How much do you know about the Goodreads Author Program? Test your knowledge to find out (and perhaps learn a new thing or two). Answers below—no peeking!
1. True or false? You need to be a published author to claim your author profile.
a) True
b) False
2. When should you list your first giveaway on Goodreads?
a) On publication day.
b) Three months before publication day.
c) Three months after publication day.
d) As early as possible.
3. What activity can you do to increase followers on Goodreads?
a) Review, rate, or shelve books.
b) Answer questions via Ask the Author.
c) Tell people to follow you on Goodreads.
d) All of the above.
4. What should you do when you need to update a cover on Goodreads?
a) Delete the old book cover and add the new cover.
b) Create a new edition of the book.
c) Post your new cover to your blog.
d) Nothing. You can’t update covers.
5. What is the difference between a friend and a follower on Goodreads?
a) You can have as many friends as you like; you can only have a few followers.
b) You need to approve friend requests, but anyone can follow you.
c) Your followers are limited to readers in your favorite genre; your friends can enjoy any book they want.
d) Friends will always buy your books, your followers will just ‘like’ your status updates.
6. One of your books isn’t listed on your profile. What do you do?
a) Restart your computer.
b) Add the book to the database manually.
c) Wonder if your book even exists.
d) Post to the librarian group to get someone to help you out.
7. How can you tell if you’re a Goodreads Author?
a) You have an account on Goodreads.
b) Your book is listed on Goodreads.
c) You’re interviewed for the newsletter.
d) You see the Goodreads Author badge in the corner of your profile and can access your Author Dashboard.
8. What is the minimum number of copies you need to set up a giveaway?
a) One
b) Five
c) Twenty
d) As many as possible
9. Are authors allowed to review their own books?
a) Yes, no harm done.
b) No way, no how.
10. Can you give away an older book?
a) Sure thing.
b) No way.
c) It depends on how long ago the book was published.
d) It depends on whether you’re a Goodreads Author.
Double check your answers... Answer Key below!
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1. A. True. Your book needs to be in our database and have a publication date in order for you to claim your profile (i.e.: you’re either a published author or a soon-to-be published author). To claim your profile, click on your author name and submit the application at the bottom of the page.
2. D. List your first giveaway as early as possible to start building advance buzz. Many publishing houses send galleys out 6-9 months before the publication of the book! You can list as many giveaways as you like before and after publication.
3. D. All of the above activities generate great content and raise awareness of your presence on Goodreads, which will persuade readers to follow you.
4. B. The best way to approach updating covers is to create a new edition of your book and combine it with the old ones. Since readers can be very particular about which edition they shelve, it’s Goodreads policy not to delete covers. If you’re in doubt, post to the librarian group for someone to help out.
5. B. You need to approve every single friend request, but anyone can follow you. On your publication date, Goodreads automatically emails all your followers; we don’t email your friends. Encourage readers to follow you!
6. B or D. You can add your books to the database manually here if you don’t see them on your book page. However, you can always post to the librarian group when you need help with your metadata.
7. D. You need to see the Goodreads Author badge in the top right corner of your profile, and when you’re logged into your account you should be able to navigate to https://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard. Simply having an account on Goodreads doesn’t make you a Goodreads Author, since you want your activity on the site to be associated with the book so that readers can easily find you.
8. A. You only need one physical copy of your book to set up a giveaway on Goodreads. You can run as many giveaways as you like, but they each must last a minimum of one week. Set up your giveaways here.
9. A. Yes, authors are allowed to review their own books. Goodreads displays “review from the author” next to your own review. Reviewing your own book though is likely not going to sway your audience. Instead, use the opportunity to write about what inspired you to write the book. Here is an example.
10. A. Sure thing! You can give away any book you have written yourself, whether it was published 10 years ago or 10 days ago.
How many answers did you get right? Did you learn anything new? Share your results with us in the comments below!
