Whilst I was checking in on Goodreads earlier today I dropped by the Poll section. They had some pretty good questions for readers. I think you'll agree that these results give good food for thought.
How many reviews do you typically look at before you read a book?
As you can see, the majority of those who answered (55069) said that they looked at 1-3 reviews before reading a book. This highlights the importance of having at least a few reviews on your book pages but also shows that you don't need hundreds to convince readers.
There are also reviews and reviews. A review that gives insight into what the reader thought about the book including pro's and con's is of much more value than one that simply says the reader enjoyed the book.
When discovering a not-yet-published book that you're excited about, you...
As most of you know by now, Amazon rolled out a pre-order feature earlier this year which levelled the playing field that little bit more between traditionally published and self/indie published books. As you can see from these results the majority of readers said they would shelf and wait for publication. Pre-orders were second place though. Something to think about.
Do you judge a book by its publisher?
I was personally very happy to see these results. The publisher really shouldn't matter. What should matter is having a quality book. Glad to see that others feel the same way.
How do you let the world know when you find a book you love?
In person and social media are the clear winners here. It is nice to see that some people will still give books a shout out on their websites, blogs, and newsletter too though.
What convinces you to add a book as Want to Read?
Descriptions matter. Make sure yours pulls in potential readers.
Do you use Goodreads? Do you take part in their polls? Did any of the above results surprise you?
This slideshow by Patrick Brown (Director of Author Marketing at Goodreads) and best selling author Bella Andre covers some of the ways authors should be using Goodreads in their book marketing efforts.
It also gives some nice ideas for how you can incorporate Goodreads into your website and boost your chances of getting more reviews.
Are you using Goodreads to promote your books and connect with readers?
As writers we want our readers to finish reading our books and have enjoyed it enough to leave a review and tell others to read it too. Some books never get finished though. What is it about some books that makes a reader abandon them?
Goodreads has put together this infographic that takes a look at the psychology of abandonment. As you can see from the "Goodreads Top Five most Abandoned Books" the fact that a lot of readers never make it to the end doesn't seem to stop them from becoming top sellers. All the books listed are well known and have made it to the top of several best seller lists on an international level.
What is it about a book that makes you put it down or keep turning the pages?
Goodreads had an amazing year in 2012 and almost doubled in size. With over 20 million reviews being shared on the site it's solid proof that book lovers are out there in force and getting more and more active about sharing their reading experiences.
Take a look at this infographic to see which book was the most reviewed of the year, what the most requested book of 2012 was and various other snippets from the Goodreads year.
For a larger sized graphic visit the Goodreads blog
Which book did you most enjoy reading this year?
What's on your to-read list for 2013?
The internet is home to a growing number of social reading sites where readers can comment on books they've read, suggest books to others and share information about their favourite authors. Groups, book exchanges, chances to win free books... these sites are heaven for book lovers.
These sites all have the common features you'd expect of a social networking platform from friends lists to groups to comments.
Some of the most well known platforms include:
Goodreads
Launched in January 2007, Goodreads is home to over 9,200,000 members who have added more than 330,000,000 books to their shelves.
LibraryThing
Started in 2006, LibraryThing is a community of over 1,500,000 books lovers.
Shelfari
Launched in 2006, Shelfari was acquired by Amazon.com in August 2008. Activity on the site can have a direct effect on the books product page on Amazon.
On-line forums are also popular. To find one all you need to do is a simple search on Google.
These platforms were created for avid readers and as such make them the ideal place for authors to be able to gain reader feedback and connect with their fans.
What social reading sites are you part of? How are you using them?
