Author Maegan Provan

Why Authors Shouldn’t Be Afraid of Goodreads

If you’ve even thought about becoming an author, then you’ve probably heard about all of the review sites out there. The one with the worst reputation is Goodreads. Infamous for author-on-author bullying, endless sock accounts, trolls, author-on-reviewer bullying, and more, most authors tend to steer clear of the book-centric social media site. The first “attempt” to stop the bullying was lead by the group known as Stop the Goodreads Bullies (or STGRB), and was focused on harassing authors and reviewers that left unfavorable reviews on the books written by the founders of the group. Personal information leaks, harassment, and other insane issues rose out of that “attempt” and ultimately lead to the fall of Goodreads’ reputation. Authors that aren’t mixed up in that drama avoid the site because they’re afraid of it. They’re afraid of their career ending before it begins.

I wanted to write this post to tell all of the authors and reviewers out there to come back to Goodreads. If we allow bullies like STGRB to take over the site and police how reviews are written and what reviews are okay to post, then they win. And it won’t stop there. The harassment and insanity will spill over directly to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other review platforms. We have just as much right to our opinion as they do, don’t we? There are always going to be bullies and their play at being a Gestapo is not going to stop it. We just have to attempt to be the bigger people here.

In close, I hope that you all will join me in being more active on Goodreads, sharing reviews, book statuses, and whatnot. We deserve a platform not only to connect with each other, but with our readers as well.

Maegan Provan
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6 responses to “Why Authors Shouldn’t Be Afraid of Goodreads”

  1. Tricia Drammeh Avatar
    Tricia Drammeh

    I’ll admit – I’m very intimidated by Goodreads. I find it very overwhelming. Probably because I never really took the time to understand how to use the site as an author. I started a Goodreads account long before I ever wrote a book, but even then, I didn’t participate in groups. I agree with you that GR has a very bad reputation, at least among indie authors. I once read a piece of advice that told authors that the key to getting along on Goodreads was to log on, set up an author profile, and never return. I think a lot of authors have taken that approach, which is a shame. Goodreads could be a pretty cool place if everyone played by the rules and treated each other with respect.

    Reply
    1. Maegan Provan Avatar
      Maegan Provan

      The WORST thing you can do is create the account and disappear. But I agree, if everyone treated everyone else with respect it would be a MUCH better place

      Reply
  2. Joleene Naylor Avatar
    Joleene Naylor

    I post reviews on goodreads, but that’s it. I don’t participate in groups or discussions or the rest of it because, I admit, I am too intimidated by all the drama. I know a few authors who are active on there (Barbara Tarn for one) and do a lot of groups and such, but I haven’t been able to get past the fear of getting dragged into some kind of mess, especially considering how limited my online interaction time is anyway. I know I should, because it can;t get better without people to make it better, but…

    Reply
    1. Maegan Provan Avatar
      Maegan Provan

      I understand, but we’ve got a responsibility to our readers to reach out and do more within Goodreads. I just think it’s got the potential to be a great place, we just have to make it that way.

      Reply
  3. D. Wallace Peach Avatar
    D. Wallace Peach

    I have my books on goodreads and do giveaways of new releases. I also post reviews. My experience has been a good one, though I’ll admit I don’t participate beyond that. It is a great way to engage with readers. 🙂

    Reply
    1. Maegan Provan Avatar
      Maegan Provan

      I couldn’t agree more 😀

      Reply

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