Whether your book is self-published or traditionally published, you can use Goodreads to connect with other readers and boost sales. This quick guide will walk you through how to effectively market your book on Goodreads, starting with the foundational steps and building up to advanced strategies for reader engagement.
1. Claim Your Author Page on Goodreads
The first and most crucial step to marketing your book on Goodreads is claiming your author page. Many authors are unaware that their work is instantly added to the Goodreads database as soon as it is placed on Amazon. However, you need to actively claim and customize your author profile to make the most of what the platform offers.
Verifying your identity as the author and gaining access to Goodreads’ Author Program are two significant benefits of claiming your author page. This enables you to:
- Edit and personalize your profile.
- Sync your blog posts.
- Add quotes from your book to the Goodreads quote section.
- Interact directly with your readers.
To claim your page, look up your book using its title or ISBN, click on your name, and then follow the instructions to confirm your identification. After being validated, you’ll get access to an effective tool that lets you upload a professional headshot, edit your bio, and add links to your social network accounts.
2. Optimize Your Profile and Be an Active Reader
Creating an engaging author profile isn’t just about listing your achievements. Authors that are avid readers themselves are highly valued by Goodreads users. Not only should your books be highlighted in your profile, but also your overall passion for reading. Spend some time creating an engaging bio that makes readers want to read more. Talk about your writing journey and sources of inspiration rather than just your book. Incorporating a personal touch can significantly impact the likelihood of readers interacting with your profile. Keep in mind that people on Goodreads are inquisitive readers who are interested in learning more about you than simply your book.
To further establish a rapport with your audience you may also want to:
- Add a “currently reading” shelf and periodically update it to show what books inspire you.
Write thoughtful reviews of other books. This can highlight your insights as an author while building rapport with fellow readers.
Share what’s on your To-Read list to demonstrate your engagement with the community.
Interactivity is crucial. Being active and approachable is important because Goodreads is a social network for readers. Answering queries from readers, participating in conversations in pertinent groups, and suggesting books to others will help you get the most out of Goodreads. Frequent communication can build a devoted readership that will support your writing.
3. Get Your Book on Lists (Listopia)
Listopia, a function of Goodreads that is greatly neglected yet extremely useful, allows books to be sorted into carefully crafted lists based on genre, themes, or certain qualities (such as “Best Historical Fiction” or “Most Thrilling Page-Turners”). Because Goodreads lists frequently appear in Google search results, they are frequently a major source of discovery for many readers. For example, if you search for “best dystopian novels,” Goodreads frequently appears toward the top of the results.
Here’s how you can use Listopia to your advantage:
- Encourage readers to add your book to relevant lists. You can’t add your own book to lists that you create, but your readers can. Make sure to suggest this when engaging with your fan base.
- If possible, create your own lists—even if your book isn’t mentioned in them. By doing this, you can establish yourself as a category authority and increase interest in both your profile and, tangentially, your book.
The secret is to position your book on well-liked, prominent lists so that more people will see it and become prospective readers.
4. Host Goodreads Giveaways
Offering a Goodreads giveaway can be an excellent method of creating buzz about your book. In addition to drawing attention, these giveaways encourage users to add your book to their Want to Read lists, which raises the book’s profile on the site.
Here’s how it works:
- Choose between the Standard Giveaway (which gets you more exposure) or the Premium Giveaway (which guarantees placement in Goodreads’ email newsletters). The cost varies, but both options give you a major boost in visibility.
- Once your giveaway starts, participants frequently put your book on their lists of books to read. This can result in even more people learning about your book because it notifies their friends and followers.
- Giveaways are not free, but they can bring a lot of attention, reviews, and excitement to the release of your book.
We will go further in-depth about Goodreads giveaways in a future blog post. So keep an eye out.
5. Engage with Readers Using Author Q&A
The Ask the Author option on Goodreads, which enables you to interact directly with readers, is one of the most beneficial tools for authors. This not only gives you the chance to address queries regarding your work but also fosters a closer relationship with your readership.
You establish rapport and demonstrate your knowledge by responding to reader inquiries. You may also take this as a chance to talk about your sources of inspiration, give behind-the-scenes looks at upcoming projects, or offer insights into how you write.
You can also arrange for in-person Q&A meetings with your readers. These events may be advertised on your social media platforms to encourage more people to attend, and they’re excellent for generating excitement about new releases.
6. Connect Your Blog and Social Media
One easy approach to stay in touch with your fans is to link your blog to your Goodreads page. Your Goodreads author page is automatically updated whenever you publish a new blog entry. This steady stream of new material keeps people interested and keeps you in their sights.
Use Goodreads widgets on your website, in your email signature, or even on social media to further enhance the experience. These widgets entice people to visit your Goodreads page so they may interact with your content or add your book to their library.
More than just a forum for readers, Goodreads gives authors the opportunity to engage with their audience, grow a fan base, and promote their books naturally through community-driven marketing. Goodreads has an abundance of options to assist you in your success, ranging from claiming your author profile to holding giveaways and interacting with readers directly.
Start with the basics, remain active, and watch your book gain momentum. Be sure to stay tuned for our next blog, where we’ll explore the ins and outs of running successful Goodreads giveaways!
For more ways you can market your ebooks, check out our promotional services for authors.
Happy writing!
Goodreads users do tend to be more critical and often jaded. There is also a more negative bias as a number of common reviewers are bell curve reviewers. Your reviews start at 3 stars and that’s what many of their reviews are with 5 stars for a rare book. Whereas on Amazon reviews 5 is a good book, with things marked down for major deficiencies. So a GoodReads giveaway can tank your review score. I expect GoodReads ratings tend to be about 0.3 to 0.5 stars lower.