…Dear Aunty Helpline…
…by this time, I should know already how best to maximise my participation in Goodreads… but… but… I can do the Rubik Cube… I’m a wizz at Sudoko… yer quadratic equations?... no problem… speak a blethering tongueful of languages… easy… but figure out how an Author is supposed to properly get mileage out of Goodreads? Nada!. Zilch!.. Brick Wall!… nil comprendre! …have any of yeez terrific quill-scrapers out there WURKED it out yet? care to share with this ol’ Jurassic scribbler a ‘Dummy’s Guide To…?’ my presence on a range of the SOSYAL NETWURKS has served me well over the past few years… I’ve even devised some amendments to how to use Twitter, by bending the ‘FF’ (‘Friday Followers’) mechanism into a more personalised outreach and aid to help other users to develop broader contact bases… on Facebook, the channels on the public and direct messaging stuff are excellent ‘chat waves’… and I’ve even managed to stay out of the Facebook Jail for over a year… time off for bad behaviour, I think that’s called… LinkedIn, Google+, Pocket, and Tumblr are added dimensions of that ‘outreach’ and so far so good with all of those… but, dear old Cousin Goodreads?…
…hmmm… getting ‘connections’ and ‘friends’ is no problem on there.. and the occasional foray into discussion groups can be fun… but my innate Scottish scepticism leaves me feeling less than ‘maxed’ with it… which generally means I’ve missed sum’thing along the way on how sensibly to get an Author’s presence… yes, yes, Mabel, I know it’s GoodREADS and is meant for readers… but lots of readers want access to writers… p’raps yeez’ve noticed, but when I’m not being a reader, I’m also a writer… if emb’dy out there can offer serious guidance on this mystical bastion of literary communication, it would be a welcome addition to my scant knowledge… see yeez later… LUV YEEZ!…
…Clueless, Abu Dhabi…
ALL MY BLOG POSTS ARE FREE TO SHARE/RE-BLOG SHOULD YOU SO WISH—BE MY GUEST!
I’m looking into this too. I haven’t even joined yet. I’m interested in the comments you get.
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… i hope to get enuff feedback to form a sensible follow-up post ..:):)
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You always get tons of comments. I’ll bet you do. I’m cheering for you.
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,,cheeeers , Craig… how’s your own foray into the self-publishing universe going?
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Slowly, but building. I need to put more effort into spreading the word. I’m contemplating some new things for 2015, and GR is one of them.
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Reblogged this on Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog….. An Author Promotions Enterprise! and commented:
GOODREADS AUTHORS – Please call over to Seumas’s blog and help him out 😀
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…thanks very plenty big, that man :):)
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Welcome Seumas – although I’m a Goodreas Librarian, I can only do minor things and certainly not advise authors – have you read through the full Goodreads Authors Program?
You could also try the Authors Lounge at: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/57079-authors-lounge
or you could read through THIS link of questions about the Goodreads Authors Program: https://www.goodreads.com/help/search?utf8=✓&q=author+program&commit=Search
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..it seems tons of other writers are a bit bemused at best and baffled at worst… so p’raps my comments are not so mired in my own Jurassic computer incompetence… it will be interesting to see if I can find some different way to integrate the readership universe with we poor scribblers… who knows?
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I also sent you an email with a link that Noelle left in my comments under the reblog of your post Seumas 😀
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…got the email …will have a decko, cheers 🙂
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When I worked for a living, as opposed to writing for my breadline existence, I always said my employer used me as the Lone Ranger. When everything hit the fan, they sent for me.
Well, here I am again. I’ve struggled and been befuddled by GR for years, but I am now boning up on it for the New Year.
I will keep you informed… assuming I actually learn something.
BTW, just in case I don’t get to you before, season’s greeting to you and yours, Seumas.
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..cheeers, David… all the best also to you and yours… have a Monster 2015 in the best sense:)
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Seumas, Goodreads is littered with the tattered remnants of many writers who have fallen foul of its inhouse trolls. Want my advice, steer well clear of the site my friend. 😉
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…will proceed with caution…duly noted, that man :)cheers 🙂
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I’m on Goodreads, but I’m not very active. Actually, I’m pretty overwhelmed by Goodreads, so I’m going to be watching the comments on this post very carefully. Good luck!
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..me too, m’Lady 🙂
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I’ve never really got to grips with GR, either. Shall be watching with interest.
