Christine Kohler

Aug 23, 2016 7:44 AM EDT

Hi Christine. Thanks for posting this. I hope it is helpful.

- C. Lee McKenzie

Aug 23, 2016 7:58 AM EDT

Thank you, Lee, for writing this helpful article on Goodreads! I, for one, have not been good about understanding how to use Goodreads to its fullest. I review, mark books to read, participate in the lists, but beyond that I haven't made many author-to-reader connections.

I know of many authors who shy away from Goodreads because of either some scathing reviews--some with baseless personal attacks against the author--or because they've been warned by other authors. (In my own case, reviewers have been very kind and generous in ratings and reviews. But I wouldn't engage with reviewers if they did give me a bad review.)

Anyway, I said all that to say that I was so impressed with how you engaged a community of readers on Goodreads. That's why I asked you to write this insightful article.

- Christine Kohler

Aug 25, 2016 4:32 AM EDT

Great post, Lee! I didn't know you could use html in the author bio. Thanks for sharing, Christine.

- Yvonne Ventresca

Sep 28, 2016 12:56 PM EDT

I'm going to link to the article in my next Email Connect that comes out at the end of Sept, Yikes! This week! And I'm adding a couple of ideas that I've recently tried.

- C. Lee McKenzie

Sep 28, 2016 5:15 PM EDT

Great idea Lee! Let me know the link and I'll post it as an update.

- Christine Kohler

Mar 02, 2017 1:43 AM EST

Thank you for the great advice! I'm just going begin a write their own blog about books that I read. I want to share my thoughts on the subject with others. Also, it is interesting to read what others think about this. Now I collect information on how to start writing a blog. I watch a many different online resources including sites with assistance in writing resumes (like a http://ratedwriting.com/). There I corresponded with the manager on staff, leading his own blog. I will seek more information on how to start writing a blog.

- Joanna Taylor

Mar 02, 2017 3:58 AM EST

Joanna, thank you for commenting. It sounds as if you are going to start a book review blog, telling what you thought of the book you read. Many of these blogs also feature different authors. I have been very appreciative of bloggers who reviewed my books and/or interviewed me. It's a great way for readers to discover new books.

My best advice is to read these type of book review blogs, and model yours after the best. Plus, make your blog be distinctive to stand out among the rest. You are smart in looking at Goodreads for review blogs. I've noticed the review bloggers have goals of how many books they read per year. Some have categories they aim for as a challenge for specific years. I'm not sure if Goodreads sets those challenges or where they come from, though. For example, the year NO SURRENDER SOLDIER came out, reviewers of historical novels needed to read so many books that year set during wartime. The reviewers who specialized in war literature kept recommending my book because they called it "history with a twist" and it covered two wars at once, which meant they got double credit for reading my one short book.

Since you are a voracious reader, becoming a reviewer will also give you the opportunity to get free Advanced Reading Copies (ARCs) before the book is released. Subscribe to Netgalley, a legitimate service where publishers offer the ARCs free to reviewers. (Be careful of downloading from pirates, which is illegal and can give your computer viruses.)

I wish you the best of luck on your blog! And please be kind to us authors. :-)

- Christine Kohler