A Goodreads author page, done right, can be one of the most influential tools in your marketing plan.
To start, Goodreads is owned by Amazon, and even if you have a love-hate relationship with the retail giant, they’re still the ones selling the most books right now, so playing nice has its perks.
Goodreads is also totally dedicated to book lovers, unlike other social media sites, so you always have a captive audience!
Think about it. People get on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok (the list goes on) for so many reasons: to keep up with the news, their hobbies, to get life advice. But people only get on Goodreads when they want to talk about and find new books and authors.
Goodreads Offers Many Ways to Promote Your Book
To keep the list of positives going, Gooodreads has it all!
On your Goodreads author page, you have blogging options, video uploads, event creation, book recommendations, and the platform even has groups you can join and participate in.
So if you’re an author without a website, having a fully optimized and continually updated Amazon Author Central and Goodreads Author Page is absolutely key to creating a more professional-looking brand.
Shoppers are more likely to buy if they feel like you’re a sure thing. And what you put online is all a part of your brand. So don’t get lazy when it comes to optimizing free ways to elevate your online resume!
Being active on Goodreads also means you can take advantage of giveaways, and giveaways are an incredible way to get books in readers’ hands and gain a lot of exposure.
I get a lot of authors telling me they didn’t get enough reviews from their last Goodreads giveaway, so it wasn’t worth it. Let me tell you, reviews anywhere are hard to come by, no matter what you do–but that doesn’t mean your giveaway winners didn’t enjoy your book.
Don’t Judge Any Marketing Effort with Such Narrow-Minded Goals
If you wrote an excellent book, winners of your most recent giveaway are probably going to enjoy it, which means you’ve now created a larger network of return buyers for your next release–or other products or services you may offer as part of your platform.
And remember, everyone who enters your giveaway automatically gets your book on their “to read” shelf (and you can find out who they are!) which is great long-term exposure and potential networking opportunities.
Think about it! There’s a very good chance some non-winners will end up buying your book down the road, especially if they’re a true topic/genre fan, and you’ve generated positive reviews.
Make a point to keep your Goodreads author page up to date so when they circle back and find you again, you’re showing them everything positive, quirky, unique, fun, helpful, etc. you have to offer.
And this is why the exposure of a giveaway is so valuable!
I know I said reviews often feel hard to come by, across the board, but Goodreads really is a great place to get reviews and ratings to brag about. Yes, Amazon reviews matter because they tell Amazon that people are responding to your book, but shoppers are getting savvy about paid reviews, so more and more are taking what they read on Amazon with a grain of salt.
Prolific Readers Are Looking beyond Amazon before Making Book-Buying Decisions
Goodreads
And going back to Goodreads being a dedicated platform for authors and book lovers, if you generate solid reviews and ratings there, it carries even more weight in a lot of ways.
Plus, Goodreads reviews give you valuable market research on how diehard readers feel about your book, which should always be a priority when developing new titles and perfecting your craft.
Again, I know a lot of authors still roll their eyes when I push the benefits of Goodreads, but a simple shift in perspective can prevent you from missing out on lucrative opportunities.
Just because it didn’t work for you the last time you tried, or you’ve avoided it because you heard other authors trashing it, doesn’t negate the fact that a lot of authors have great success with Goodreads!
So put it on your shortlist to really optimize your Goodreads author page and get involved in meaningful ways. Then you can feel confident you’re not leaving potential book sales revenue on the table.
If you found this post helpful please use the social buttons below the Resources and Free Downloads to share on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn and tag me, or you can email this post to a friend or colleague!
Resources and Free Downloads
Using Goodreads Giveaways in Your Book Promotion: Book Marketing Podcast Recap
Why a Good Author Brand is a MUST to Sell More Books podcast
Check out KM Weiland’s site, she’s an excellent resource
Penny, this is a great article. My authors are on GoodReads but not actively. I’m going to change that starting now.
Fantastic, Bonnie-I love to hear that! Feel free to reach out you’re looking for any other marketing help.