#AtoZChallenge*, the letter “G” is for Goodreads

For today’s #AtoZChallenge*, the letter “G” is for Goodreads

Use Goodreads to market your book and connect with passionate readers.

Goodreads.com is the bomb for writers! Who would you rather target? Someone on Twitter or Facebook who might be interested in reading your book, or an avid reader? An avid reader, of course. Fifty-five million of them. Bing, bing, bing, we have a winner!

Goodreads is the largest site for readers and book recommendations in the world. Why wouldn’t you take advantage of this FREE site to market your books?

Connect with passionate, influential readers who can discuss, share, and promote your books. Join groups, find new authors to read, conduct a poll and host a giveaway—it’s a virtual party!

How to get started:

• Go to Goodreads.com and create an account. If you have an existing reader account, search for one of your published books and click on your author name, listed below the title of your book.
• You will be redirected to your basic author profile page. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on “Is this you? Let us know” to send a request to join the Goodreads Author Program.
• You will receive an email confirmation in a few days. The Goodreads librarians will merge your member page with your author page.

What you can do on your author page

• Fill out your bio, including a call to action to visit your website. Your bios should be consistent across all social media platforms.
• Add a current photo. This should be a photo of you, so your readers can make a connection.
• Add your website and blog URL.
• Link your blog to Goodreads. Once linked, Goodreads will automatically import your newest post.
• Pose a few questions to yourself and answer them in the “Ask the Author” section. This is a great way to get a head start on connecting to your readers.
• Embed a video. Add book trailers or a video from your YouTube channel.
• Add an event. Do you have a booksigning or talk scheduled? Add it to the events calendar.
• Post quotes from your books.
• Add your books! Rate them. Review them. Get the party started!
• Add at least 20 other books to your bookshelf. Don’t worry, Amazon (owner of Goodreads) can help. Every time you purchase a book on Amazon, it will appear in your To-Be-Read section of your bookshelf.
• List a giveaway to get free exposure to your book.
• Conduct a poll.
• Connect the Goodreads app to your Facebook page.
• Add a free book excerpt (.pdf)

How can you promote your books?

• Be active
• Join a group or groups and participate
• Write a review
• Comment on existing reviews
• Respond to friend requests
• Host a giveaway
• Conduct a poll
• Update your writing progress on a book you’re reading
• Vote on a list
• Click “want to read” on a book
• Run a Goodreads ad to promote more readers
• Add an excerpt of one of your books

Goodreads can be an effective marketing tool

Do you have your Goodreads Author Page set up? What’s stopping you?

Did I miss a tip? What’s been your experience with the Goodreads Author Program?

Monday’s #AtoZChallenge* will focus on the letter “H”.

Blessings until then,

Cheryl

If you’d like to continue reading my entries in the AtoZChallenge* and to receive my blog posts, please use the entry form to the right. Also sign up for my newsletter, and you’ll receive a FREE copy of my short story, Mr. Right, Mr. Wrong, Mr. Alien.

If you know of someone who would enjoy learning more about Goodreads, use the buttons on the left to share this post. Thank you.

*#AtoZChallenge is a blogging challenge that takes place in April (except on Sundays). Participants blog every day around a theme of their choosing, in alphabetical order. Throughout the month of April, I’ll share tips, links, and insights I’ve learned in my writing career.

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