5 Tips for Authors Using Goodreads

By Iola Goulton

Tip 1: Add the books you've read and the books you own

Add all the books you can remember. Whether you liked them or not. One social media expert I've come across advises authors to get started on Goodreads by finding friends. I don't agree. Readers aren't on Goodreads to connect with authors. They're on Goodreads to connect with people who love reading—specifically, people who love reading the same books and authors they love.

So start by adding books you’ve read.

If you're not fussed about Amazon and Goodreads talking to each other, then there is one easy way of adding books to your shelves: go to the Tools menu (down the left-hand-side of your My Books page), and select "add Amazon book purchases". Note that you'll only see this option if you have Amazon and Goodreads connected (I can't see it, and many authors choose not to connect the accounts for fear of losing reviews).

The other thing you can do is download a Goodreads barcode scanner app, and scan all the books on your physical bookshelf using your smartphone (or get a broke teenager to do it for you. After all, they have a better phone than you do, which is why they’re broke).

Tip 2: Rate and review the books you've read

The Goodreads rating system is slightly different to the Amazon system, even though Goodreads is now owned by Amazon and both use a five-star rating scale.

The Amazon definitions are:

1 star - I hated it
2 stars - I didn't like it
3 stars - It was okay
4 stars - I liked it
5 stars - I loved it

The Goodreads definitions are:

1 star - I didn't like it
2 stars - It was okay
3 stars - I liked it
4 stars - I loved it
5 stars - It was amazing

Both sets of definitions emphasise the reader and their personal response to a book. Neither site is about an objective view of the quality of the book. As an example, objectively, Wuthering Heights is considered one of the best novels ever written in the English language. Vanity Fair is another. Personally, I loathe both of them--I couldn't even finish Vanity Fair because I disliked Becky Sharpe so much. So I'd give both books 1 star on both Goodreads and Amazon.

But that doesn't make them bad books. It just says I didn't like them. You can look at any of the classics and see a mixture of five star and one star ratings and reviews.

I don't know about you, but I read a lot of books which are okay to good, and very few I'd describe as "amazing". So, as a reader looking for book recommendations, I give little credence to any reviewer who rates every book as five stars.

Sure, not everyone follows these definitions. Some people rate books the same on both sites. Some people give one-star ratings to books they don't want to read (perhaps because they read the Kindle sample). Some people give one or two-star ratings to books they want to read, to remind themselves to read this book.

And some people give five stars to everything. 

Don't take this the wrong way, but those are not the people I'm going to look for when it comes to book recommendations. Do I really want book recommendations from someone who has never read a book he or she didn't think was amazing?

However, they might just be the people I look for when I want my own book reviewed . . .

Yes, please review. Your reviews don't have to be long or profound. They can even be copied from Amazon or from your blog. But reviewing is another way of participating, and it’s another way potential readers can get to know you: from your reviews.

Tip 3: Make friends

Goodreads allows you to find Friends from Gmail, Yahoo, Facebook and Twitter, and you can use this tool to find people you're already connected with.

Do use this tool with care: Goodreads only permits users to have 5,000 friends, so if you have a lot of Twitter followers you might find you use your entire Friend allocation the minute you connect your Twitter account.

Also, some authors have reported losing Amazon reviews from Facebook friends, and wondering how Amazon knew of the relationship. Given that Amazon now owns Goodreads, connecting your Facebook Friends or email accounts to Goodreads could be giving Amazon more information than you wanted to.

But rather than connecting with friends from other social networks, why not use Goodreads to connect with new readers? 

Connect with people who like the same kinds of books that you like. Because these are the people who are likely to enjoy your books.

You can find potential friends organically on Goodreads, but this is something else to be careful about: real readers are unlikely to be interested in connecting with you if you have more friends than books (like the social media expert I mentioned above, who has 2,500 friends and just 104 books. I’m happy to follow her blog. I don’t want to be her BFF on Goodreads).

Potential friends can use the Compare Books function to see if you have books or authors in common. I think this is a great tool: it enables me to happily reject most friend requests because the only books we have in common are things like Harry Potter, Twilight, The Hunger Games and The Da Vinci Code (extra-fast reject to anyone who gives The Da Vinci Code five stars). Goodreads will still allow these wannabe friends to Follow my reviews, but my timeline won't get clogged with their reading choices.

