Writing a book and publishing it might be quite stressful. However, the journey does not end there. There is more to being an author and writing a book. If you must get the best out of your book, you should not just stop at writing and publishing your book. You should know how to promote your book. One of the ways to reach more readers is through Goodreads. You can start by creating a Goodreads author page.
When you take advantage of the existence of Goodread after a book has been released, you will be putting it up for the visibility it needs. With this, the likelihood of the book being successful increases greatly.
What is Goodreads?
In its simplest form, Goodreads is a website developed for people that are looking to share their books or readers that are looking for books to read. It is a free website and can be described as a website that has some features of Amazon alongside some features of some of the famous social media platforms.
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This site has been existing for 14 years and is home to up to 90 million book lovers. Additionally, it has enjoyed up to 2.6 billion book listings.
Regardless of what stage you are in your writing career, Goodreads is definitely a platform with the kind of audience that you are looking for. So, it is only logical that you take advantage of its wide coverage.
Importance of Goodreads
There are many ways this site is vital to writers, and if you’re not aware of its importance, you just might be unable to make the most of it.
Goodreads is an amazing platform as it was built for authors and readers. The implication of this is that authors are not the only ones that benefit a lot from its use. The average reader can also benefit from this platform in several ways such as;
- Goodreads allows users to have an online and offline library. This makes users have a track record of their books.
- Goodreads allows every registered member to keep an organized catalog of the books they want to read. They can still keep a catalog of the books they have read, and the books they are reading at the moment.
- Goodreads also allows members to create virtual bookshelves. It makes it easy for users to find whatever book they want to read at any time.
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- Goodreads functions as a social media platform. That is, members have the opportunity to interact with one another.
- It is possible to find out the books other members are reading. And you also get to know their thoughts on a book you wrote.
- Additionally, you can find out people that are interested in the kind of books you like.
- Furthermore, since lots of book enthusiasts have personalized reading habits, you can get personalized recommendations in sync with your reading habits.
- Beyond all these benefits, Goodreads is a robust marketing platform for authors. With your book on this platform, you will definitely be getting a lot of engagements as it gets promoted and reviewed on one platform.
What is a Goodreads author Page?
Before going on to find out how to create a Goodreads author page, you should know exactly what a Goodreads author page is.
Goodreads are available to readers and authors alike.
However, it treats these sets of people differently. There is a program on Goodreads known as the Goodreads Author Program. As soon as you get registered on this program, you will become a recipient of a personalized Author page. On this page are all the details about you that book readers should know.
So, simply put, a Goodreads author page is a personalized section of Goodreads for an author. It contains the authors’ books, biography, events, blog posts, and picture. While these are the basic information on this platform, as an author, you’re free to include more information if this is something you are interested in doing.
Do You Need a Goodreads Author Page?
The Author page of Goodreads gives you the liberty of answering questions from your readers. You can also connect with and have regular engagement with your fans.
Although you do not have to own an Author page on Goodreads for your book to make it to this platform.
However, having an Author page can help people that love a particular book you have written find out more about you. Some might not even buy your book if they do not have details about you.
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In the absence of an Author page, you are likely to lose quite a number of potential fans.
Although not a rule, book enthusiasts will most likely buy a book if they know who the author of such a book is and can engage with the author. So, as an author, you will need to know how to create a Goodreads author page if you want book lovers to buy your book without holding back.
Step in Setting up a Goodreads Author Page
At this point, you know what a Goodreads author page is and why you need one if you want to become a successful author on Goodreads. That being said, below are steps authors that are looking to learn how to create a Goodreads author page should follow;
1. Open a Goodreads Account
It is impossible to own a Goodreads author page if you do not have an account on Goodreads.
So, the first thing you need to do when looking to create a Goodreads author page is to open a regular account in Goodreads.
To get started, simply head to the Goodreads website.
Once on the website, you will see the “sign up” icon on the right side of the web page.
You will have an option of either signing in with your Facebook profile, Amazon account, or email. Choose any one you like.
However, if you are already a member, you can log in.
To create an account using email, you simply need to fill in your details such as your email, a password, and your full name.
At this point, you are ready to move to the next phase of learning how to create a Goodreads author page.
After creating an account, you can add your website if you have any. You can also add your favorite books and so on.
2. Locate Your Books
In this step, you get started by logging into Goodreads.
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With this done, look out for a search bar located at the top of the Goodreads homepage.
Click on the Goodreads search bar and search for your book. You can input the author’s name and title.
If the book is on the Goodreads database, it will pop up.
once the book pops up, select the book or books that you are looking to make a part of your author page by clicking on them.
However, if the book is not in the Goodreads database, you can proceed to input the book manually.
To add your book manually, click here.
Fill in your book details and click “create book”.
Your book will appear on your author page.
Even if you are not ready to sell your book or launch it, it is okay if you add it to Goodreads. When you do this, you can enjoy reviews just after it gets launched as lots of people will already be anticipating it.
3. Locate Your author Profile and Claim It
In this step, all you have to do is locate your book’s page. It is an integral step in the process of learning how to create a Goodreads author page.
Once you do this, select the author’s name. This action gets you to your already existing author page.
All you need to do at this point is lay claim of your author page. Since the author page is yet to be owned by anyone, it will not contain vital details about you.
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To make the author page yours, scroll to the lowest end of the page and select “Is this you? Let us know”. Once you do this, you are indirectly telling Goodreads that you own the page and want to occupy it.
After doing this, you will need a bit of patience as it will take Goodreads a few days to respond to your request by sending you a confirmation email. This email will let you know that you now have an upgraded account.
4. Personalize Your Author Page
Claiming your Author page is great. However, there is a lot more to owning your own author page than just claiming it.
To truly be in charge of an author page on Goodreads, you will need to personalize it.
Since your author page was designed to let readers know a lot about you, it will not be ideal to have an Author page and leave it blank.
You will need to personalize it if it will serve its purpose.
Also, beyond simply personalizing it, you will need to get it upgraded occasionally. This way, your fans can be abreast of the growth of your brand.
Furthermore, there is a lot you can add to your Author page. However, the most important things that should be on this page are your email list, book details, social media accounts, websites, author bio, and picture.
In as much as your author page is about your brand, it is okay to add some books not written by you.
These could be your favorite books or books that you are hoping to read in the nearest future.
The Take-Away
When looking to find out how to create a Goodreads author page, you must know that being successful on Goodreads is more than simply being a gifted author. You have to look like a member of the Goodreads community if you want the undivided attention of book enthusiasts. This site functions like the average social media platform. So, to build massive engagement, you need to be active.
That’s not all. You do not always have to log in to Goodreads before accessing your account. With an active Amazon KDP account, you can always log in to Goodreads directly from Amazon.