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..it looks like plenty of us are in the same situation..will watch this space closely, m‘Lady, Geraldine 🙂
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Whoa. When the great man, himself, has trouble finding paydirt…. GR may not be a rich enough vein of the mother lode, to make your prospecting worth your time. Admittedly, I’m one who never had the advantage of a large pre-existing fan base of supportive family and friends with which to salt the mine … anyhow, all I’ve ever heard from my efforts at social networking are crickets. GR is also a subsidiary of A Major Online Retailer, which pads “bestseller” stats with books at loss-leader prices and giveaways (which, because they are free, are not true sales, but neither Noah Webster nor I were consulted before that dictionary was written). I don’t do cheap or free because I can’t afford it, and I won’t play into the hands of trolls, pirates and plagiarists (my copyrights are all legally registered, BTW), so despite my participation in the GR authors’ program, discussion threads, reviewing books, Listopia, etc., etc., habitués of GR rarely respond, and their TBR lists for my novel have been stalled at about three dozen for more than a year. Unless one is prepared to throw away one’s hard work, and well-heeled enough to throw away money on click-farms, in the hope that millions of meaningless Likes and Follows will beguile real people into engaging (and buying one’s books), GR is unlikely to yield more than a flash in the pan. My advice? Pack your mule and take your pickaxe elsewhere.
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..great comments, Christine… I’m not complaining about the number of ‘followers’ I seem to have accrued on Goodreads…it’s just difficult to try to gauge what kind of impact (if any) my presence there is making… I like the entire SOSYAL NETWURKS thing, but if the effort can be better applied elsewhere, then that shortage of time that all we scribblers suffer from may be put to better use..:)
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So where are we with this please…
Are you saying GR can’t be trusted? This is disconcerting if the case!
Sebastian White
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..I’ll try to summarise all of the commentary after a while, Sebastian..cheers, that man 🙂
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It’s not just GR, but the whole system, which makes millions off of authors who are deceived into giving away their work, which is also tantamount to declaring open season on themselves and their work for the predators to exploit who are free to prowl said system; and which also distracts writers from doing what they want to do, and do best: to create Written Art.
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So don’t use GR at all then…? People seem to swear by it… had a good friend Nat Russo of Necromancer Awakening who had an alternative perspective… He’s… well you can see the quality of his writing on his website: http://www.erindorpress.com/2013/01/peep-show-of-necromancer-the-awakening/
and he’s on Twitter.
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I’ve had great success with Goodreads, primarily as a reader taking part in the site, listing what I read and reviewing and rating those books, but also with the 5 Goodreads Giveaways I’ve run over the past year. It’s not too difficult to maneuver this site as an author, because they provide many tutorials and videos on how to make the most of what they offer. I don’t take part in any groups or chats and have only been asked one author question by a reader, but both my books have received some excellent reviews and I know I am reaching readers all over the world through Goodreads. And “Readers” is the operative word here, because that’s what this site is all about, after all, and it’s who we should be targeting in all the promotion we do. Not sure if that helps at all, Seumas, but I’d certainly be happy to discuss with you through email if you have any specific questions. (And I have never yet had any trouble whatsoever with trolls on the site.)
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I’ve stayed at a distance (help I’m sinking from lack of time) from Goodreads, but people/writers keep talking about it. Will be curious to see the comments here are. And then try to figure out this part of the puzzle
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..watch this space, :):)
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I meant to also say that, as a blogger who promotes other authors, I’ve discovered many new authors through Goodreads, who I’ve connected with and gone on to promote. I’m finding books of interest to me especially in the Goodreads Giveaway lists, which I comb through every morning looking for contests to enter. (And I’ve won quite a number of books this past year, too!) Just in this week, I have promoted two of these authors and will soon be promoting 2 more. So authors are definitely being “seen” on the site by those who may be able to help them.
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..thanks a lot, m’Lady, Susan… surprisingly, lots of comments coming from this post… there will definitely be follow up from me in due course :):)
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Reblogged this on Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life and commented:
I am afraid that I got on this merry-go-round in September and jumped off in October – It is on my to do list for 2015 but to be honest… anybody else enjoyed the same experience?
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..I think there’s an opportunity here for clarity… and I’ll be trying hard to understand and share it with yeez all., m’Lady, Sally:)
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Reblogged this on Catherine Burr and commented:
Reposting because many have asked me about GR, see my comments below post!
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..thanks for the response, m’Lady, Catherine… very insightful indeed 🙂
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I hope authors will find GR a place where they can go to these days. When I was there, it started out great, then went downhill. I truly hope now or in the future, authors will not stay away from it, as long as it’s a place–where, we can “all get along!”
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I’m not enamoured with Goodreads either. I find it a drag to upload what I’m reading and update it with my reading progress. I’d rather just get on with it. I’ve run a Giveaway and promos but it didnt do much for me. I think you hit the nail on the head when you said its for readers. Yes writers read too, and its great to have some kind of presence there so fans can find you if they want to, but still…
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..I have no argument against it being for readers , but p’raps I’m too simplistic in thinking that maybe readers would appreciate more of an ‘overlay’ and integration with the tons of authors on there as well… after all we are the sources of what they read! 🙂
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Yes thats true. I’m sure many are interested in connecting with authors, but I seem to have come mostly into contact with other authors… which is also a good thing. It seems like we’ve all gone there in search of readers and found more authors instead!!!