Tip 4: Participate

The point of Goodreads as an author is to connect with readers, and the best way to connect with readers is as a reader.

• Read books
• Recommend books
• Review books
• Like and comment on other reviews
• Participate in reader challenges
• Vote on lists
• Take quizzes
• Add favourite quotes
• Link your blog
• Enter giveaways
• Offer a giveaway

And join groups.

Yes, there are dozens or hundreds of author groups on Goodreads, and these are the best way of connecting with other readers.

Join them, but remember that a lot of groups are promoting review swaps or review circles or other ploys readers may consider unethical, and your reputation might be tainted by association. Also, you're not on Goodreads to connect with authors. Do that on Facebook or Twitter or LinkedIn.

Use Goodreads for the purpose for which it was created: to connect with readers to find and recommend great books.

Tip 5: It's not about you

Goodreads is a social network for readers. The site has a different vibe to other social networking sites. Goodreaders aren't patient with authors who spam or self-promote. They are not patient with authors who join groups to talk about themselves and their books. They are not patient with authors who create lists to promote their own books. They are not patient with authors who add their books to dozens or hundreds of “best of” lists, relevant or not. They are not patient with authors who publish too early, with insufficient revision and editing. They are not patient with authors who whine about reviews (especially if the reviews are commenting on insufficient revision and editing). They are not patient with authors who seem to only be on Goodreads to sell books rather than talk about books they've read and enjoyed (or read and hated).

If you're looking to social networking purely as a way of selling books, Goodreads isn't the site for you. If you want to connect with readers from all walks of life, try Goodreads.

And remember: it’s a site for readers, so participate as a reader who happens to write.

About Iola Goulton

I am a freelance editor specialising in Christian fiction, and you can find out more about my services at my website (www.christianediting.co.nz),  subscribe to my monthly newsletter at CES Newsletter or follow me on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/christianediting), Twitter (@IolaGoulton) or Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/iolasreads).

Introducing . . . Goodreads

By Iola Goulton

What is Goodreads?

I have a secret. Well, I'm about to share it, which means it won't be a secret for much longer. And anyone who knows me in real life already knows this about me.

One of the first things I do when I visit someone's house for the first time is look at their bookshelf. I try not to be obvious about it, and sometimes I even succeed.

But why? 

(As an aside, I think it's always a good sign when I welcome a guest into my home and they check out my bookshelf.)

You can tell a lot about someone by their bookshelf: do they own books? Do the books look like they were bought to read, or bought to show off (or inherited and displayed? Are they fiction or non-fiction? Have they been read? Are they all bestsellers and movie tie-in editions, or do they display evidence of personal taste? Do you like any of the same genres or authors? Do their books show any particular hobbies or interests you might have in common?

Based on their bookshelf, is this going to be one-off visit or a lasting friendship?

That's the basis of Goodreads: checking out virtual bookshelves and finding people who like the same books as you do.

Goodreads (www.goodreads.com) was founded in January 2007 by Otis Chandler and his now-wife, Elizabeth. Otis says (with my interjections):

One afternoon while I was scanning a friend's bookshelf for ideas,

(Hey! I'm not the only one!)

it struck me: when I want to know what books to read, I'd rather turn to a friend than any random person or bestseller list.

(Yes! I have a latent distrust of anyone who never reads, or only reads bestsellers. Wait. That's my husband. Getting back on track . . .)

So I decided to build a website - a place where I could see my friends' bookshelves and learn about what they thought of all their books.

And that place was Goodreads. 

I joined Goodreads in August 2010, and it was the first place I "met" people like me--people who others say read too much. And people who read more than I do.

At the most basic level, Goodreads is an online catalogue, a site where I can keep track of what books I want to read, books I've read and whether I liked them or not (and why). It also allows me to rate and review books, to add them to personalised virtual shelves (e.g. by author or genre or year read or any other way I'd like to classify them), to track how many books I read each year (and how many pages), and to connect with real-life and online friends.

How?

Goodreads is similar to other social networks such as Facebook, in that it enables readers to connect with others:

• Friend other readers, or Follow their reviews
• Follow authors (and ask to Friend them)
• Join genre or interest-based Groups and discussions
• Create and vote on Lists
• Enter or run book Giveaways
• Vote in the annual Goodreads Choice Awards

I get a monthly email from Goodreads with all the reviews my friends have written, and all the books they've rated. I get another which tells me the new books from authors on my shelves.

