Goodreads Goodness #3: PROMOTING YOUR BLOG

In part 3 of my Goodreads Goodness series I take the opportunity to point out how Goodreads can help an author promote her or his blog. No matter how many followers by email or RSS reader you as a blogger may have, it is always nice to have as many avenues for getting your personal blog (and also your name and book titles) before the eyes of your readers.

One way is to set up your Goodreads author account so that it features your blog:

 

When you do, anyone who visits your author page--and every author should make an effort to steer readers to their author page--has the opportunity to read your most current post to your blog.

But wait! There's more.

Convince your readers and visitors to follow your author page, and they may receive a weekly email with links to all the blogs on all the Goodreads author pages they follow:

If your reader clicks on that link automatically generated by Goodreads, it takes them directly to your blog post right on your Goodreads author page:

 

And I don't mean just a snippet, either. The whole post is there:

 Is there any guarantee they will click on that link to read your blog post? Of course not. However, even if they don't, it is another opportunity to get your name in front of their eyes and remind them that they really enjoy reading your books. It may prompt them to look for your most recent release:

If you are an author and don't have your Goodreads author page set up to connect with your blog, consider doing so today. Then, be sure to invite your friends, readers, fans or anyone who is just plain curious about the books you write to follow you on Goodreads.

 

Goodreads Goodness: Sharing Books & Reviews

This post is the second in a series on how using your Goodreads account can benefit readers and authors. To read Part 1 published on this blog last month, please CLICK HERE.

First, an explanation. Zina Abbott is my pen name, but I make no secret that I am really Robyn Echols. It is just I want my readers to know that when they read a Zina Abbott book, it is different kind of story than what I write under my own name. 

I do have a Goodreads account for both names. However, since I buy my books under Robyn Echols (the credit card companies are happier that way), most of my activity is there. Still, I do have followers on my Zina Abbott Goodreads account. I do post some reviews and choose books I want to read on both accounts. Which is why I know what is going on. I get email notifications from both Goodreads accounts, and I see how much my Goodreads activity is shared with followers.

Here are these two books on my Robyn Echols Goodreads list that I marked as "Currently Reading":

Going to my Zina Abbott Goodreads account, here is a notification of what my Goodreads follower Robyn Echols is now reading.

I am not limited to going to my Goodreads accounts to see what is happening with friends sharing their current reading list with me. I get emails from both accounts. I get updates about what books my Goodreads friends have added as "Want to Read" and what books they are currently reading. This Goodreads-generated email to Zina Abbott shows updates on the account for Robyn Echols:

Below are some notifications from some of my other Goodreads friends:

Here is a Goodreads-generated email to Robyn Echols showing what books Robyn has marked as "Currently Reading" reminding me when I finish the book I need to mark it as having been read and submit my review. It also shows updates from my Goodreads friends about their book and reading activity.

Remember that book Robyn Echols marked as "Currently Reading"? Here that same book showed up on my Zina Abbott Goodreads email after Robyn Echols wrote a  book review on her Kindle once she finished the book. I also could have gone into my Goodreads account, brought up the book I marked as "Want to Read" or "Currently Reading" and uploaded a review there. Instead, I did it the quick and easy way on my Kindle as soon as I finished reading the book. The important thing is, my book review went out by email to all my Goodreads followers, including Zina Abbott:

How do I find time to write all those book reviews? On my Kindle Fire it is QUICK AND EASY. That is the message of this blog post for readers and writers alike. For Amazon and Goodreads, you don't need to go to separate sites, log in and jump through a bunch of hoops before you even get down to writing a review. Just take that few minutes on your Kindle to update your progress -- including writing a short review -- once you have finished reading the book. Your activity will then be shared with others.

As for those book reviews shared on Goodreads and Amazon, most readers have no idea how valuable they are to writers. Trust me, taking the time to share your review of a book is an act of Goodreads Goodness. 

Please visit and follow Zina Abbott on Goodreads by CLICKING HERE.

Zina Abbott is the pen name used by Robyn Echols for her historical novels. My novel, Family Secrets, was published by Fire Star Press.

Please visit and follow the Zina Abbott’s Amazon Author Page by CLICKING HERE. 

 

Goodreads Goodness: Encourage Reviews

As an author, I am increasingly impressed with Goodreads as a promotion site. I noticed this more as a reader than a writer. As someone who encourages readers to leave reviews of the books they read on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Goodreads, I find as a reader the easiest way to do so is by taking advantage of the tools on my Kindle Fire.

First, I choose a book on my reader.








 Once I open the book, the following About This Book message shows in the right-hand corner. Sometimes I need to scroll down to find the Goodreads button. But, it is a favor to the book's author when I click on Mark as Currently Reading. It not only shows on my Goodreads feed that I am reading the book, it triggers email notifications to all my Goodreads followers about the book I am reading.

Have I ever bought books based on what another reader among my Goodreads friends has chosen to read? You bet.

Sometimes the information in the window will give an indication on how long the book will take to read. Even if the book is a six hour book and I decide I want to read a book that is estimated to take me about two hours, I still select Mark as Currently Reading because if I close the book and open it again later when I'm prepared to delve into a longer story, that About This Book window does not reappear.  

If I then go over into my Goodreads home page -- Ta! Da! -- there are the two books I marked as currently reading on my Kindle Fire.

It does not end there. Once I finish reading the book, it is an easy process to get my book review up on Goodreads as well as Amazon. At the every end of the book, I keep scrolling until I reach a Before You Go... page that looks like this:

I activate it to leave a review by first clicking on the STARS to give the story I just read a rating:

 

Once I do that, up pops windows for a review title and the review itself along with a keyboard. 

All Amazon requires for a review is twenty-five words. Not many. That is within the capability of those readers who don't consider themselves good writers. Yet those twenty-five words mean so much to the author of the book the reader just read. That review not only goes on Amazon, but it goes on the author's Goodreads account. 

It doesn't stop there. Next week I'll discuss some other benefits of authors and readers having and maintaining a Goodreads account.

Please visit and follow Zina Abbott on Goodreads by CLICKING HERE.

Zina Abbott is the pen name used by Robyn Echols for her historical novels. My novel, Family Secrets, was published by Fire Star Press.

Please visit and follow the Zina Abbott’s Amazon Author Page by CLICKING HERE.  

And, please, when  you finish reading my books, leave a review.