THE Group for Authors! discussion

Hi guys.

I've noticed an ongoing trend that I suspected would happen before I started publishing my main series - almost all of them have mentioned another author whose series would be my one's unofficial "shelf buddy".

I was wondering - would it be OK to contact those who have reviewed the book of the other author most closest to mine as a shelf-buddy and offer them a free paperback or ebook copy? Or would this break Goodreads terms of use for authors? I would be doing this to help build awareness of my series, not to gain reviews (which would simply be a happy by-product).

Thank you and have a great Christmas.

Thanks for the question Drea! Will be waiting for the feedback too :) I'd like to know also

I'd think goodreads and the members you contacted would consider this spam, and I'm not sure the other author would be overjoyed at you using their work, without their permission, to sell your own. I'd start by contacting the other author with a proposed strategy before contacting their fans.

N.B. If someone has left a positive review of your book,
contacting that member to see if they would like a free copy of a sequel would be fine, they have already shown an interest.
I hope this helps.

Emma wrote: "I'd think goodreads and the members you contacted would consider this spam, and I'm not sure the other author would be overjoyed at you using their work, without their permission, to sell your own...."

That does help, thanks.

Emma wrote: "N.B. If someone has left a positive review of your book,
contacting that member to see if they would like a free copy of a sequel would be fine, they have already shown an interest.."

Many would consider any unsolicited email of this type to be spam.

It is good to get feedback on subjects like this...Thanks everyone.

I had a thought on this that might work. Author cross promoting is big these days, meaning authors promoting one another. In the case where readers have already spelt it out that they think your book is a great 'shelf buddy' with another, this is a fantastic opportunity to ask that author for a promotion 'alliance' if you will. There's an option on Goodreads in which you can recommend someone else's book to your friends or followers. And if the other author agrees, he could recommend your book to his followers, while you recommend his book to your readers. Then you're not breaking any rules on Goodreads, you're actually using their system the way they intend, and you're not giving away your books or even having to ask for a review. If there's a place you could both put a message in with the book recommendation, then mark it to the potential readers as 'shelf buddy'. I actually think that's a really great thing that readers have said your books are similar - this is what we're all hoping for - as long as that other book is good!

Hi Shana!

I like your way of cross promoting and authors helping each other. The only thing is a starting author like me that has no following, I wouldn't have much to offer the more well known one.. in this type of exchange. If I had any followers I would most definitely love to do it. Readers would also appreciate it when they see authors helping each other. It shows a spirit of companionship and connection between fellow artists (which is what us authors are with words!)

Hope it works out for more established authors and if any of them are willing to help a newly published one like me out, I'm sure that newbies would appreciate it :) tweet/promote or reach out to us through private messaging if you genuinely liked our book(s) and I know I would never refuse such an offer!

Happy Festivities!
Chadi

P.s. As my dad says (Lebanese/Arabic proverb loosely translated): "Do Good and Throw in the Sea." I.e. When we do good and forget about it, it comes back. Another way go look at it is that the sea has waves... chances are it will come back :) aka Karma ;)

Great point and thanks Chadi, I agree. What goes around comes around. Yes, it's becoming quite a big thing among authors, to cross promote, but you're right, on equal or semi- equal platforms. The best thing you can do is just get on various social media platforms and start building your following and getting reviews. Eventually you'll have much more to offer and be able to easily take advantage of the same sort of thing with various authors. Start following lots of other authors on Twitter etc and RT for them. They'll do the same in return most of the time.
All the best.

Oh nice!! I didn't think of that Shana :) thanks!

Shana wrote: "Then you're not breaking any rules on Goodreads, you're actually using their system the way they intend, and you're not giving away your books or even having to ask for a review."

No. That's not using the recommendation system as intended. A cross-promotion "alliance" is a commercial activity in this context. You are promoting someone's book in exchange for a like service.

By all means, use your blog space, activity feed, Twitter or other social media for this sort of thing, but not the Goodreads recommendation system.

I have many reviews on Amazon for my books. Is there a way to transfer them to Good reads so readers have a better idea regarding the book?

Jeffrey wrote: "I have many reviews on Amazon for my books. Is there a way to transfer them to Good reads so readers have a better idea regarding the book?"

I'm not a GR expert or moderator or support staff, but I suspect the answer is "no." If a reviewer chooses to review in both places (I usually do) that's a decision the reviewer makes. No matter how advantageous the AMZ-GR review transfer might be for an author, we as authors have no rights over the reviews nor any power to control them, since we didn't create them.

Thus we have no power to "transfer" them, even if there is a mechanism, and I'm also reasonably sure that we're not allowed to ask individual refers to essentially review the book again by transferring the reviews to GR...especially since the request is most likely only going to be for the most favorable reviews, not all of them.

Just my USD .02.

Eric

If a book is sold at a signing and they don't have an Amazon account I am told Amazon will not allow a review without proof of purchase from them. True? If so that also sucks.

They need an amazon account to review but they don't have to purchase through Amazon to do so!!

