Blogger: Janet Kobobel Grant
Okay, we’ve all heard about Goodreads being purchased by Amazon. I’d like to use that news as an opportunity to talk about alternative places online to connect with readers.
Some authors and readers are horrified that Goodreads has become part of “the beast” named Amazon. Others are cheerfully looking forward to connecting their Kindles in new ways to their Goodreads accounts. Whatever your stance, this is a great time to remind ourselves that maybe Goodreads isn’t all that; other options do exist.
LibraryThing doesn’t have the good looks of Goodreads, but it’s actually a great place to connect with or create 
a group of like-minded readers. WWI novels your thing? You can find a group on LibraryThing. Theology your thing? Lots of discussions are taking place on LibraryThing.
Goodreads has more people involved (by a lot!) than LibraryThing so you can find more discussions there, but the list of top discussions leans heavily toward YA. LibraryThing leans more toward brainier discussions or hot topics.
In terms of recommended books, Goodreads is better at helping you to widen your bookshelf. LibraryThing is the opposite. It offers more choices in topics you’re interested in rather than selecting subjects sidled up next to your interests.
In terms of your personal stats, your average rating and how many books are on all your shelves are on your profile page in Goodreads. If you go into your books and click “stats,” you can see your reading broken down by year, how many pages you’ve read, the longest book you’ve read, how many stars you’ve given books, etc.
LibraryThing has a dedicated page for statistics. It shows you how many books you have in your library, all the series in your library and whether your series is “complete.” You also can look at books based on events, characters and places. If you want to find books on your shelf that contain the 1906 California earthquake, you can. The research possibilities are pretty staggering. You also can compare how many of your books are fiction vs. nonfiction, male vs. female authors, live vs. dead authors, etc.
LibraryThing also has lots of discussion centered around spirituality and religion, while Goodreads didn’t even acknowledge inspirational reading as a category when it named its top 2012 books–in a gazillion other categories.
All in all, Goodreads is the popular beauty queen; LibraryThing the brainy stepsister.
Novel Crossing is a new online reading site started by WaterBrook Multnomah to bring readers of inspirational fiction together. Announced in fall 2012, the community is fledgling but a nice place to connect. Even though WaterBrook Multnomah initiated the site, any author can edit his or her own pages, and any publisher of inspirational fiction can place an ad or create a presence for its authors there.
weRead and Bookish also are newbies that you might want to connect with.
What online reading communities are you connected to? Do you go there as a reader or as an author? Will Amazon’s purchase of Goodreads change your preferences?
TWEETABLES
Will Amazon’s ownership of Goodreads change your “reading group” habits? Click to tweet.
Online reading groups beyond Goodreads. Click to tweet.
Online reading groups writers can connect to. Click to tweet.
I have not heard of LibraryThing, thank you.
The discussion aspect is not there, but I find people sharing book covers on Pinterest in huge numbers. I follow Goodreads, and agents on Pinterest for their suggestions or to see who they represent.
I also participate in Booksneeze. You can chose from their book options, then write a blog review and one on-line review (goodreads, amazon). I always give the book away with my review on my blog. Then on your profile page are all your reviews. So it’s also an easy way to connect with other readers.
I’ve also joined book launch teams. There you can connect with readers/writers and discuss the book you are helping to launch. Also as a writer, you can learn valuable marketing ideas.
Thank you, Lisa, for adding Booksneeze to the list. 🙂
Wow, Lisa. I love reading about all you are doing. You’ve got some fabulous ideas here. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Janet, for the suggestions. I have only been on Goodreads as a reader and have had mixed feelings about it. I tried to get involved in discussions but was discouraged and turned off by the lack of respect in too many of the comments–not the replies to my comments, just the general types of comments. For example, during a discussion of “My Favorite Books,” some advocates for Twilight as the top book (series)of all time verbally attacked those who supported the Harry Potter series. Others verbally ripped apart Harry Potter fans. Many comments made offensive remarks about Mormons in general because the Book of Mormon made the list and others lacerated the Bible. I tried some “Can we please respect one another’s opinions” comments, then gave up.
I’m looking forward to exploring Library Thing as well as other sites.
I hope that you are rested up from the conference.
Blessings on your week.
Christine, online comments–on FB, Goodreads and blogs–sometimes get out of hand. Those writing scathing words seem to forget a real person is on the receiving end. The depersonalization of “social” media raises its ugly head at those times.
True. That’s why I like this blog community. There is a distinct conscious awareness by the regular members of the blog that each comment represents an actual person. I think anyone new to the blog can see that from reading just a few comments and new people seem to stay with the attitude of respect. You and the other Books and Such agents show that same respect and the same mindfulness that real people show up here. You’ve demonstrated this by your comments to us, both in the content of the comments and the consistency of your responding. Thank you for that.
Thanks, Christine. I love the sense of community we have between the agents and the commenters on our blog. I want us to have room to disagree with each other, but I don’t see any reason we need to fall into disrespect.