Goodreads doesn't appear on any of the lists of top social networks (at least, not on any of the lists I've found). But that's because it's a niche site: people who love books. Goodreads currently has 50 million members, compared to over 1 billion who use Facebook on a regular basis. But those 50 million people have who have added 1.5 billion books to shelves and written 50 million reviews.

That’s a lot.

I'm a Top 1% reviewer on Goodreads

. . . which sounds impressive until you remember that 50 million number and realise I'm actually only one of the top 500,000 reviewers on the site. As of today, I've written just under 750 reviews and rated close to 2,000 books which puts me in the top 20 New Zealand reviewers, but not even close to the top 100 worldwide.

Other Social Networks for Bookworms

Goodreads isn't the only social network devoted to books and reading, although it is the biggest. Other sites include BookLikes, LibraryThing, Riffle, and Shelfari (which merged with Goodreads in early 2016, as both are owned by Amazon). There are also some smaller book review sites which have some discussion and other features, such as SoulInspirationz and MoreThanAReview.

Reputation

I will admit that Goodreads doesn’t have the best reputation on the internet. There are accusations from authors that the site is full of mean bully reviewers. There are accusations from reviewers that the site is full of self-promoting bully authors. My observation is that most of the authors who’ve been “attacked” on Goodreads have either reacted badly to a critical review or rating, or taken offense when they’ve been told off for inappropriate self-promotion.

Some of the information is true. Most of it is misinformation quoted as fact—I've read many stories about authors being bullied on Goodreads, and most of them seem to stem from an author responding defensively to a critical review about their book, then getting upset when the reviewer sticks to his or her view that the book is not the next great American novel. Or British novel. Or whatever.

I didn't like Wuthering Heights. 

Or The Da Vinci Code, and it saddens me that trees had to die in order for people to read this. It's not bullying to say so in a review. It’s also not bullying to illustrate that review with amusing gifs of people casting up their accounts. Funny, yes. Crass, maybe. Bullying, no. If it's going to bother you to read a review that unfavourably compares your book with the worst book ever written, then it's probably best you stay away from Goodreads.

The result of author-reviewer stand-offs have been that a lot of authors never visit Goodreads (and some reviewers see this as a good thing), and a lot of reviewers left Goodreads after Goodreads deleted some or all of their reviews without warning because the reviews were said to be about the author, not the book.

But most Goodreaders know little or nothing about these shenanigans, because they are focusing on what’s important: books. And that, in my view, is the secret to enjoying Goodreads:

Make Goodreads about the books you read.

I’ll be back next week with five tips on using Goodreads. In the meantime, are you on Goodreads? What is your favourite feature of the site?

About Iola Goulton

I am a freelance editor specialising in Christian fiction, and you can find out more about my services at my website (www.christianediting.co.nz),  subscribe to my monthly newsletter at CES Newsletter or follow me on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/christianediting), Twitter (@IolaGoulton) or Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/iolasreads).

Take Your Pick

by Jeanette O'Hagan

If I made a stack of all the books in my to-read pile — both virtual and real — it would probably look something like the leaning tower of Pisa.

I have 143 books listed on my Goodreads to-Read pile alone  — and there a swathe of e-books on my Kindle and the six or seven stacks of print books dotted around my bedroom all waiting for their turn. 

It hasn’t always been so. I can remember the days when I finished one book and would wonder what to read next. Despite my mammoth to-read pile, I’m still discovering new books to read and enjoy.

How about you — are you scratching about, wondering what to read next, or does your to-read pile grown ever higher like Jack’s beanstalk?

Thinking about my to-read pile got me wondering about how I find new books and how /what criteria I use to decide what to read next.

The Time honoured and the New

Browsing — I love browsing in book stores, picking up books, looking at their covers, flipping open their pages, soaking up the ambience of store. In fact, I find it hard not to leave a bookstore without at least a couple of purchases. Which is why I was devastated when the Word Bookstores closed down recently — and now the ABC shops are going the same way — and why I was excited to hear about the opening of the Little Gnome book store relatively nearby to me. Somehow browsing online is just not the same. Plus, online doesn't do coffee.

