It’s always been hard to get your book discovered, but with the growth of self-publishing, it’s even more difficult.

UNESCO estimates that globally today, 2.2 million new titles are released every year.

Yowza.

In today’s saturated market, understanding how readers discover books can make a significant difference in your success. The more you know about this, the better able you are to focus your efforts in the right places.

Here’s your guide to understanding how readers discover books so you’re better able to get yours in front of them.

Recommendations

Good word of mouth makes a big, big difference.

Personal recommendations from friends and family are influential because they come from trusted sources. We love sharing books we’ve enjoyed; that creates a ripple effect that can greatly boost your book’s visibility.

You’re probably familiar with this from your own reading habits. If a friend likes the same types of books you do, you pay attention when they say, “I loved this book and I think you will, too.”

Recommendations also come from online communities and platforms. Goodreads is the most vibrant community for readers. It’s where they discuss their latest reads, offer recommendations, and create reading lists.

For example, when one of my daughter’s friends and I discovered we loved the same books while talking at a wedding, she quickly jumped to, “Are you on Goodreads? Let’s connect there!” It’s a great way for us to quickly see not only what each other is reading, but whether we like those books, too.

Other influential online gathering places for readers include Facebook (it has groups dedicated to readers of nearly every book niche imaginable), Library Thing, Riffle Books, and Reddit, among others.

Engaging with these communities can help your book reach a wider audience.

Collaborations

One of the best – and possibly most overlooked – ways to get discovered by more of the right readers is to collaborate with authors and other types of product or service creators who already reach your target audience.

A newsletter swap is an easy way to collaborate. You and an author who reaches your audience recommend each other’s books to your newsletter subscribers.

You can also swap guest blog posts, host Q&As, or plan Instagram or Facebook Live events for each other’s followers.

Online platforms

Online platforms and their algorithms are key players in book discovery today, too. Selling your book on Amazon is a no-brainer. It’s where most people who buy books online buy them. It’s also where they review them.

They review them on Goodreads, too, so in addition to using Goodreads as a reader, you’ll want to claim your author account there so you’re more directly connected to your book on that site.

The same goes for BookBub, which is both a site and service created specifically to help readers discover more of the books they enjoy reading.

These options are all pivotal for book recommendations because they use complex algorithms to suggest books based on a reader’s past behavior and preferences.

When you list your book on these platforms and optimize your metadata on each, you enhance your book’s discoverability.

Reviews

You also know that reviews and ratings on these platforms are important.

Positive reviews can boost your book’s ranking and visibility, while detailed feedback can help potential readers decide to pick up your book.

Don’t expect them to happen organically, although that can and does happen, of course. Instead, encourage your readers to leave honest reviews that will help you maintain a steady flow of new readers.

Traditional and digital media

Media coverage, both traditional and digital, significantly impacts book discovery. This news media attention known as publicity can help your book reach a broader audience.

Don’t overlook the power of magazine and newspaper reviews; they’re still influential, especially with older demographics.

Visibility in online publications and blogs has become essential because readers turn to trusted bloggers and online magazines for book recommendations.

Trade magazine publicity – both reviews and interviews – can be important for certain nonfiction books, so be certain to explore that.

Securing coverage on popular book blogs can drive significant interest and sales, but so can interviews and guest posts on subject/topic blogs.

For example, if your romance novel is set in Door County, Wisconsin, pitch Door County bloggers (yes, they exist, I checked) on a review or Q&A with you on why you chose that setting.

Podcast publicity is increasingly important for authors, too, as more and more people are drawn to the specificity of podcasts. As with blogs, pitch an author interview with book podcasts, but also approach topic podcasters, as well.

Social media

As we’ve seen with BookTok on TikTok, social media has revolutionized how readers discover books.

Social media didn’t exist when my first book was published.

It was a humor book that took a lighthearted look at male behavior, explaining to women why men do what they do or say what they say. The topic is perfect for social media, so I can only imagine the impact these platforms would have had on sales.

Today, in addition to TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter are homes to vibrant book communities that actively share and discuss their latest reads.

Instagram hosts book group accounts (think Reese’s Book Club), YouTube has BookTube, and Facebook (mentioned above) is home to lots and lots and lots of genre readers groups.

Reader communities also have their own gathering place on Twitter/X with Twitter Communities.

Are your readers on Threads? That newer social network lets users create groups (Book Threads) that become mini-communities, too.

The best way to work toward book visibility in any online group is to become an active member and participant first. Showing up as a marketer, especially before you understand a group’s vibe and personality, is a waste of time.

Bookstores and libraries

Let’s not overlook how many people rely on browsing through physical bookstores and public libraries for books they might enjoy.

Fact is, while many self-published authors release only as e-books, most people still prefer physical books. Even Gen Zers prefer that format.

Curated displays in both stores and libraries plus bookstore staff recommendations can spotlight your book to new audiences.