Oh my word. Anonymity certainly can breed ‘high school brain’, eh? Well done being a voice of reason.
Thanks, Jennifer.
I just can’t stand people putting other people down. There’s never an acceptable reason for it.
Oh no, you left off the amazing Book Club Network at bookfun.org! This wonderful site, run by the St. Laurents not only has a free community for readers but heavily promotes and supports Christian writers. They also now have an ezine. I’ve been a member of TBCN since they started a few years back and am not on the board as a volunteer. I also represent TBCN at writer’s conferences. I had the privilege of meeting with Fred and Nora in person recently. Wonderful people!
I’ve had mixed feelings about Goodreads, Janet. I’m there, and I try to keep my bookshelves somewhat up to date, although they aren’t an accurate reflection of how much I read. But it just didn’t seem intuitive like other social media, like clicking “Like” or re-pinning something. Lisa makes a wonderful point about book covers on Pinterest. I need to follow you all! I love “brainy” so I’m going to check out Library Thing. I wonder, though, how brainy the choice of the word “Thing” in their name? 🙂
Meghan, I’m with you about Goodreads. I’m terrible about keeping my bookshelves up to date because it seems like work, as opposed to liking something or repinning.
I’m just in the process of starting to pin my clients’ books on Pinterest. It seems straightforward.
I love your remark about “Thing” not being a very brainy word choice for Library Thing. I wonder how they came up with that name.
Janet, I need to check out your Pinterest boards. Having a board for my novel, as well as future story ideas, is very inspirational.
Janet, thanks so much for sharing these thoughts. I (hangs her head) am not on Goodreads. Knowing that Amazon bought it makes me want to look elsewhere when I jump into the “connecting with readers/reviewing” arena. I know, I’m way behind in the social media aspect. I’ve been adding one new form of social media to my repertoire each year. Last year was Twitter. This year, I can’t decide between Pinterest or something like Library Thing.
I’m so glad you shared alternatives to Goodreads. Thank you for giving me other places to check out to determine what will be a good fit for me.
Jeane, you don’t need to apologize for not being involved in some aspect of social media. We’re all pedaling as fast as we can, and each year we add more to our to-do lists. It’s kind of insane. And now, you can just skip Goodreads and go on to something else!
He-he. 🙂 Thanks for sharing good alternatives for when I am ready. 🙂
Filling your repertoire with one form of social media each year is a great idea.
Right now, I’m focusing less on social media, and more on editing my WIP so I can continue the query process. I know platform is important, but if my story isn’t polished, I’ll damage the positive first impression I want to make.
Jenni,
I’m with you. Working on my WIP is the most important thing. Of course, a non-fiction writer would have to worry about having a platform, but as a fiction writer, I’m connected to a couple of social media sites, but my main focurs, as I said, is finishing my manuscript and sending out queries.
I agree, Jenni. Focusing on my ms is a top priority too. That’s partly why I haven’t jumped on-board with all the social media. Time for writing is at a premium, isn’t it?
Jeanne T — Well said. I limit my social media to the four most popular ones, and defer my activity on the rest of the flavors until post-query. First, I have to get my mss out the door LOL. It’s been baking too long in the writing oven.
Christian fiction sells, so perhaps Amazon, a private company, might make Christian fiction more visible on Good Reads to further encourage sales through the Kindle store or their primary site.
Conversely, if Amazon shuns Christian Fiction on Good Reads, then it’s not just a Good Reads issue, but one which can reduce the sales of the Kindle store and the primary Amazon site.
Good points, Larry.
Pinterest is a magical place to be, and an easy place to spend too much time in.
I’d like to look into Novel Crossing. Thanks for the heads up Janet.
You’re welcome, Jenni.
I’m on Goodreads. Ish. Clearly, not enough. I love going on friends’ Pinterest boards to see their character profiles. Laura Frantz has an INSANE collection of period dresses that makes me so incredibly thankful for jeans and sweats.
As for reading groups, ummmm, yeah, sure. I’m in them (that was Bold Faced Lie #1 for today). Does having someone say “hey, did you read…insert name of book here…” qualify as a reading group? Cuz then I’m in, like, 40 groups.
😉
You write a consistently excellent blog, Jennifer, on a regular basis. You have nothing to hang your head about.
Thank you, Christine!!
Jennifer, I love Laura Frantz’s Pinterest boards. Just give me an old pair of jeans and comfy shoes, thank you very much.
I’m going to have a Pinterest board “Bring back Levi’s 501’s.” Best jeans EVER.
I wrote a rough draft of a contemporary romance and the hero wears 501’s. I can’t have the hero in my saga wearing them, as they weren’t invented yet.
Bummer.
😉
It’s not a lie on April Fool’s Day! ;p
I LOVE you!! Absolution AND epic editing skilz!!