Next: Five Writing Prompts for Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers
You might also like: Level Up Your Goodreads Marketing
Goodreads Authors can subscribe to the Monthly Author Newsletter by editing their account settings.
posted by Cynthia on August, 08
1. True or false? You need to be a published author to claim your author profile.
a) True
b) False
2. When should you list your first giveaway on Goodreads?
a) On publication day.
b) Three months before publication day.
c) Three months after publication day.
d) As early as possible.
3. What activity can you do to increase followers on Goodreads?
a) Review, rate, or shelve books.
b) Answer questions via Ask the Author.
c) Tell people to follow you on Goodreads.
d) All of the above.
4. What should you do when you need to update a cover on Goodreads?
a) Delete the old book cover and add the new cover.
b) Create a new edition of the book.
c) Post your new cover to your blog.
d) Nothing. You can’t update covers.
5. What is the difference between a friend and a follower on Goodreads?
a) You can have as many friends as you like; you can only have a few followers.
b) You need to approve friend requests, but anyone can follow you.
c) Your followers are limited to readers in your favorite genre; your friends can enjoy any book they want.
d) Friends will always buy your books, your followers will just ‘like’ your status updates.
6. One of your books isn’t listed on your profile. What do you do?
a) Restart your computer.
b) Add the book to the database manually.
c) Wonder if your book even exists.
d) Post to the librarian group to get someone to help you out.
7. How can you tell if you’re a Goodreads Author?
a) You have an account on Goodreads.
b) Your book is listed on Goodreads.
c) You’re interviewed for the newsletter.
d) You see the Goodreads Author badge in the corner of your profile and can access your Author Dashboard.
8. What is the minimum number of copies you need to set up a giveaway?
a) One
b) Five
c) Twenty
d) As many as possible
9. Are authors allowed to review their own books?
a) Yes, no harm done.
b) No way, no how.
10. Can you give away an older book?
a) Sure thing.
b) No way.
c) It depends on how long ago the book was published.
d) It depends on whether you’re a Goodreads Author.
Double check your answers... Answer Key below!
1. A. True. Your book needs to be in our database and have a publication date in order for you to claim your profile (i.e.: you’re either a published author or a soon-to-be published author). To claim your profile, click on your author name and submit the application at the bottom of the page.
2. D. List your first giveaway as early as possible to start building advance buzz. Many publishing houses send galleys out 6-9 months before the publication of the book! You can list as many giveaways as you like before and after publication.
3. D. All of the above activities generate great content and raise awareness of your presence on Goodreads, which will persuade readers to follow you.
4. B. The best way to approach updating covers is to create a new edition of your book and combine it with the old ones. Since readers can be very particular about which edition they shelve, it’s Goodreads policy not to delete covers. If you’re in doubt, post to the librarian group for someone to help out.
5. B. You need to approve every single friend request, but anyone can follow you. On your publication date, Goodreads automatically emails all your followers; we don’t email your friends. Encourage readers to follow you!
6. B or D. You can add your books to the database manually here if you don’t see them on your book page. However, you can always post to the librarian group when you need help with your metadata.
7. D. You need to see the Goodreads Author badge in the top right corner of your profile, and when you’re logged into your account you should be able to navigate to https://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard. Simply having an account on Goodreads doesn’t make you a Goodreads Author, since you want your activity on the site to be associated with the book so that readers can easily find you.
8. A. You only need one physical copy of your book to set up a giveaway on Goodreads. You can run as many giveaways as you like, but they each must last a minimum of one week. Set up your giveaways here.
9. A. Yes, authors are allowed to review their own books. Goodreads displays “review from the author” next to your own review. Reviewing your own book though is likely not going to sway your audience. Instead, use the opportunity to write about what inspired you to write the book. Here is an example.
10. A. Sure thing! You can give away any book you have written yourself, whether it was published 10 years ago or 10 days ago.
How many answers did you get right? Did you learn anything new? Share your results with us in the comments below!
Next: Five Writing Prompts for Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers
You might also like: Level Up Your Goodreads Marketing
Goodreads Authors can subscribe to the Monthly Author Newsletter by editing their account settings.
posted by Cynthia on August, 08