Case in point: When I attended an NYU School of Professional Studies webinar on how Braiding Sweetgrass became a best-seller six years after it was published, I learned it was through the power of independent bookseller recommendations. Pretty cool, isn’t it?

As for libraries, many readers rely on them almost completely for reading material. That means library programs that include “lunch and learns,” book clubs, and author talks can introduce your book to new-to-you readers.

What can you do today to get better plugged in to your local library’s programs?

In-person engagement

One of the best ways to maximize discovery and good word of mouth, though, is meeting readers in person, face to face.

Author signings, book tours, presentations, and literary festivals allow you to connect with your audience directly on a personal level. These events create memorable experiences that can turn attendees into loyal readers.

Virtual events. including virtual book tours, webinars, and summit workshops. have also become popular, especially since the pandemic.

They offer the advantage of reaching a global audience without the need for travel. Participating in or hosting virtual events can help you connect with readers from different parts of the world, too.

Advertising

Paid advertising on Amazon, where readers are looking for books, can pay off under the right circumstances. Many authors also have success advertising on Facebook, where they can target specific demographics and interests.

Both options help your book reach potential readers who are likely to be interested, as long as your Amazon detail/sales page is “optimized” and you understand how to create and buy effective ads.

How will readers discover books by you?

Considering how many ways authors discover your books, where should you put your efforts to make sure yours gets found?

There’s no pat answer for this. With the exception of selling on Amazon, what will make the most difference for one author might not be the best choice for another.

For example, novelists get more traction on Goodreads than nonfiction authors do. And, some authors are so uncomfortable with in-person events that while they’re great for visibility, they’re not worth the stress.

Choose your discoverability channels – social media, publicity, advertising, and so on – according to where you’ll find your readers, your skills, and your interests.

But do something. Don’t wait to be discovered. You have to make it happen.

FAQs about how readers discover books

1. How important are personal recommendations in helping readers discover books?

Personal recommendations are incredibly influential in book discovery.

Readers often trust friends, family, and even online communities like Goodreads for book suggestions. These recommendations create a ripple effect that can significantly boost a book’s visibility, as people love sharing books they enjoyed.

Engaging with these communities can help authors connect with potential readers and spread the word about their books.

2. How can collaborating with other authors help in book discovery?

Collaborating with other authors can be a highly effective way to reach new readers.

Authors can participate in newsletter swaps, guest blog posts, or co-host events like Instagram Lives or Q&As. These collaborations allow authors to tap into each other’s audiences, increasing exposure to readers who are already interested in similar genres or topics.

This strategy can be particularly powerful in niche markets.

3. Why is a presence on platforms like Amazon and Goodreads crucial for authors?

A presence on platforms like Amazon and Goodreads is crucial because these sites are primary destinations for readers searching for books.

These platforms use algorithms to recommend books based on user behavior and preferences. By listing their books and optimizing metadata on these platforms, authors can enhance their discoverability.

Reviews and ratings on these sites also play a significant role in attracting potential readers, making it essential for authors to encourage reviews.

4. What role does traditional and digital media play in book discovery?

Traditional and digital media can significantly impact book discovery by reaching broad and targeted audiences.

Media coverage, such as magazine and newspaper reviews, remains influential, especially among older demographics. Digital media, including blogs and online publications, offer a more accessible and often cost-effective way to gain visibility.

Authors can pitch to book blogs, podcasts, and online magazines to secure reviews, interviews, and features, driving interest and sales.

5. How can social media influence book discovery, and which platforms are most effective?

Social media has revolutionized book discovery by creating vibrant communities where readers share and discuss their favorite books.

Platforms like TikTok (BookTok), Instagram, Facebook, Twitter/X, and newer networks like Threads have dedicated spaces for book lovers. Authors can build a presence on these platforms, participate in discussions, and engage with readers.

The key is to be an active and genuine participant rather than solely promoting books. Each platform has unique features that can be leveraged, such as Instagram’s visual appeal, TikTok’s short video format, and Facebook’s extensive group communities.

What are you doing to get discovered that’s working for you? Please tell us in a comment.

Whether it’s The Wall Street Journal, HuffPost, USA Today, or lesser-known sites, the article feedback rarely makes me smile. It’s often depressing, in fact, as strangers argue with each other about something neither side knows much about.

But when an author friend mentioned the comments on one of the Goodreads book marketing case studies that I shared in the Build Book Buzz book marketing group on Facebook, I broke my own rule.

I read the comments.

Good news/bad news

There’s good news and bad news.

The good news? The first few comments are positive. Yay!

The bad news? There’s a lot of whining. A lot of it.

The case study is about the role Goodreads played in making The Silent Patient a best-seller this year.

It’s a very good book. (I read it.) If there’s a formula for psychological thrillers that readers love, this book uses it. So there’s that, right from the beginning.

Of course the publisher’s staff knew this book could take off with the right support.