I sell quite a bit on smashwords and someone posted on Amazon too...

:)

Jeffrey wrote: "If a book is sold at a signing and they don't have an Amazon account I am told Amazon will not allow a review without proof of purchase from them. True? If so that also sucks."

Jeffrey,

I've seen reviews at AMZ labeled "verified purchase" and reviews without. It seems to me it's an issue about not having an AMZ account.

I can see AMZ not wanting to allow just anyone to come in and post things on the site without having some control over what's posted, i.e., if you post something that violates the terms and conditions of the site (offensive language maybe or real nastiness short of obscenity) AMZ has control by banning you from the site.

I suspect, but have no direct knowledge of AMZ policies, that only people who have an account can post anything on the site.

More of my USD .02.

Eric

Christa wrote: "Shana wrote: "Then you're not breaking any rules on Goodreads, you're actually using their system the way they intend, and you're not giving away your books or even having to ask for a review."

No..."Ok thanks Crista.

Jeffrey wrote: "If a book is sold at a signing and they don't have an Amazon account I am told Amazon will not allow a review without proof of purchase from them. True? If so that also sucks."

Amazon recently revised their reviewing guidelines - having an Amazon account has always been a basic requirement (seems pretty obvious to me), and though you don't have to purchase an item from them in order to review it, you have to have spent $50 overall before you can post any review.

Hi everyone,

A couple of questions have come up in this thread about Goodreads terms, and it seemed worthwhile to clear up any uncertainties. To clarify, it actually violates our terms to send unsolicited messages to our members, as this is considered spam.

I'd also advise against entering into agreements with other authors to recommend each other's works, as this might end up violating our terms. Authors aren't allowed to use the recommendations feature to recommend their own work on Goodreads, and we also don't allow an author's representative to recommend an author's work in this way either. Although authors are welcome to recommend another author's work that they enjoyed, entering into an agreement to recommend each other's work might make you an author's representative.

If you'd like to know more about best practices on Goodreads, I'd recommend reading our author guidelines:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/guid...

If anything is unclear, or not covered by the guidelines, you're always welcome to reach out to support (at) goodreads (dot) com.

Thanks Yen-Tzu. I'm glad I brought that up and you and a few others cleared it up for us. Appreciated. Hadn't realized that would be a violation of the guidelines. Cheers.

Drae wrote: "Hi guys.

I've noticed an ongoing trend that I suspected would happen before I started publishing my main series - almost all of them have mentioned another author whose series would be my one's u..."

shame that is a violation of rules; but usually rules are there for a good reason. Maybe just a short email? I responded to a negative review saying that I hoped the reader could find books that appealed to her more and suggested she didn't finish ones she doesn't like; I wanted to acknowledge that reading is subjective and not everyone is going to like all books

Julia,

For what it's worth, I've been told by multiple authors in my genre...well-established, lots of books published and purchased...that under no circumstances should you respond to a negative review. No matter how polite you think you are being, or how innocuous you think your suggestions might be. There's too much risk of the negative reviewer taking your response...er...negatively...and you find yourself with subsequent one-star ratings and/or scathing reviews no matter what you write.

Personally, on those occasions when someone has given me a 5-star review (not all that often), I sometimes write to say "thanks" and nothing more.

Do one-star ratings or bad reviews hurt? Sure. But you just have to learn to get over it (after a bit? after a little revivifying wine and chocolate?) and move on. Uh, the latter is what I turn to in get-over-it-mode. *s*

Just my USD .02.

Eric

Usually a bad review will have a reason or two why they didn't like it. Look at them as well because they may be helpful when writing the next book.

A good reminder, Jeffrey...but those things must be carefully considered after the wine and chocolate.

*s*

Eric

Julia wrote: "Drae wrote: "Hi guys.

I've noticed an ongoing trend that I suspected would happen before I started publishing my main series - almost all of them have mentioned another author whose series would ..."

Oh my gawd, it is not up to you to comment on complete stranger's reading habits. If a reader wants to engage with you about your writing and you've made yourself available via social media, they'll find you. Otherwise, just leave people in peace.

The vast majority of avid readers choose to never post a review - good, bad or indifferent. Those that do, post them as their subjective opinion of a book to share with fellow readers, not the author.

Professional authors do not obsess over reviews and never challenge a review or attempt to contact the reviewer.

Speaking as a reader: don't comment on negative reviews. This is likely to end badly.

And some 1-star reviews have convinced me to get the books in question - usually those are "it had X and I hate X!" reviews. (Maybe I like X, whatever it is.) And there are some reviewers here whom I know have the opposite taste from me - if they hated it, I'll probably like it.

Eric wrote: "A good reminder, Jeffrey...but those things must be carefully considered after the wine and chocolate.

*s*

Eric" usually lots of wine.

Good point about carefully considering negative reviews. I'm pretty sure it has helped me be a better writer. At least, I hope so.

Jan wrote: "Good point about carefully considering negative reviews. I'm pretty sure it has helped me be a better writer. At least, I hope so."
got me to do a better job with editing for sure.