My initial foray at Good Reads wasn’t a positive experience and I haven’t been back, mostly because I’m not sure whether to be there as a reader or a writer and I don’t think I can be both in a book forum. As a reader, I have very eclectic tastes that might be off-putting to some who read my fiction. What I mean by that is I love thrillers and murder mysteries as a reader, and I am gun-shy about seeming to “promote” grittier fiction than what I write. Maybe I worry too much.
Stephanie, I think you’ve identified the schizophrenic affect venues like Goodreads have on authors. If you load your bookshelf with what you read for pleasure, it might not have anything to do with what you write. But if you remain true to your brand, then it’s trickier to decide what to put on bookshelf. Personally, I’d vote for the latter; this is a public forum, and you’re an author. Readers know you as an author, and I think you need to remain true to that persona, or readers would be confused.
Thank you for the great article on Goodreads, Librarything, and other places to connect. I was surprised that Goodreads has more YA leanings and little inspirational. I plan to get involved in these places once I get a release date for my debut novel.
I’ve been part of Compuserve’s Books & Writers Community (its present title/incarnation) for the past 15 years. It’s the oldest online community for writers and readers (dates back to the late 1980s I think, when it was exclusive to Compuserve account holders), and is where I learned most of what I know about writing. It’s populated by best selling authors and newbies and everyone in between.
Lori, thanks for letting us know. I wasn’t aware of this community (or it has been around for so long that I’ve forgotten about it).
Haven’t been to Novel Crossing, so thank you for the introduction to it. Perhaps one reason it’s fledgling is that not all Christian readers only read Christian novels.
I have found that my library website has more information about all genres in a less cluttered layout than GoodReads. However, it’s not a “reading group” like GoodReads.
While I’m on GoodReads, I have had to stop incoming notices from them because they push books that I may never read even though they’re in the genre I’m interested in. If GoodReads can funnel their genres down to specific subgenres, then they would be useful to me as a reader.
Jan, thanks for your explanations about what works/doesn’t work for you with online reading groups.
I wasn’t thrilled when I heard the news about Amazon and GoodReads. Don’t they already own Shelfari? It feels like they are trying to control every aspect of book purchases and reviews. Will there be problems with disappearing book reviews at GoodReads once they take over, as has happened on Amazon when people didn’t purchase a book on Amazon that they posted a review for?
I like using my blog to post reviews, but I also try to post a small review of any book I read at Amazon and GoodReads. Now, I won’t feel the need to post both places.
Cheryl, the concern that others in publishing have voiced about Amazon buying Goodreads is that it’s a great way to get rid of competition. Shelfari has, for all intents and purposes, been melded into Amazon rather than retaining its own identity. I suspect much of the same will happen with Goodreads. Now Amazon doesn’t need to worry about Goodreads going into the online bookstore business. All in all, it’s the loss of an independent place to read/write reviews about books.
Do you think that perhaps Pinterest will rise to the top as “an independent place to read/write reviews about books?” You know, until Amazon or Google or Yahoo starts eyeing it LOL.
I pin books that I’ve read that I like, and on rare occasions I write something about it under the nice cover picture. Sometimes I repin books that I like, and others have repinned or liked books on my board. Pinterest is a very social, laid-back environment, sort of like the cafe in a bookstore.
Looking forward to your book boards on Pinterest — maybe I’ll find new books to add to my reading list!
Hi Janet,
I’ve only just begun proactively using Goodreads…and now they’re changing hands. I love Pinterest and Smashwords, the blogs from Publishing companies, places like LitFuse, and The Christian Book Network, who are all about promoting books. Love Novel Matters, She Reads, Novel Rocket, too! I’ve learned as much about books as I have about writing from so many of these sites.
I know this isn’t exactly the same thing as a STRICTLY READING community, but at the risk of overstepping the appropriate boundaries, some of us writers have just launched a new reading and writing community called Married… With Fiction. It’s ALL ABOUT COMMUNITY; about helping each other grow in our writing, helping each other find quality fiction that encourages and blesses our family lives, it’s about walking the writing journey with a community. Although social media was intended to help us be more connected, it has become a way of isolating ourselves more and more. We’re hoping that MarriedWithFiction.com will be a place where social media venues are used to bring like-minded people together under the same umbrella, both in the world of fiction and in the their personal lives.
Great post – and thank you for raising awareness for LibraryThing. Wonderful site.
Book Club Buddy is a great resource of information for readers and authors in general, as well as for book clubs. http://www.bookclubbuddy.com/
Thanks Janet for the info.
I tried Goodreads once and it didn’t work for me…but I like the sounds of Novel Crossing,I will take a look at that.
Reba
I left Goodreads a while ago because it took up too much time and I prefer other Social Network sites. I’ve felt guilty about leaving, but now I’m glad I did. Amazon has a lot to offer, but they shouldn’t take over the entire world of books.
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I am an author of several works of fiction. I’d like to recommend my latest piece to you, simply because I think it is good and will provide entertainment to many of your readers.
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