Goodreads is an author’s Number One social media – or it should be! If you’re still a bit confused by the site, here are some tricks to help you succeed as a Goodreads Author.
1. Focus on your reviews. Goodreads syndicates its reviews to a lot of big-name literary sites, so you want to increase your numbers. Here are some tips on that:
- Post excerpts of your book on your Goodreads page
- Link your blog to your Goodreads page – and don’t hesitate to make a blog post stating that your book is available for review!
- Make sure your website has a Goodreads widget (available on the Goodreads site)
- Join some Groups
- Host a Giveaway
2. Maximize your profile. Make sure you’ve got everything filled in that can be filled in. Make sure you’ve got a link to your blog. Add a video if you have one – this is a great place for book trailers. Use your best professional photo.
3. Join an active Group and participate. Here are some tips for Groups:
- Participation is key – join in on the polls and roundtable discussions. Nobody’s going to notice you if you just sit on the sidelines
- Most groups have a bookshelf. Once you’ve established yourself as a contributing member, ask about adding your book to the shelf
- If the group has freebie days (days when you can announce your giveaways), then participate – don’t make any sales announcements unless they do, though
- Once you have an established readership, you can host your own Featured Author Group for your readers
4. Stay active. Don’t just set up your author page and vanish. Once a week, you should:
- Add a book to your shelf – one you’ve read, are planning to read, or something that inspired you
- Write a review for something you’ve read – and if you want to be a real darling, cross-post that review to Amazon!
- Rate a book – you just give a book a “star” rating. Simple, right?
- Update your blog or your Goodreads profile. If you don’t blog weekly, you can add a favorite quote or book passage to your profile. The key is to keep your profile active
- Post something to your group – either a new topic, a comment or a response to something else
- Add friends – find people in your group you want to follow, or reviewers, or other authors
What are your favorite tips for Goodreads?