The right support

It’s that “support” that commenters seem to take issue with. In general, the negative feedback includes one (or all) of these messages:

1. Oh, sure, if I had a traditional publisher with a lot of money to market my book, I could have this success. But I’m self-published, so I don’t.
2. If my Rolodex included famous, successful authors who could blurb my book, it might be a best-seller, too. But I don’t know any incredibly popular authors.
3. Indie authors just can’t replicate this, so the system is rigged against us. We’re screwed.
4. Why doesn’t Goodreads share case studies about successful self-published authors? Now that’s something we can learn from!

Let’s look at each of these points.

A different perspective

Complaint 1: Big money

Most authors — even those who have written excellent books published by big name publishers — don’t have this kind of financial support. To get this kind of marketing budget, you need to write a book with best-seller potential, get an agent, shop it around, and hope that a publisher sees the potential. Even then, there are no guarantees of anything.

This can mean making a choice between writing what the book-buying audience wants to read and writing what you are moved to write.

If you want a publisher that will start hyping your book a year before it’s published, study the books that are getting this treatment. Figure out the story success formula. Then write a fantastic book that follows the formula.

Complaint 2: Famous blurbers

This is true. Most writers don’t have famous author connections. But what connections do you have? Who can you ask to blurb your book?

For lesser-known authors, the fact that anybody says nice things about your book is better than nobody saying nice things.

Mine your network. Take action. (If you don’t know how, my affordable training program will walk you through the process.)

Complaint 3: It’s rigged against us

No, it isn’t.

Look at what goes into a top-quality traditionally published book and replicate it. Whether it’s fiction or nonfiction, a book that sells well usually includes:

• Excellent content
• A whiz-bang cover that’s appropriate for the category or genre
• Professional editing
• Professional proofreading

This is how the system works. The content comes from you, but the rest is available to every author. Whether you take advantage of it or not is up to you.

This was in place long before self-publishing was an option. There’s no reason to change it. Readers want good books; this is what’s required to publish good books.

Complaint 4: Goodreads should share indie author case studies

Goodreads doesn’t owe anybody anything.

Goodreads is a business that exists to make money. It does this by providing a service to readers, not authors.

To help do that, the company provides a platform that all authors and publishers can use for free. Publishers have the money required for the add-on services that Goodreads offers, so of course the company is going to cater to them.

Lots of us would enjoy reading about indie author success stories on Goodreads. Maybe we’ll see a few in the future. But that’s a decision the company will make based on what’s best for its business, not on what authors think the company should provide.

(In the meantime, read the success stories on this site, including “How one indie author made $74,000 in 16 months and quit her day job (and what you can learn from her),” “Memoir author’s book marketing success story,” and “How to sell out at a book signing without being a celebrity.”)

Goodreads has to provide what readers want while making it possible for publishers and authors to help provide that, too.

Focus on what you can learn

At the end of the case study, the writer summarizes what others can learn from what Celadon Books did to market The Silent Patient. You’ve seen it here on this blog before — start early, give away a lot of advance review/reader copies (ARCs), be creative.

There’s no reason why an indie author can’t do all of this.

I took another lesson from this, though: Librarians are your friends. The first phase of this campaign involved giving ARCs to librarians and booksellers.

Does your work as an author include connecting with and learning from librarians? You might be surprised at what they can teach you about book packaging and positioning as well as what readers want.

There’s no question that indie authors don’t have the resources of big publishers. But sell enough books on your own to attract a publisher’s attention, and that might change.

What has been your most successful book marketing tactic? Please tell us in a comment.

The Goodreads blog recently published a detailed case study about how Celeste Ng’s second book became a best-seller. “Case Study: How Penguin Press Made ‘Little Fires Everywhere’ a Roaring Success” outlines the publisher’s marketing support, which includes Goodreads activity.

It would be easy to dismiss this article as irrelevant to you and me and most other authors. The vast majority of novelists – regardless of the publishing model used – simply aren’t enjoying Ng’s success.

Your books aren’t New York Times best-sellers and don’t achieve more than than 16,000 reviews on Goodreads. You don’t ink TV series deals with Reese Witherspoon, either.

I don’t think it’s irrelevant, though. In fact, I think you can learn a lot from this case study.

Even after you take into account that you don’t have her fame and success (yet) and how much Ng’s reputation played into her second book’s success, there’s still lots to learn from this case study.

Here are six book marketing lessons for novelists from the Goodreads article.

1. Write a damn good book.

You can’t be certain you’ve written a great story unless strangers tell you that.

So do your best, pay a professional editor to improve it, and get feedback from people who won’t be concerned about hurting your feelings.

This is important because so much success in fiction is driven by good word of mouth. People don’t recommend bad books to their friends.

As the Goodreads case study concludes, “Ultimately, though, all the great book marketing tools in the world would not have worked without an amazing story.”

2. Start early.

The Penguin team started marketing Little Fires Everywhere nine months before its publication date.

