[image error] So, back in July I heard about a great place for people who like to read. It’s called Goodreads, and I’m sure many of the other readaholics out there have heard of it . For anyone who hasn’t heard about Goodreads it is the BEST social networking site I’ve ever come across. It’s like a book club for the world. For serious readers, it’s heaven. I’ve had so many good recommendations since I’ve joined that I rarely read I book I dislike anymore.

Good book recommendations aside, I have found so many women who share my passion for reading and my love of vampires, werewolves and anything paranormal. I love having the opportunity to chat with other people about the books I love (it wasn’t easy in real life finding women with similar tastes). I never thought I’d say this, but some of these women I now consider good friends. Last year, if someone had said to me that I would meet some of my closest friends online, I would have laughed at the ridiculousness. Unbelievable as it seems though, I have.

Anyway, now that I’ve explained about why I love Goodreads so much I’m going to rant a bit. Lately, I’ve been so frustrated by the amount of authors spamming on Goodreads. I am an author, so I understand how hard it is to market your book. However, going on discussion threads and constantly plugging your book is not the way to do it. It’s frustrating, when people who join legitimately to chat about books have to wade through comments from authors like: “if you like that book you’ll love my book”. It alienates readers and actually makes them not want to read it.

Constant marketing is one way of spamming, but also, the frequent friend request is a bit tiresome as well. I get friend requests every day from authors with thousands of friends but no books on their shelf and no comments in any discussions, and from authors who don’t share a single book in common with me. This negates the whole purpose of Goodreads.

I don’t claim to be an authority on book marketing (believe me), but I do know enough to understand that these tactics are frustrating to members and will not have a good outcome for your book sales. And this doesn’t only apply to Goodreads, but also other sites like Shelfari and Library Thing.

I can’t speak for all authors, but most of the authors I know are readers first. The reason we started writing in the first place usually stems from our love of good books and great storytelling. If you take the time to learn why people are joining these social networking sites you’ll find much more than a way to market your book. I look forward to my chats on Goodreads and I treasure the friends I’ve made, and I’ve still found Goodreads is a fantastic place to market if done the right way. There are places specifically designated for marketing. You can find people willing to read to review. You can offer your book in giveaways. There are tons of places to do this without making people angry. Take the time and I guarantee you’ll be pleasantly surprised by what you gain from Goodreads.