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Pingback: A repost about an author’s plea for advice on GR and my humble and honest response | Catherine Burr
I’m reading this with interest too. I’m really a beginner with Social networking and have a lot to learn also. I just recently joined Goodreads after reading others discussing it.
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…let’s see what I can summarise when all these comments are in after a few days, m’lady 🙂
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I spent the first 42 years of my life reading like a maniac. Then i spent the next 24 years writing like a maniac. Trying to be less of a maniac …. but I get all excited about reading and writing. When I was the manic reader it never entered my mind that I would like to meet the author. I loved the stories. So the manic writer in me was very surprised that strange people would like to meet me … not much to see … it’s the stories that count. I would not have joined GR (I think) in my manic reading phase (there was no internet then) I would talk to family and friends about books we’ve read and it was lovely. Reading is such a personal journey. It always felt as if I managed to get exactly the “right” book at the “right” time. I don’t want to read a book as part of a group. I am on GR now, because it is interesting to see what people say about books and of course, woe is me, I have to sell books too. So I am just going to sit there in the corner, watching. For now. If someone is mean to me or my books, I will just ignore. Everyone is entitled to his/her/its opinion. I suppose it gets lonely under the bridge … I embedded my little movies on GR and was pleasantly surprised to see (if I interpret the Analytics on youtube correctly) that they have been watched quite a few times from GR. Thus I will just wait and see what happens …
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..watcheee this spaceee :):):)
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i willlll 🙂
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By the by, I didn’t leave GR because people were mean to me. To be a published author, you have to have thick skin. 34+ years in publishing, my skin is pretty thick, but that doesn’t mean I have or want to be asdociated with juvenile behavior. It’s also very easy to say, “ignore it,” I have said that many times to authors, but it’s easier said than done.
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…until this posting of mine, I was not aware of the supposed troll element on Goodreads..I’m more interested to explore ways to bring the readership on there closer to all we scribblers .. I’m sure I’m missing sum’thing, and will be glad to share my findings if p’raps a ’new eye’ on it reveals anything simple… it strikes me that there’s a great opportunity for both reader and writer to get closer on this without writers having to jump through tons of hoops, m’Lady, Catherine:) cheers ..mwaaah 🙂
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Mate, this inquiry is right up there with what do women really want from men. I was in it for a while and managed to upload my first book. Then it wouldn’t let me do anything because it seems my email address was incorrect. it wasn’t but it wouldn’t let me rectify it. In disgust I severed all ties with it and went my merry way. I’m still bemused although I was on a friends site and saw a very nice review of my tome on her page from Goodreads. I cut myself out of LinkedIn too, met some nice folk there but of late it’s all about people wanting to connect to sell you something. I do hope you find an answer, although I can see the middle east being sorted out long before you do.
Cheers
Laurie.
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,,you may well be right, Laurie, but sum’times an old fart with old eyes may see sum’thing else that’s possible!1 :):)
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I am planning a goodreads giveaway for the new year. In the meantime, I participate as a reader but I am also members of a couple of groups which I really enjoy. An author friend on there has written a thriller and I think he has had a fair bit of mileage from knocking about on Thriller groups and chatting to people.
I’ve heard excellent things about giveaways though and similarly about doing giveaways on another site, Librarything.
Cheers
MTM
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…all well noted, m’Lady 🙂
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I’ll let you know how it goes. 🙂
Cheers
MTM
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Reblogged this on theowlladyblog.
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:):) thanks for this and all the wunnerful reblogs over this year, m’Lady, Viv, ..LUVZYA!! 🙂
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The politics of Goodreads is a real minefield. Steering clear is good advice, but alternatively, you can claim your author account, write in your bio and connect your blog, then effectively abandon the account and only use it to add new books or participate in review specific groups.
Anything that can be remotely interpreted as spamming will get negative results, so don’t mention your book. Ever.
Having said that, if you participate as a reader, not with your author account, then after you get to know people, mentioning your book in appropriate conversations goes over better. I mean really participate, at least 3 months without a single mention of your own book.
Watch for a while and you’ll see the people getting it wrong.
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Seumas, You might try reaching out to my friend Scott Pratt. His author site is here: http://www.scottprattfiction.com/ I know he has a GoodReads author account and he has a bit of info on his site about his journey to self-publishing as well. Best of luck and an #AWEsome New Year.
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,,,cheeers , Shawn… many thanks for that.. I’ll certainly have a look… have a great week, that man… clicked to follow your own blog, too.:) 🙂
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thanks for the follow!
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