How to Create Buzz for Your Upcoming Book on Goodreads

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Goodreads has millions of members, at the moment almost 27 million, who not only read books, they blog about books, write long reviews about books, and discuss in their group forums about books.  These are the people with whom you want to connect, especially to announce your new book and its launch.
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So, how can you create buzz for your upcoming book before it launches?
Give away copies of your print book.
It makes sense to give away books – if your goal is to get reviews. More than 50% of giveaway winners review the books they win, so the more books you offer, the more reviews you are likely to get. Run your giveaway for two weeks to a month. Goodreads says, “Giveaways less than two weeks run the risk of not getting enough entries, while a four-week giveaway will generate more entries.

Goodreads recommends even two giveaways: one about three months before publication to build pre-release buzz and reviews, and a second to increase awareness when your book hits the stores. Both will result in a lot of people adding your book to their to-read shelves – visible for all their friends.”

Goodreads Terms & Conditions for Giveaways in short:

• “You agree to supply the indicated number of books on the date the giveaway ends.
• Goodreads will list (for free) the giveaway book on the giveaways page.
• Goodreads will collect interest in the book, and select winners at our discretion. Our algorithm uses member data to match interested members with each book.
• After the giveaway stop date, click the name of your giveaway (listed under “your giveaways” on the main First Reads page) to see the list of winning addresses. You will also be emailed a list of winners. You are responsible for shipment of the books.

They also have a short video on their website with Giveaway best practices.
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What’s more?
Goodreads encourages you to publicize upcoming events, such as book signings and speaking engagements. This is a feature, similar to the one which is offered on Google+  –  see our blog
https://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2012/11/14/announce-your-book-signing-on-google-for-free/. Start about 3 weeks before your book launch with your event announcement. Use Goodreads’ event listing form to start the process. It has an RVSP feature and people can state if they are “coming”.  On Google+ is a possibility to “Hang-out”, similar to a Skype tele-conference, to meet people for your book launch who could be in other parts of the world, such as Australia, Asia or Europe. You can show them your book via the video function of your computer and speak with them.  Almost like a book signing in a store.
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More help for authors on Goodreads.
Goodreads  is a free website for book lovers. As a member you can post your own reviews and catalog what you have read, currently reading, and plan to read in the future. There is more offered on their website: join a discussion group, start a book club, contact an author, and even post your own writing. More tips about the benefits of joining Goodreads and how you can use Goodreads to promote your blog.
Their website seems to be overwhelming at first, but if you take the time to explore each icon there, and also to read the help section, you will find a cornucopia of free means to let people know about your book and to find your target readers. Let’s explore some of the great features on Goodreads:
How can friends recommend your book? Or how can you recommend books from your writer friends?
To send out a book recommendation, go to the book’s page and click on the “recommend it” link at the top right side of the page. A new site appears with three possibilities: “friends” “manual” “facebook“

• Under the icon “friends” your Goodreads friends are listed and you click next to the name to whom you want to send your book recommendation.
• Enter under “manual” single email addresses of readers that are not yet on Goodreads.
• The “facebook” icon lists your FB friends, who are not yet members of Goodreads to recommend the book.

Reviews are essential
Like on Amazon reviews on their site help your book stand out in two ways. The more people review your book, the more visible it will be. Goodreads reviews also appear on sites like Powell’s, Google Books, and the Sony Ebook Store.  From a Goodreads statement: “Books with no written reviews are added, on average, by 7 people, while books with just five written reviews are added by more than 40 people.”

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Let your friends ping to Google+ and FB
On the left lower corner of Goodreads are icons to these two websites to which your friends can send your image, books name and a link for your book – as well as a comment, such as “must read”, “great book” or “you will love it”.
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Add your favorite books
Click on “My Books” in the top navigation menu and add away!  You can add books into read, currently reading, to read categories or edit your bookshelf to add your own categories. Many authors who’s books you recommended will return this favor to you.
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Goodreads will also use the recommendations to help authors and publishers advertise their books to readers who are most likely to be interested in them. Over seventeen thousand authors, including James Patterson and Margaret Atwood, use Goodreads.

Infographic 25 Top Reviewers on Goodreads (no links to them, to find out one has to dig into Goodreads website.
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http://www.111publishing.com/seminars/

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