While you might not use the same strategy and tactics that Ng’s publisher did nine months out, your book would benefit from efforts that begin long before your publication date, too.

3. Work to build a fan base, then nurture and leverage it.

This is your platform – your built-in audience that’s waiting for your book to come out. You don’t build a platform overnight. It takes time.

If your audience is young and female, figure out Instagram and Goodreads, because that’s where they’re talking all things books.

Follow the followers of the top authors in your genre. Then give those readers value. Maybe you involve them in your process so they feel invested in your work. Ask their opinions on storylines, character names, or titles. Comment on what they’re doing.

The point is: Find the right readers and talk to them.

4. Distribute as many advance review copies – ARCs – as possible.

The case study doesn’t say how many ARCs Penguin gave away through NetGalley and Edelweiss, but there were 23 reviews up on Goodreads by the end of May (for a September publication date).

Many authors remain reluctant to give away review copies. They think it diminishes their book’s value or they’re worried about piracy.

Just do it.

If you’ve written a good book and you’re getting it into the right hands, ARCs will help boost the number of reviews, especially on Goodreads.

As for piracy, NetGalley has a mechanism that protects against that.

5. Identify and connect with key influencers.

In Ng’s case, several top Goodreads reviewers got early copies and reviewed the book. Who influences your readers? Find them on Goodreads, or find Gooreads reviewers who have reviewed books like yours.

Look for them on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter, too. Develop and nurture relationships with them.

6. Let reader feedback guide your marketing messages.

Penguin’s team used early reader reviews to shape marketing messages. You can do that, too.

Even less-than-favorable reader reviews can give you information you can use to change your book’s description so that people don’t expect X and get Y.

Study reviews to identify words used to describe the book. And, if your writing is compared to author X’s books more than once, work that comparison into your book’s description and keywords.

Find a popular book that’s similar to yours and study what the author and publisher have done to market it. You might be surprised by what you uncover — and how you can use that new knowledge.

What’s the one marketing tactic you know works for your book? Please share it in a comment.  

It’s a common author lament. While Goodreads is a social network of sorts, the site for book lovers doesn’t look, feel, or operate like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other platforms you might use. It’s so different, in fact, that many authors simply ignore it because doing that is easier than spending the time required to understand the site and how to use it.

That’s a shame, because the best authors are also big readers, and Goodreads is the place to be if you love books. It’s where avid readers share what they’re reading, want to read, and think of what they just read. You can learn a lot by studying readers on Goodreads.

Use Goodreads for market research

Smart authors take advantage of the market research information they can get from Goodreads. When you know your target audience, you can use readers on Goodreads share on that site to learn more about your ideal reader’s tastes and preferences.

Still, Goodreads isn’t as intuitive as other social sites, and that intimidates many. Understanding that, Goodreads recently published a helpful blog post that explains how to leverage that site as an author.

I think that one of the most interesting points in the article is that you can review your own book there. But should you? I’ll write about that here soon.

Here are the first few paragraphs of the Goodreads blog post followed by a link to the full post. I recommend clicking through and reading all of it.

How Authors Can Engage with Reviewers on Goodreads

Goodreads is the world’s largest site for readers and book recommendations, and an attractive spot for authors to promote their books to readers to get reviews. Authors sometimes wonder how to effectively reach and engage with reviewers on Goodreads, especially when they can see how much Goodreads reviews can impact the success of a book.

There are two different approaches for authors when it comes to promoting books on Goodreads that authors should leverage together. There’s the “pure marketing” approach, for which Goodreads provides suite of advertising products for authors to use to build awareness around their books. The other approach involves investing in building long term relationships with readers that can pay off over time.

If you have the time and are willing to invest it, here are some ways to engage with reviewers on Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/1234-how-authors-can-engage-with-reviewers-on-goodreads

You might also be interested in these Build Book Buzz articles about Goodreads:

• 3 mistakes you’re making on Goodreads
• 3 cool things you can do as a Goodreads author
• Expand your audience exponentially with smart Goodreads marketing

Are you active on Goodreads? What do you like and dislike about the site? Tell us in a comment. 

“My absolute favorite this year was A Man Called Ove,” she declared.

“Me, too!” I replied with surprise.

We started to compare notes on other books when she said, “Are you on Goodreads? I’m going to connect with you there!”

It was yet another reminder of how book lovers use the world’s largest site for readers and book recommendations. Studying reader behavior there as a reader yourself can give you insights into how people discover and recommend books like yours.

New e-book giveaway program for KDP authors

I was reminded of this conversation with my younger friend last week when I saw the news that  on January 9, Goodreads is opening up its new-ish e-book giveaway program to self-published authors using Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP).

I expected authors to be more excited than they were, however. One author was so annoyed that she wrote to the Authors Guild to complain about the program, saying, “it’s time this whole thing was discussed and exposed.” Others offered some version of, “I’m done with Goodreads.”