Secondhand bookstores — often hiding old treasures long forgotten or niche books you wouldn’t find anywhere else. There’s the Lifeline Bookfest — but also thrift shops and shops that will swap your old books for their old ones.

My favourite authors — having discovered a good author or a great series – I love tracking down their books in bookstores and libraries. At the moment, I'm keeping an eye out for books by Jodie Picoult.

The local library – now my children are no longer toddlers or preschoolers likely to attract the gimlet glare of the librarian for disturbing the peace, I feel safe enough to return to my local library and browse its aisles or return trolleys. I’ve found some Dee Henderson and Karen Kingsley as well as Neil Gaiman in our local library – and I know that the Toowomba library stocks Paula Vince J

Recommendations and/or gifts from friends and family — My family gave me I am Malala for Christmas. My kids introduced me to Emily Rodda and her series of books while my sister and I often exchange books — introducing each other to new authors to hunt down and devour (er – the books, not the authors).

Book Clubs — in one former book club I went to, we talked about (and exchanged) the books we were reading. I discovered Geraldine Brooks and Ahn Do among others. In another book club, we read set books each month and discuss them. Some of the books have been fantastic —The Book Thief for instance — at other times, it’s been more of a challenge to read (Welcome to Normal comes to mind) — but each time I've learnt something.

Movies — yes, I’ll admit that sometimes I first learn about a book when if comes out as a movie — The Hunger Games, for instance, or, maybe I’ve heard of it, but it’s only after watching the movie that I more actively search out the book — as with John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars.

Review sites — like GoodReads — or blog review sites like Soul Inspirationz, Rel's Reviews,  Iola's Christian Reads or The Vince Review. Sometimes sites offer giveaways or Advanced Review Copies (ARC). Light the Dark website is another great place to look for books.  

GoodReads Listopia —  has lists of books under almost any topic you can think of — like this. I discovered Turn Right at Machu Picchu in the library, then looked at Listopia to find other, similar books such as Eight Feet in the Andes, which I’m enjoying reading at the moment.

Offering to review or critique books — I’ve enjoyed reading a number of books this way – including Imogen’s Chance and Mark’s Strength. I like to support local authors and have discovered a great many enjoyable books and great authors at the books tables of Christian Writer’s conferences or interaction with other authors. Sites like ACRBA, Netgallery or (recently) Rhiza Press may give new releases for honest reviews.

Searching Amazon or the internet for a specific title or subject — I found a great book on world-building by searching Google and then used my Mother’s Day voucher to purchase it from Amazon. But, this is my least likely source of new reads.

I try to rotate my reading, alternating between books set for book club, recommendations of mainstream and Christian fiction, writing craft, and non-fiction books from family, friends, review sites and dipping into offerings discovered through network of local and Christian authors. I usually review the books I read on my GoodReads page.

So, there really is no need to be at loss for reading material. 

How big is your to-read pile and where do you find the books you read?

Jeanette O'Hagan has recently had a short story published in the general market Tied in Pink Anthology  (profits from the anthology go towards Breast Cancer research) and two poems in the PoeticaChristi’s Inner Child anthology. She has practiced medicine, studied communication, history and theology and has taught theology.  She cares for her children, has just finished her Masters of Arts (Writing) at Swinburne University and is writing her Akrad's fantasy fiction series.  You can read some of her short fiction here. 

You can find her at her Facebook Page or websites  JennysThread.com or Jeanette O'Hagan Writes .

Goodreads group get together.

By Jenny Blake

Continuing on from last weeks blog post on readers responses to Goodreads this week I am writing about how a groups can bless both authors and readers. 

Last week I mentioned both the Love Inspired Historical group and also Janet Tronstad - Dry Creek & Other Stories groups. Both these books have been a blessing to me. About 2 years ago I ended up in hospital after collapsing at home and the LIH group were so caring after I got back home. It was like having an extended family around the world. Then when my mother passed away they blessed me with a small gift. The group has also supported others who have had a loss or illness in similar ways. The reason this group is such a caring group is that the members share with each other and support each other. It is more than just a group where readers communicate with authors instead we see them as friends. 

