Listopia Reading Lists Request > Likes and Comments

Can authors share requests here for reading lists they want their books to be voted on? Only if the readers actually read their books and enjoyed them.

Georgina wrote: "Can authors share requests here for reading lists they want their books to be voted on? Only if the readers actually read their books and enjoyed them."

I don't see why not.

Personally, I think authors shouldn't ask that. The lists are meant to be for genuine recommendations.

I understand. I have used Listopia to vote titles on different reading lists and I have created some of my own lists with unique themes. It gets annoying when you see people voting certain titles on every list without checking if it supports the theme. I respect the integrity of the platform and the readers personal tastes.

Georgina wrote: "Can authors share requests here for reading lists they want their books to be voted on? Only if the readers actually read their books and enjoyed them."

That seems reasonable to me. So many lists are filled with random titles anyway, not spam but just results from 'the card catalog' that the voter didn't actually read or even examine.

The funniest is when I find lists that say the top 100 titles or the top 1000 in different categories, but readers have added more than the designated number of books.

I’ve seen authors bring followers to mass vote their titles on every list so that they are at the top of every one. You would think that these authors would care more about voting their titles into themed lists that match their story. For example, if an author wrote a book of Gothic feminist poetry, they should care about followers voting their title on the relevant reading lists for people that actually enjoy that style of writing.

Gothic fiction, feminist titles and poetry collections

Yes, I'd be much more likely to read a book that was on a list that it fit! :)

👍👍

I have mixed feelings about authors asking others to vote for their books on lists. Should they solicit GR members? No. But if a book fits the list and it isn't a "best" or "most anticipated" list and it's their friends from off GR, why not? eg if it's a murder mystery on a murder mystery list, who cares? The same with a title starting with a certain letter. Are they going to have enough friends who will come to GR to vote and put them even on the first page of the most popular lists? Not likely!

As a librarian I have cleaned up lists with strange books on them, but this happens with most lists and even with older books. Just this week I removed a short story and a number of books of poetry from a list designed for novels! Most of those were classics. What irks me is that the rules are very strict, so even if a book doesn't fit but there is some way a reader might think they fit I have to leave those books there. However, I don't have time to go through every single book on long lists or most lists, so can only do the best I can.

Thankfully, authors are forbidden from putting their own books on lists.

Also, if an author's book does get voted at the top of a list, it should be by natural selection and not because they asked 20 friends to vote them up. Readers should vote titles on lists because they liked the book and want to share it with readers that might enjoy it as well.

Georgina wrote: "Also, if an author's book does get voted at the top of a list, it should be by natural selection and not because they asked 20 friends to vote them up. Readers should vote titles on lists because t..."

Georgina,
You are right.
Recognizing the difficulty with PR of books today, I admire authors and cant live without them. But, In my world of fairness, our group like others have a rule on authors or their friends nominating their books. When we vett books we also look to check the connections. It has only happened three times and we unfortunately delete the book which I feel badly doing.