Many said the $119 price for up to 100 copies (either Kindle e-book or print book) was more than they would spend for the service. (Note that there’s a special introductory rate of $59 between January 9, 2018 and January 31, 2018.)

That’s partly because many of those I heard from said that they expected their giveaways to generate reviews, and that didn’t always happen.

Others were concerned that people entered print giveaway events so they could sell the books on Amazon.

“Will I just be feeding more copies out into the world to be sold used, with a premium because these ones will be signed?” asked one author. She did a giveaway on her own after her publisher did two of them — one before publication and one immediately after.

Others did giveaways to build awareness without expecting lots of reviews. As one author said, “I think the main benefit was with my self-published book, in just raising awareness that it existed at all.”

What Goodreads is saying about the new program

I asked Kyusik Chung, vice president of authors services at Goodreads, a few questions about this. My goal was to help you better understand whether the new KDP e-book giveaway might fit into your marketing plans.

Here are excerpts from our e-mail conversation.

This service has already been available to publishers. What have you learned about the books and authors who will have the most success with this program?

We’ve learned that Kindle e-book giveaways are fantastic for generating reviews quickly.  Because you can give away up to 100 copies for the same flat fee, publishers have gotten more copies in more reviewers’ hands and, ultimately, more reviews on their book pages.

And because those books are fulfilled automatically and instantly at the end of the giveaway, readers are able to read the book immediately rather than waiting for the books to be mailed to them.  We think KDP authors will love this aspect when they use Kindle e-book format giveaways.

I wonder if this is more helpful for fiction than nonfiction. What’s your take on that?

One of the strengths of Goodreads is that you can find fans of every type of book category from military history to paranormal romance to personal finance in our community of 70 million readers. We see authors and publishers of every type of book having success with driving awareness and interest through giveaways. Of course, results will vary depending on readers’ interest in a book.

What best practices can you recommend to authors considering this service?

What Goodreads is good at doing is amplifying the success of a book at launch, and giveaways are one of our book marketing tools you can use to drive discovery and buzz for a new book.

Four key things to focus on with giveaways are:

1. The description in the giveaway needs to get readers’ attention and persuade them to want to read the book and enter your giveaway. Really think about what makes your book stand out and spend time on that all-important first sentence. If you already have reviews, look for what readers are saying they liked most about your book to help you craft this.
2. Offer as many copies as you can. This will increase the number of people who have the chance to read the book, and it also increases the number of entries as people know they have a higher chance of winning.
3. Have a strong bio in your Goodreads author profile. Goodreads displays the first few sentences of your bio plus a “Follow Author” button on the Giveaway’s custom landing page so you want those opening sentences to be engaging.
4. Run your first giveaway for a book several months ahead of publication. This allows time to start building up those crucial early reviews so your book page already has reader perspectives once your book is out. You can also time a Giveaway around your publication date to create more excitement in that critical period.

What do you say to authors who say that this is just another way to rip off authors?

Indie authors are an important part of the Goodreads community and there are several ways authors can engage with readers on Goodreads for free, including sharing what you are reading yourself (Maggie Stiefvater,  Rick Riordan, and Roxane Gay are three great examples of authors who do this), using our “Ask the Author” feature, and providing additional content about your books with our Kindle Notes & Highlights on Goodreads feature (see how Emma Chase shared notes on her book, Royally Screwed, which led to some great interactions with her fans – authors should contact our author team if they are interested in doing something like this too).

You can find tips on all of this and more on our Author & Advertisers Blog. We also recommend authors sign up for our Authors Newsletter to stay informed about Goodreads and get case studies and advice.

The cost of our giveaway package options reflects the marketing value we are providing to help authors drive interest and awareness of their books.

Goodreads giveaways are a special type of advertising campaign. A Goodreads giveaway is much more than just getting your book into the hands of a group of readers. It includes building awareness through placement on Goodreads’ highly-trafficked pages, social amplification through stories in the Goodreads updates feed, notifications to your followers, and reviews. All of this helps build your audience and drive discovery of your book.

In addition, many indie authors only have Kindle e-book editions and were asking Goodreads for the ability to run giveaways for Kindle e-books — this was previously not available to them.

What do you think?

If you have a traditional publishing contract, you probably won’t have much trouble convincing your publisher to do a Goodreads giveaway.

If you’re self-published, I’d encourage you to calculate what you’ve spent or plan to spend on:

• Facebook advertising
• Book deal newsletters
• Tables at book fairs
• Other common marketing tactics that cost money

You might find that a $119 fee for visibility on this site that readers use and love is worth considering, especially considering Chung’s observation that giveaways generate reviews. I see it as a platform-building tool for writers who are in it for the long term.

Before you spend money on a giveaway or any other tactic, though, make sure you’ve got a great book. Write a book that generates the kind of conversation I had with my friend about A Man Called Ove and other books we’ve both read and loved this year.