Last year a group of us meet in Spokane last year in May. This came about with my going to America for a holiday and planning to visit Spokane. Both the LIH group and Janet Tronstad's group were involved. A group of about 12 of us meet in Spokane for a weekend. The meeting took place over 4 days with most arriving on the Friday and leaving on the Tuesday morning. I was doing a tour so couldn't arrive til the Sunday afternoon which meant I missed out on meeting Camy Tang. Below is a photo of 10 of us take by one of the 2 husbands who were also there.  This is not long after I arrived and at this stage I was extremely exhausted and overwhelmed. One of the other ladies had to leave early but am so glad we got time to meet.

These groups have been there for me in many difficult times and it was so good to finally meet some of the ladies. We had a great time getting to know each other better. We had time to visit on the Monday had a special lunch thanks to Janet Tronstad and Jillian Hart. This is where we had to say good bye to two of the couples which was sad to do.  My biggest regret was not having longer with the group but it was definitely worth the visit. As a reader meeting authors is exciting and can leave us a little tongue tied but having known these ladies online it was more like meeting friends. 

As a reader having a chance to meet other readers and authors who we have gotten to know online is a privilege and I hope to be able to meet them all again at some stage. This came about from a Goodreads group and I wrote this to show how a group can be beneficial.

In America there are many reader appreciation luncheons where authors and readers have a chance to meet and in July we will be hearing more about this from an authors point of view. I would love this sort of opportunity in Australia also.

Have you ever been to an Author/Reader event? Or would you be interested in participating?
Would love to hear what others think. 

JENNY BLAKE (aka Ausjenny) is an avid reader. When not reading she enjoys watching cricket, in fact you could call her a cricket fanatic, and jigsaws. Her book blog is where she reviews books and interview authors. Her goal is to help promote new books and encourage authors. Her blog is at http://ausjenny.blogspot.com and is Co-Founder of http://acrba.blogspot.com

Results of survey on Goodreads.

By Jenny Blake

Goodreads is a website where people talk books. You can list books you have read, enter giveaways and join groups. After some recent talk about Goodreads I put a survey to some Goodread readers (and these are readers who are not also writers) who are also members of some of the groups. Below are some of the responses to the questions.

1.    What do you like best about Goodreads?

Keeping track of my books!

I enjoy connecting with others who love to read as much as I do and finding out about books I might not have known about otherwise. I have made some true friends.

I love seeing what everybody else is reading and getting honest reviews on the books! I also love the close friendships that form on the groups!

Keeping an organized list of my books and reviews

The opportunity to get to know others with like-minded interests in the same books and share a bond of friendship about those books

The friendships made in the groups.

Interacting with authors on groups.

Easy to navigate and it's always fun to get a note that the author liked my review!

At first it was winning books but now it is the relationship we have in our group

Most books are listed.

2.    What annoys you about Goodreads if anything?

Nothing so far this was the most common response.

I have looked at some groups where people seem to be irritated all the time or arguing among themselves. I don't find that in the Christian groups I've joined.

I wish we could post photos in a status update like on facebook.

People liking my reviews just for the sake of liking my reviews

When trying to look at the books to win I wish the page numbers were also at the top instead of having to go all the way to the bottom again. Also I would like to be able to delete the contest I haven't won.

Can be slow at times.

3.    What makes a good Goodreads group?

Lots of interaction, someone asking questions, opening up discussions.

For me, the Christian groups are nicest. I love connecting with people who have lots in common with me and hold the same worldview.

I think having the author of the book(s) that the group is created for interact with the members makes it special!

Posting frequently but not demanding to post excessively

Taking one topic, such as "St. Patrick's Day" or one author, such as Janet Tronstad and having a group about it

The moderators

A group where there is interaction and authors also interact.

Friendliness and courtesy. Even a heated discussion can be fun if everyone is respectful to each other.

Being in Janet's group. (it can be found here )

Participation

4.    What sort of group do you like best?

Ones where I have friends!

Christian groups and groups that talk about the books I'm most interested in.

Christian groups

Based on a certain type of novel, like HIstorical, or a long term series.

A group that is focused on the things I like.

Ones that I feel I can contribute and be a part of.

Author participation groups.

I like them to be different, not all the same. Contests/giveaways should be creative and require a little effort on the readers part!

Janet's group

I don't have a lot of time for groups these days.

5.    Do you like to interact with authors on groups?

Love it. I have become such great friends with authors, truly a dream come true for a reader like me.

