Goodreads for Authors: How to Promote Your Book on Goodreads

Most booklovers are familiar with Goodreads, the world’s largest book recommendation site. As an author, you’ve probably spent your fair share of time using the site, adding titles to your “want to read” shelf, writing reviews, and maybe even scoping out the competition. But have you ever considered using Goodreads to promote your own books? Learn how Goodreads can be one of an author’s most effective marketing tools if you use it effectively. Start with these 10 tips for how to promote your book on Goodreads and you’ll be well on your way.

 

What is Goodreads?

First, a little background on Goodreads. Launched in 2007 and acquired by Amazon in 2013, Goodreads is a platform that helps readers discover, track, and review books. Boasting a massive database of more than 3.5 billion books, the site also has a large social component, with more than 150 million members as of 2023. In just that year alone, users generated 26 million book reviews and 300 million ratings. Because Goodreads is the social platform for literary enthusiasts, it is an ideal place for authors to connect and engage with readers and build their following. 

 

How to Promote Your Book on Goodreads: 10 Tips

 

Goodreads for Authors Tip #1: Join the Goodreads Author program

Signing up for the Goodreads Author program is easy and free and comes with many benefits, including allowing you to claim your Author Profile page so that you can control how you appear on the Goodreads platform. Once you are verified with the program, your author profile will include the official Goodreads Author badge, which you can use for additional promotion, sharing with fans, and asking them to follow you on Goodreads. 

 

Goodreads for Authors Tip #2: Make your Goodreads Author profile great

You only get one chance to make a first impression, and Goodreads is no exception. When readers come across your author profile page, you want to make sure you have a high-quality, professional photo, a fun and personal bio, and interesting, engaging content. One easy thing to do is to turn on the “Ask the Author” feature in your Author Dashboard and answer a few of the preseeded questions. This gives readers an opportunity to get to know you better. You can also help start conversations with fans and fellow authors by adding some books to your “want-to-read” shelf, and rating and reviewing the last few books you’ve read. Here is a great example from renowned author Dan Brown: 

 

 

 

Goodreads for Authors Tip #3: Optimize your Goodreads book listings

When it comes to how to promote your book on Goodreads, how your book listings are displayed is essential. You want to make sure readers can find everything they need on the page, and that the page is optimized for search. A well-optimized book listing page should include:

• A detailed description with relevant keywords
• An accurate genre listing
• A link to the correct author page
• A high-quality, legible image of the book cover
• Promotional photos and/or videos of the book
• Links to the author’s website, social media pages, and other books in the catalog

 

Goodreads for Authors Tip #4: Participate in Ask the Author Q&As

One of the best ways to promote your book on Goodreads is to utilize the Ask the Author feature, which is a Q&A platform that allows you to answer reader-submitted questions at your convenience, giving you a chance to interact with your fans and share more about yourself. There are some great examples of authors who use Ask the Author well – including Colleen Hoover and Erik Larson – to help give you an idea of how to utilize this feature:

Tips for using Ask the Author for Goodreads book promotion:

 

• Write an initial message letting readers know how often you’ll be answering questions, what kinds of questions you’d love to answer, etc.
• Answer a few of the preseeded questions to get things going.
• Don’t feel pressured to answer questions that you don’t want to answer. Remember, with Ask the Author, you’re in control! 

 

Goodreads for Authors Tip #5: Make use of Goodreads Giveaways for Authors

Nothing gets people more excited than a giveaway. And when it comes to booklovers, there’s no better way to promote your book on Goodreads than by giving away free copies of your book, because when people win giveaways, they’ll likely write you a book review. With the Goodreads Giveaways for Authors program, you can give away up to 100 print or Kindle eBook versions of your book, which, of course, helps generate buzz and excitement. Your book can also be promoted on the Goodreads giveaway homepage to millions of users, so make sure your description is as exciting as possible in the 150 words you have to use. Don’t forget to promote your Goodreads giveaways on all of your social media channels, your email newsletter, and on your website or blog to spread the word! 

 

Goodreads for Authors Tip #6: Target your audience with Goodreads Ads

When it comes to how to promote your book on Goodreads, you can’t count out good old-fashioned advertising. With Goodreads' direct advertising program, you can promote your book on Goodreads to specific, targeted audiences based on any number of preferences, including genre, author, format, and more.

 

Goodreads for Authors Tip #7: Get a spotlight in the Goodreads newsletter

While this may be more challenging than some of our other tips, it’s worth mentioning that Goodreads runs a monthly newsletter feature highlighting different author interviews. By being selected for one of these spotlight articles, you can increase your Goodreads book promotion tenfold. Typically, the featured authors are chosen based on upcoming or just-released books, and it is up to the editors’ discretion, so for this one, you may just have to get lucky. 

 

Goodreads for Authors Tip #8: Share Kindle Notes and Highlights with readers

Kindle has a feature called Notes and Highlights that allows you to highlight sections of a book and add notes to it. What does this have to do with how you can promote your book on Goodreads, you may wonder? Well, when you connect your Goodreads and Amazon author accounts, you can share Kindle notes and highlights with your readers on the Goodreads platform. This can include anything from behind-the-scenes stories to Easter eggs to bonus content – anything that will help you create a deeper connection with your readers and grow your author brand. Need some inspiration? Here’s a great example from Victoria E. Schwab, author of “A Darker Shade of Magic.”

 

Goodreads for Authors Tip #9: Get listed on Goodreads Listopia

A really great way for authors to enhance their Goodreads book promotion is by getting featured on a Listopia list. If you’re not familiar with Listopia, it’s a section of Goodreads where users can create and vote on lists of books by theme, and the order of books on a list is determined by member votes. Many Goodreads users find their next read through Listopia, so being featured on appropriate lists is key when it comes to Goodreads book promotion. Because authors cannot add books to Listopia directly, the best way to get listed is by encouraging your readers to add your book to relevant Listopia lists. 

Goodreads for Authors Tip #10: Engage, engage, engage! 

Of all the Goodreads for Authors tips we’ve shared, #10 is perhaps the most important of all. The more you use Goodreads to interact with readers, the more effective your Goodreads book promotion will be. Log in regularly and post status updates about what you’re up to, whether it’s attending an upcoming book signing, working on your next book, or just struggling with writer’s block. Readers also love to hear about what you’re reading, so don’t forget to share book reviews and what’s currently on your TBR (to-be-read) list. You can also join a Goodreads Group (or several) and chat about topics you’re interested in. The most important thing when interacting with readers on Goodreads is to always be authentic and not promotional. Remember that you’re there to have fun and talk about your love of books, and if they happen to discover and buy yours in the process, all the better!

 

There’s a lot that goes into Goodreads book promotion, especially for new authors. It takes time, planning, and practice, but when done right, it can yield great results. To help make things a bit easier, check out this handy infographic that outlines how to promote your book on Goodreads, along with key action items and dates.