If you don’t, it won’t matter how much money you spend to support it.

What do you think about this new Goodreads Giveaway program? Please share your thoughts in a comment. 

Expand your audience exponentially with smart Goodreads marketing

By Kate Sullivan

By now, most of us book people are familiar with Goodreads. It’s an amazing place to keep track of what you’re reading, what you want to read next, and everything to do with the bookish life. And since most authors are also avid readers, we tend to have our digital bookshelves well stocked and we regularly update our reading progress, reviews, and more.

Many of us also have our author profiles set up and have our Facebook and Twitter accounts linked to Goodreads. Heck, maybe you’ve even synced your blog to your Goodreads author page through RSS.

These are all fantastic ways to start leveraging the power of Goodreads’ massive audience to promote your books—but there’s more you can do to take advantage of all those eager readers just looking for the next great book to read.

Let’s look at a few ways—some free and some paid—to connect with the 55 million Goodreads members who might just love your book.

Goodreads ads

Like most free services, Goodreads relies on ads to make money. It offers a wonderful self-service ad platform for authors that can be a very affordable way to reach tens of thousands of readers who are interested in your precise genre.

Goodreads ads work much like Facebook ads or Google Adwords campaigns in that you create a campaign, assign it a budget, and choose a timeframe for it to run. Where it can be more effective than a Facebook or Google campaign, though, is that Goodreads lets you target specific groups of readers, like those who are interested in both YA and science fiction.

We all know that targeting very specific niches pays off when marketing your book. Well, you can’t get much more specific than aiming at avid readers who specifically love the genre you’re writing in. While you can get very targeted demographics using other ad platforms, you’ve going to pay a lot more for that level of specificity . . . plus, you’re never quite sure if the people you’re targeting are avid readers who are likely to buy a new book. On Goodreads, you know your audience loves to read and is probably actively looking for a new book. You’ve got a leg up.

Creating an effective Goodreads ad

The best Goodreads ads include a direct and specific call to action, like “Dive into this thrilling high-tech murder mystery today.” Don’t be shy—tell your audience exactly what you want them to do and what they can expect from your book.

Be sure to include a preview link so that you can hook potential readers—samples really do sell books.

Link your ad to somewhere readers can buy your book easily. While it’s sometimes tempting to link to your author website, if potential buyers have to hunt around to figure out how to buy your book, they’re likely to give up. Make it easy when choosing your URL—send them directly to a sale page or your Amazon listing.

Test different ads. Within a single Goodreads ad campaign, you can create different ads. This lets you test engagement: Are more people clicking on the ad that describes your book as a romantic horror novel, or the one that calls it a character-driven supernatural thriller?

Advantages and disadvantages

Goodreads ads have a relatively low click-through rate—the company states it’s somewhere around 0.05% on average—but this doesn’t mean these ads aren’t effective. That’s because while only five out of 10,000 people might click on your ad, those people are primed to want to buy a book.

Plus, the ad rates are very low compared to similarly targeted Google and Facebook ads—they cost only 50 cents per click and you can get lots of data about who’s viewing your ad, clicking on it, and adding your book to their shelves.

Even if you don’t sell a book from the campaign, for $25 or less, you can get a good amount of information about who’s interested in your book . . . which can help you with your overall marketing strategy by letting you get more focused on the people who really want what you’re writing.

Listopia

A fantastic, free way to promote your book on Goodreads is to add it to lists.

Goodreads Listopia is a huge wonderland of lists made by users. Topics range from standard “best of” lists to very specific niches like “Amazing Christian fantasy series that I wish everyone knew about” and “Sleuths in Silks” (a list of historical detective novels with female main characters).

Lists can help your books gain a lot of visibility, which can lead to purchases and reviews, escalating your momentum.

That’s because Goodreads lists aren’t just static groupings of books; users can vote on lists by clicking on the list, then clicking “Vote on this List” in the column of actions at the right. This brings up a screen that lets you put your top five books from the list in order.

From that same screen, you can add books to the list—and this is where lists become incredibly useful for promoting your own work.

If you find a list that’s relevant to your niche, you can add your book and vote for it within the list. Then, other users who are exploring the same list will see your book grouped with the others on the list—which will often be books by famous authors or popular favorites that people are searching for.

This exposure can help get people to click on your book to learn what it’s about—without paying for ads.

Tips and tricks for lists

Be polite when you’re using Goodreads lists to promote your work—it’s never a good idea to spam, and adding your books to a hundred different lists without ever adding works by other authors or creating your own independent lists is just rude.

Instead of adding your book to 20 lists at a time, consider adding it to a new, relevant list maybe once a week. And in between adds, vote and comment on other lists without promoting. (EDITOR’S NOTE 5-21-17: Several readers have commented that you can no longer add your book to lists — others have to do it for you.)