Yes, I enjoy that immensely. That's my favourite part! Makes it fun.  Interacting with authors brings a whole new experience to reading the book. (several just put yes).

Rarely

6.    How can author’s best serve a group?

Keep talking to us, that's what we love. Being available for questions!

By being friendly and not becoming overly pushy. Become friends with people instead of just concentrating on promotion.

Treat the members as friends and not just fans!

Occasional presence

Just interacting with the readers of the group helps us get to know them...I love that! We can ask questions, see how they write and especially get to see they are real people too! I enjoy very much the friendship with authors I have on Goodreads

By sharing about their work as well as listening to the needs of the group.

By actually interacting with the readers and not just promoting their books.

Don't only talk about the books, but show us their 'human' side too. Give us a bite or two of trivia about themselves and their writing experience.

Just by being themselves

Just by showing up and saying hi now and then.

7.    Does being on a group such as Love inspiredHistorials or Love Inspired Heartsong Presents where authors interact with you inspire you to buy their books?

Every time I get to know another author it makes me more inclined to read their stuff over another book.

Yes, in this case with the type of books, the familiarity does aid the reading

Definitely because I learn so much more about their books and I want to buy them!

Several said yes and that they have bought books.

I'm going to buy the books regardless, but interaction will cause me to put them at the top of my TBR pile.

no

Sometimes.

8.    Does reading reviews of books on goodreads lead you to wanting to buy a book or do you use it more as a place to keep track of how many books you are reading?

I use it for keeping track because book reviews are opinions and not everyone has opinions like mine. If someone has the same taste as me I am more inclined, but no, a review has never swayed me.

Reviews do lead me to books I end up reading because of what someone else says about it, especially if they are my friend on Goodreads.

It makes me want to buy books and helps me keep track of my books too!

Sometimes but mostly use it to keep a list of books read.

Sometimes...I don't have a lot of time to read reviews...I usually just write them!

Sometimes it leads me to reading the book but I don't keep track of books read.

No. I use it to keep track of how many books I read. I do not want authors commenting on my reviews.

I use it to keep track of my books and remind me what I've noticed is available but haven't gotten to yet.

yes

I leave reviews but don't often read them.

I hope you find the responses interesting and helpful. The readers who commented are all members of at least one of the three groups mentioned and are active in the different groups. If we had opened the survey up to everyone there may have been different answers but we wanted readers opinions as this is who writers are wanting to hear feedback from. I also thought it would help to have the point of view of just readers.

JENNY BLAKE (aka Ausjenny) is an avid reader. When not reading she enjoys watching cricket, in fact you could call her a cricket fanatic, and jigsaws. Her book blog is where she reviews books and interview authors. Her goal is to help promote new books and encourage authors. Her blog is at http://ausjenny.blogspot.com and is Co-Founder of http://acrba.blogspot.com

Author Etiquette 101

by Narelle Atkins

We are now living in a world where the majority of author-reader interaction is taking place online. How can authors negotiate this new world and the expectations placed on them? 

Imagine an author is walking along the street, or at an in-store book signing. If a reader approaches the author by name, says hello, how should the author respond? Good manners dictate that the author will greet the reader and possibly have a short conversation. The author may apologise if they’re in a rush and can’t talk for long. 

If the author ignored the reader and kept on walking along the street, how would the reader feel? Embarrassed? Slighted by the fact the author ignored them? And, what if there was a crowd of people on the street who were watching the author-reader interaction. What would the crowd think of the author who ignored the reader? 

Let’s transfer this example to our online world and social media eg. blogs, Facebook, Twitter etc. Readers who comment on blogs are looking for interaction with authors. They are the readers who are walking along the street and calling out the author’s name. The blog visitors who read the blog posts and don’t leave a comment are the crowd on the street. They will all form an opinion of the author by watching the author’s interaction in the blog comments. 

What if an author is a guest on a blog? They may have written a guest blog post or are being interviewed by the blog owner. What happens if the author no-shows and doesn’t respond to any of the comments? This is kind of like an author not turning up to their birthday party that someone else has hosted. 

I asked the ACW blog members and the awesome Australasian Christian Writers Facebook group for their thoughts on author etiquette. The Facebook group includes authors, reviewers, bloggers and readers. I’ve summarised their helpful feedback below. 

