How To Get the Goods out of Goodreads

{photo courtesy of vicbooks.com}

I don’t really remember how I found Goodreads but I signed up initially to track the books I had read as well as the ones I wanted to read. I wasn’t really interested in the online community piece because I hadn’t evolved yet into a Twitteraholic. Once I found a groove with those that I followed on Twitter and I started to rack up my own gang of followers, I began friending those people on Goodreads. My goal was to find out what others I respected were reading, especially the ones that also enjoyed historical fiction.

However, there are many folks using Goodreads that don’t seem to have my same criteria, or perhaps any at all. I have turned down more friend requests than I can count and many of them have come back for repeat rejections. I don’t get it. We have nothing in common! I don’t like horror books. I’m really not into Sci-Fi or Paranormals. But good golly, I have some Sci-Fi, Paranormal, and Horror readers that really, really want to be my friend.

And what is with the people that want to friend me that don’t have any bookshelves at all? Um, why are you on a site that revolves around reading books? Are you too lazy to go add them or are you scrounging for readers for your unknown book? I think there has to be a certain point when sites like this require users to list at least five books before you can start friending.

Am I a Goodreads snob? Or am I the one not getting it? My take is that I belong to enough social communities to reserve the right to be selective. I am about quality and not quantity. The site, for me, is to enhance my bookshelf, not my ego.

Here are my tips to help you get the most out of Goodreads as well:

• Choose your friends wisely. Locate friends or people you respect in the book world that have similar book tastes and/or you think will enhance your Goodreads experience. This is not a popularity contest. Goodreads is a way for readers to find great books and pass along their own recommendations. It’s simple: friend people that you would like to see in your updates feed that don’t annoy you. Dat-ta-dah!

• Be a respectful user. Be selective on what you allow to show up on the feed. Go to your profile and select the feed button. Are all of them selected? Then you are probably clogging up things up and annoying the hell out of your “friends”. Select only the ones that would be helpful for your friends to see or that you would want to see.

• Check out the giveaways. The book giveaways are wonderful ways to learn about new books and debut authors. This is under the explore tab and then select giveaways. You are able to go to a specific genre for the giveaways which is nice if you tend to read certain types of books. It is also a good way to branch out without having to make a risky investment. If you read the fine print off to the side when you sign up to win a book, writing reviews of books you have won will increase your chances of winning more in the future.

• Get to know authors. Many authors connect their web sites and blogs to Goodreads so you can read their latest news right on Goodreads. Become fans of your favorite authors and their activity will show up on your feed. Also, click on the Explore tab then select Voice from the menu. This is also a great source of author information.

• Use your shelves. When you add books as read, you can then also create a shelf to then subcategorize them. I have a book club shelf so that I can keep track of what my book club has read. I also shelve books by genre; I even have a shelf called “Didn’t Finish”.

Courtesy of www.freshome.com

• Find your posse. Are you a diehard historical fiction fan? Are you wanting to join an online book club? Do you want to connect with others with a passion for writing? There are groups out there for you. By clicking on the Groups tab, you can find groups by tags, groups that are reading the books on your to-read shelf, featured groups, and even groups in your local area. This is where you will find “something for everyone.”

Courtesy of crookedbrains.com

Okay, now I am going to touch upon a few things you shouldn’t do on Goodreads:

• Don’t bash books. If you really don’t care for a book, give it the proper stars you think it deserves then leave it to die in peace. Bashing it in the review section isn’t very good for your karma nor is it very dignified. Your star ranking and the silent treatment will send the right message without dragging the poor author through the mud. I think constructive criticism is one thing, but degradation is something completely different…nasty.

• Don’t try to friend people you have nothing in common with. This comes across as stalker-like behavior and if you are a newly published author, your marketing and publicity efforts will be very transparent. Choose wisely and in return, be picky on who you accept friendships from. And for God’s sake! Don’t keep trying to friend someone after they have denied your request. It’s tacky and borderline harassment.

Courtesy of http://www.fairylightsinsummer.com

• Don’t forget to post reviews of books you love. Reviews don’t have to be more than a couple of sentences. Just write how the book made you feel and perhaps what you loved the most about it. There, that could be a review. The power of your recommendation can go very far and the authors are depending on you to spread the word. After all, how do you usually find a great book? You don’t have to be a professional writer to write a review. Just write down the words you would say to a friend over the phone or sitting on the bleachers about the next book they must read.

–What is your “policy” when it comes to friending people on Goodeads? What about on other social media sites?

–What are your favorite things about Goodreads? Least favorite?

–What other tips would you give to readers how to use Goodreads effectively?