You can also create your own lists of books you’ve enjoyed and want to promote, including one of your own titles. Again, less is more here—people aren’t going to want to read and interact with a list that’s just your own books, which means you’re not getting the kind of engagement that makes Goodreads valuable.

Consider getting together with a few other authors in your genre to create lists of recommendations that include all of your group’s books and others that you enjoy or that have inspired you. This works way better than purely self-promotional lists.

Giveaways

The single best promotional tool on Goodreads is the giveaway for print books. It’s not quite free—you’ll need to provide the books to the winners—but it’s very low-cost and incredibly effective.

Creating a giveaway couldn’t be simpler. Just go to Browse > Giveaways and then click on “List a Giveaway” in the actions column at right. You’ll be taken to a page where you can list all the necessary information, including teaser text/description, number of copies, allowed locations, and genre categories.

Goodreads staff will read your listing and then email you when it’s approved; this usually only takes a day or two.

When your giveaway is live, it’ll be listed on the main giveaways page where users can either stumble upon it or find it when they’re looking specifically for books in your genre.

Goodreads does something great with its giveaways—it encourages readers to add the book to their “Want To Read” list when they enter. An average giveaway that lasts 30 days can get more than 750 “shelf adds” this way . . . and while that doesn’t necessarily translate to sales, it increases your exposure exponentially in a couple of ways.

First, users who’ve added your book to their shelf will see it again when combing through their books. Even if they don’t win a copy, they may decide to pick it up the next time they’re deciding what to read—after all, something about your book engaged them enough to want to win a copy.

Next, adding a book to a shelf is an “activity” on Goodreads, and activities are displayed in a user’s Activity Feed. This shows up on their Goodreads page and in their friends’ feeds—and if the user has connected Goodreads to Facebook or Twitter, that activity also gets posted over there. So a user who adds your giveaway book to their shelf is automatically sharing your book to their social networks and followers. Pretty great, right?

Fulfilling a Goodreads giveaway is easy. Goodreads does all the hard work of keeping track of entries and choosing the winners. When your pre-determined giveaway duration is up, you’ll get an email with the names and addresses of the winners. All you have to do is mail out the books.

How to run a great giveaway

Be sure to give people enough time to find your giveaway. A full month is usually a good length—you may not see much activity at first, but as the month draws to a close, you’ll start getting a lot more “shelf adds” because your book comes up toward the top of the “ending soon” display on the site.

Set reasonable criteria. Print books can be expensive, and shipping them can be even more so. If you’re in the US, consider limiting your giveaway to the US and maybe Canada to ensure that you can afford to ship the copies out. And offer a reasonable number of giveaway copies—three to five is enough to encourage people to enter because they’ll have a good chance of winning, but not so many that you’ll be spending a fortune on print books or hours upon hours shipping them out.

Promote the giveaway to your own followers. Add the Goodreads Giveaway Widget to your blog and let your email list know that you’re doing a giveaway. While your followers are already fans of your work and not new contacts, remember that every time someone with a public Activity Feed adds your book to a shelf, all their followers see it. It’s like automated word of mouth.

Ship to the winners promptly—and include some extras. If you have promotional bookmarks or postcards, include a few in the package. Add some goodies relating to another book you’ve written to cross-promote. Include a letter to the winner thanking them for participating, giving them your website address, and asking them to consider signing up for your email newsletter. Be sure to ask them to review the book on both Goodreads and Amazon when they’ve read it—reviews help sell books.

Connect with other authors to cross-promote each other’s books in your giveaways. You can include bookmarks, buttons, or other swag in your packages going out, increasing your exposure and helping each other gain new fans.

Digital options

Because the print giveaway program has been so popular, Goodreads introduced a Kindle giveaway program in 2016.

While the program is in beta, only authors who are published through Amazon’s traditional publishing arm, Amazon Publishing, can participate. However, Goodreads has stated several times that it will roll out the option to other authors, including those who use the KDP platform. We don’t know when that will be, but it’s worth keeping an eye on.

More than just a great resource for organizing your “to read” list, Goodreads is an invaluable tool for writers looking to expand their reach and grow their audience. From low-cost paid ads to free and effective giveaways, Goodreads has marketing options for every budget and skill level. Smart Goodreads marketing options are available to everyone, so take advantage of them.

Editor’s note: Goodreads is very different from other social platforms, so you want to learn how to use it effectively for book marketing before jumping in with both feet. The best way to do that is to first use it as a reader before using it for book marketing. For more on Goodreads, read “3 mistakes you’re making on Goodreads” and “3 cool things you can do as a Goodreads author.” We also offer a popular audio training program,”How to Promote Your Book with Goodreads” featuring advice from a Goodreads staffer.

Goodreads is the world’s largest site for readers and book recommendations. It boasts an audience of 40 million book lovers, 1.1 billion books added, and 43 million reviews.

43 million reviews!

It’s about more than reviews, though, and authors enjoying the benefits of this site’s power know that.