• I like authors who personally interact with readers on blogs and Facebook, and share some of their real life. 
• It’s not nice being ignored by authors and it doesn’t inspire a reader to buy the author’s book. Authors should respond to reader letters and emails. 
• Subscribing readers to email lists without their permission is annoying and prohibited by law. 
• I’m a reader and I’d like to attend Christian author retreats for readers. eg. A group of authors could organise a retreat for one or two days that is specifically for readers. Love Inspired recently organised a reader luncheon in Florida. 

Blogs: 

• Authors should give as well as receive. eg. Commenting on other people’s blogs, guest blogging. 
• It’s bad when an author asks for promo on your blog but doesn’t have the good manners to acknowledge blog comments or emails from the blog host. 
• Authors need to ensure the blog prize that is promised in a giveaway is actually delivered to the winner. It’s helpful if all giveaways state if the giveaway is worldwide/international or limited to certain countries. 
• Recent ACW blog guests Julie Lessman and Laura Frantz are an excellent example of authors who interact with all the commenters. Dotti mentioned Mary Connealy visited her Ink Dots blog and was amazing in the professional way she conducted herself. 
• Interacting with blog commenters can foster a family relationship, and readers can become friends with the author. 
• Readers feel good when their blog comment is acknowledged by the author. But, it’s important authors reply to everyone who comments so none of the readers feel slighted. 

Facebook: 

• It’s a big turn-off if an author only posts self-promo and book information. For example, spamming Facebook groups with book sales links or like my Facebook page requests, and never interacting with the group in any other capacity. The same goes for personal Facebook status updates that are always about self-promo or buying the author’s book. 

More specific information on annoying Facebook behaviour can be found in this article. 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wait-but-why/annoying-facebook-behavior_b_4081038.html

Goodreads, Amazon and review sites:

• Authors should never respond to reviewers on Goodreads, Amazon, or other review sites. Authors need to resist the temptation to defend their work in a public forum. 
• Goodreads is a site for readers, not a place for authors to market their book. 
• Don’t recommend your own book on Goodreads. Instead, let others recommend it for you. 
• Most readers on Goodreads don’t want authors making any comments on their reviews. Goodreads author groups are the place where readers want to interact with authors. Eg. Love Inspired Historical group. 

Authors interacting with other authors: 

• It’s good when authors are interested in promoting other authors eg. sharing links, reading and recommending other author’s books. 
• If someone has helped an author in any way with their manuscript, good manners dictates that the author gifts them with a copy of the book when it comes out. It’s extra nice if it’s autographed and accompanied with a personal thank you. It’s even nicer if the author spells their name right. 
• Another way to thank authors who have helped you with your book is to endorse, recommend or review their books. 

The following quote summarises the essence of our author etiquette discussion. 

Grace and gratitude should go hand in hand. 

If another writer gives you the gift of time, it should go without saying that you should thank them. It doesn’t matter how busy you are. All too often simple courtesy falls by the wayside. 

If that gift of time involves a couple of dozen hours of beta-reading or proofing, an email ‘thank you’ probably isn’t enough. In fact, if that’s all you ever do, it’s pretty close to an insult. It devalues the sacrifice, trivialises the gift and sends the subtly arrogant message, ‘My time is more precious than yours.’ 

If you are blessed by another writer, returning the blessing should be an automatic response. In a world where it’s increasingly about you as much as your writing, little things matter more than ever.

What are your thoughts on author etiquette? Do you agree or disagree with any of the points mentioned? Iola will talk about reviewing and author etiquette in more detail in a future post. I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences.

NARELLE ATKINS writes contemporary inspirational romance and lives in Canberra, Australia. She sold her debut novel, set in Australia, to Harlequin's Love Inspired Heartsong Presents line in a 6-book contract. Her first book, Falling for the Farmer, is a February 2014 release, followed by The Nurse's Perfect Match in May 2014 and The Doctor's Return in August 2014. 

Narelle blogs regularly with International Christian Fiction Writers. http://internationalchristianfictionwriters.blogspot.com/ 

She is a member of the new Inspy Romance blog for contemporary romance readers.
http://inspyromance.com/ 

Narelle is a co-founder of the Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance (ACRBA). http://acrba.blogspot.com 

Website: http://www.narelleatkins.com 
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