This presentation details how authors can use Goodreads to reach their target audience -- passionate readers. It includes several case studies of successful giveaways, ad campaigns, author discussion groups, and more. Originally given in July 2012.

1. How authors can promote their books and build a
tribe on the World’s Largest Site for Readers

2. Goodreads by the Numbers:
members
9,560,000
monthly visitors
21,000,000
books shelved
350,000,000

3. photo by o5com
Every second... 2 books are discovered
on Goodreads

4. 5,750,000
books marked as to-read each month
books in the Chicago Public Library’s collection

5. Goodreads’ mission is
Discovery
Help people find books they love
and share them with friends.

6. Serendipitous discovery by seeing what friends are
reading and browsing their shelves

7. Goodreads Recommendations
If you liked these books, thousands of other readers
liked these similar books…

8. How do you get readers to
discover your book?

9. Goodreads Author Program
A free tool designed to help authors reach
their target audience–passionate readers.

10. 45,000 Goodreads Authors
bestsellers Nicholas Sparks, Paulo Coelho, Margaret
Atwood, Kathryn Stockett, and John Irving
Michelle Moran Donna Woolfolk Cross Charles Todd Tasha Alexander

11. 145,000 Titles shelved “historical-fiction”

12. Your goal should be to get reviews, especially early in the
life of your book.
1. Help new readers discover your book
2. Help readers decide
3. Spread beyond Goodreads

13. Build your platform
Add a high-quality author photo and a bio
Author profiles with a profile photo attract more than 9 times as many
ratings as author profiles without images.
Shelve some books! Add an “influences” shelf
If you don’t want to review new books, consider writing brief essays in
the review space for some of the books that have meant the most to you.
Add a Goodreads “g” or widget to your website

14. Housing Works
Add your events
and invite friends
Bookcourt

15. Advance giveaways generate pre-release buzz
35,000 people enter
giveaways each day
Goodreads has helped
authors & publishers give away
more than 200,000 books
The average giveaway gets 850 entries

16. Tips for a Successful Giveaway
Start early
Run your giveaway at least a month pre-publication. Many authors and
publishers see results with a giveaway 3 months before the on-sale date.
Run your giveaway for a month
A month is the perfect amount of time to let plenty of people enter.
Offer as many books as you can
We recommend offering at least 10 books. Roughly 60% of giveaway
winners review the books they win. The more books you can offer, the
more reviews you’re likely to get.
Bonus Tip: Use the Goodreads giveaway
widget on your blog, Facebook page, or
website to encourage your fans to enter

17. 30
24
Books Added Stats for
Books Added
18 Beautiful Ruins
12
6
0 Jan Feb Mar Apr May

18. Books Added Stats for
Beautiful Ruins
300
240
Books Added
180
120
60
0 Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July

19. Anatomy of a Bestseller
May 21:
Berkley buys Bared, touting
“2,500 reviews” on Goodreads
as a major reason, hits NY
Times Bestseller list
Apr 23:
Became top related book for
Fifty Shades of Grey
100
People who added book to their shelves
80
Mar 12:
Giveaway Began
60
40
to-read
20
reviews
0 Feb Mar Apr May

20. Use text ads to drive
readers to a giveaway

21. Self-serve advertising reaches just the right readers.
• Target fans of a genre or of
similar authors
• Add a call to action like
“Add to my shelf!”
• Giveaways with ads attract
56% more entries than
giveaways without ads

22. Talk to your fans
The best place to meet Goodreads members is in groups.
Join groups that interest you.
Many groups host author chats & discussions.
Don’t find the perfect group? Start your own!
There are currently more
than 20,000 book clubs
on Goodreads.

23. A panel discussion allows new readers to meet you.

24. Start a discussion group focused on your books.

25. Measure your success
Track how many people add your book and
mark it ‘to-read’

26. Once you’ve hooked a reader,
they will come back for more.
Known author 96%
Friend (offline)
Goodreads friends
Goodreads recommendations
Bookstore
Amazon
Library
Goodreads browsing 96% of people say they often read
authors they already know
Newspapers
Author's website
Radio
Facebook
TV
Publisher website
Twitter
* results of a survey we ran in February,
more than 3,000 people responded

27. Patrick Brown
Community Manager &
Author Program Manager
pbrown@goodreads.com
twitter.com/goodreads