Goodreads isn’t just a website where readers post book reviews. It’s a social network for book lovers – an online community where people who love to read can gather and talk about books they love while they share opinions that they hope will influence their friends and others.

Readers of all ages rely on it for recommendations about what to read next and what to avoid.

If you’re an author, you can’t ignore this site. Join the Goodreads Author Program, complete your author profile, and list your books.

Or, perhaps you’re plugged into the site already but are discouraged because not much is happening for you. It’s possible you’re using the site wrong. In fact, you could be making one of of these common author mistakes on Goodreads:

1. You’re participating on Goodreads as an author, not as a reader.

The most important thing to remember as a Goodreads author is that you should be there as a reader, not as an author. Goodreads is a site for readers. To be accepted and embraced, you need to use it as a reader, not as an author on the prowl for reviews and customers.

Join the groups that interest you (rather than those you think will help you promote your book); avoid the writer groups (they’re often too self-promotional to offer any benefit to anyone). Participate in discussions as yourself, not as the author of a book. Let people get to know you while you get to know them.

In addition, follow authors you like or admire – just as any other fan would. Follow users who like the same books you do – you might discover more great books to read.

Simply put: Forget that you’re an author and become familiar with the site as a book lover.

2. You’re contacting reviewers directly.

This is a Goodreads no-no. Site managers frown on this. Don’t contact users on the site to ask for a review and don’t contact someone who reviewed your book, either. It could get you booted from the site.

Goodreads doesn’t even want you to thank a reviewer – so don’t. That’s because reviewers write reviews for readers, not authors, and when they hear from an author directly, it can feel a little creepy – like you’re looking in their windows.

Last week, another book marketing coach who works with authors contacted me for advice about a client who wanted her to help him identify and contact “top” Goodreads reviewers to request pre-publication reviews of his book. I gave her this advice, and it applies to you, too: Don’t even try. It could get him kicked off the site. (And who would he blame? Certainly not himself.)

If you can’t resist, make sure you contact top reviewers outside the site.

3. You’re not supporting other authors on the site.

On Goodreads (and all other social networks), follow the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

If you want people to review your books, review the books of others. When you see news of a book giveaway, share it. Comment on author blog posts on the site.

When you use Goodreads to enhance your experience as a book reader, you will naturally and organically support your experience as an author.

What’s the best way to learn how to use Goodreads?

Goodreads isn’t as intuitive as some other social networks. It also has a unique, reader-focused culture that doesn’t always feel author-friendly. To really figure it out, you need help from someone on the inside. That’s why I recruited Goodreads Author Marketing Coordinator Cynthia Shannon to teach you how to learn how to use this powerful resource effectively.

Our 60-minute audio training, “How to Promote Your Book with Goodreads” and the four companion PDF handouts explain how to use the site to:

• Claim your official author status
• Build a fan base
• Get your books discovered
• Get reviews
• Get results

You can download and listen to How to Promote Your Book with Goodreads immediately. Get more information at this page.

If you use Goodreads as an author, tell us what you like and don’t like about the site. Your experiences might help someone else. Please comment below. 

Incredibly enough, every second, five books are added to a “want to read” shelf on the site. What’s more, readers add 30,000 reviews to the site every single day.

Authors who have figured out how to use Goodreads for book promotion have seen the potential there — they can build a fan base, generate influential reviews, expand their platform, and ultimately sell more books.

Any author who wants to find readers needs to be on Goodreads. Here’s just a sampling of what you can do there once you take the necessary steps to use the site as an author (in addition to as a reader):

1. Get reviews that go farther.

Here’s what I really like about Goodreads reviews: They get syndicated – distributed – to USAToday.com plus e-commerce and library sites, so they work harder for you. In addition, on Goodreads, there’s a direct relationship between the number of reviews a book has and how many times it’s added to someone’s reading shelf. Get more reviews so your book gets added to more shelves by using Goodreads giveaways, widgets, and badges to generate reviews.

2. Be heard; get known.

As a Goodreads author, you can add your blog and videos to your profile so your thoughts and opinions get read, seen, and heard. Participate in the right groups appropriately and help readers know, like, and trust you. What’s more, when a reader selects the “I’m a fan” option on your author profile, your blog posts, reviews, and comments will appear in their Goodreads feed, which helps them get to know you better.

3. Generate attendance at book signings and other events.

Doing a book signing where you live now, or across the country where you grew up? Speaking about your book’s topic to a group? Presenting at a conference? Get more people to show up by promoting the event on Goodreads.

There’s much, much more you can do on Goodreads to connect with readers and get your book discovered, of course. If you’d like to learn more (so your book gets discovered!), listen to my audio program with Goodreads staffer Cynthia Shannon, “How to Use Goodreads for Book Promotion.” Cynthia, a true Goodreads insider, shared lots of helpful and specific information you can use immediately to improve your presence on this social network for book lovers.

What’s your best tip for using Goodreads?