Last reviewed by Robert Prime — May 2026
Introduction
Goodreads has been bought by Amazon, neglected, and slowly stagnated. The 2014-era "Goodreads strategy" guides for indie authors are mostly obsolete in 2026.
But Goodreads isn't dead. It's where literary fiction readers, book clubs, librarians, and the serious-reader segment of any genre tracks their reading and discovers books. For some authors, Goodreads still matters meaningfully; for others, it's a place to claim your books and move on.
This guide covers what actually works in 2026, what doesn't, and where to spend (or not spend) your time.
What Goodreads is now
40 million-ish active users. Amazon-owned since 2013. Same UI as a decade ago. Slow algorithmic discovery. Strong community in literary fiction, classics, romance book clubs, and YA. Weaker in commercial thriller, indie fantasy, and most non-fiction.
For most indie authors: it's where 5-15% of your total review base ends up, and where serious book-club readers find you. Worth setting up properly; not worth obsessing over.
Setting up your author profile (essential, 1 hour)
- Create or claim your Goodreads Author Program profile. Goodreads has a separate "Goodreads Author" verification — apply at goodreads.com/author/program. Free.
- Claim every book you've published. Goodreads auto-creates listings; you claim ownership.
- Write your author bio. Same format as your Amazon Author Central bio. Length 150-300 words.
- Add author photo.
- Link your blog/RSS feed (auto-syndicates new posts to your Goodreads profile).
- Link your website and social profiles.
- Add your "currently reading" list — readers see what you read.
- Tag genre and themes.
That's the setup. From there, Goodreads is more passive than active marketing.
Reviews — what to do (and what not to)
What to do:
- Respond to reviews on Goodreads sparingly. A simple "thank you" comment on positive reviews is fine if you do it occasionally. Pestering reviewers backfires.
- Read reviews to identify your strongest brand keywords. If 10 reviewers describe your book as "atmospheric British mystery", that's your branding.
- Notice the negative-review patterns. If 20% of reviewers say the middle drags, that's actionable feedback for book 2.
What not to do:
- Don't argue with negative reviewers. Career-ending behaviour on Goodreads, screenshot by readers, ends up on Twitter and BookTok. Don't.
- Don't fake-review your own book. Goodreads detects this; bans are forever.
- Don't ask friends to review. Goodreads detects friend-cluster reviews and ignores them in averages.
- Don't read every review. Most authors are better off avoiding the negative ones. Stop reading after the first negative one of the day.
The "Want to Read" button
Every Goodreads book page has a "Want to Read" button. Readers add books they intend to read.
This is one of Goodreads's better signals. Authors with many "Want to Read" counts on a book get organic algorithmic surfacing. Encourage your audience to add the book to their Goodreads "Want to Read" — from newsletters, social, back-of-book matter.
Sample CTA in back-of-book matter:
If you enjoyed this book, please add it to your Goodreads "Want to Read" shelf — it helps other readers find it.
Listopia campaigns (free, high-value)
Goodreads users create "Listopia" lists — themed best-of lists. "Best Cosy Mysteries with Cats", "Best Slow-Burn Sapphic Romance", "Top 50 British Police Procedurals" — these are reader-curated lists, voted on by anyone.
For your book to appear on relevant lists:
- Identify 5-10 lists where your book is genuinely a fit
- Add your book to those lists yourself (Goodreads allows authors to do this; not forbidden but be honest)
- Ask your most engaged readers to vote your book up on those lists
- Make sure your book has a few reviews already (lists don't accept brand-new books without traction)
A book that ranks in the top 30 of a popular Listopia list gets meaningful organic traffic from new readers.
What doesn't work in 2026
Goodreads Ads — overpriced CPC platform. Cost per click is high; conversion is low. Avoid unless testing with a small budget.
Goodreads Giveaways — Goodreads charges $119-$599 for giveaways since 2018. The result is typically 1,000-5,000 entries but very low conversion to reads / reviews. The audience is giveaway-hunters, not genuine fans. Skip.
Heavy author engagement — posting daily updates, commenting on book pages, joining many groups. Time-investment too high for the return.
The "ask Goodreads friends to add your book" route — most Goodreads "friends" of an author are themselves authors, not genre readers. Limited reach.
Goodreads vs Amazon reviews
A common author question: should I push reviewers to Goodreads or Amazon?
Amazon reviews matter more for sales, algorithmic visibility, and customer trust on the buying journey.
Goodreads reviews matter more for literary credibility, book-club selection, and discoverability among the serious-reader segment.
Optimal: encourage both. A polite "If you enjoyed, an Amazon review helps me find more readers — and a Goodreads review reaches more book-club friends." Most reviewers who post on both already do; the rest will pick one based on where they normally review.
Goodreads for specific genres
Literary fiction: Goodreads matters more. Book clubs use Goodreads heavily. Literary readers track shelves obsessively.
Romance: Goodreads has strong romance communities. Worth participating in romance-specific Listopia and discussion groups.
Thriller/mystery: Goodreads matters less. Most thriller readers buy on Amazon based on cover + blurb + reviews. Goodreads is supplemental.
Sci-fi/fantasy: Reader-tracker community is strong; algorithmic discoverability is moderate. Worth claiming and lightly maintaining.
Non-fiction: Limited impact. Non-fiction readers don't shelve like fiction readers. Set up basics; don't invest more.
Children's / YA: Goodreads is meaningful for YA (book bloggers, BookTok crossover); less so for children's.
UK considerations
- Goodreads is US-dominant but has a real UK userbase.
- UK literary fiction prizes (Booker, Costa, Women's Prize) — readers track these via Goodreads. If your book is literary or "book-club fiction", Goodreads is more important.
- UK book bloggers often have Goodreads accounts and cross-post reviews. Connect with reviewers you respect.
- UK indie authors should set their location in profile — Goodreads has a (weak) location-filter feature.
Time investment
For most indie authors, the time-budget for Goodreads:
- Setup: 1 hour once
- Maintenance: 15-30 minutes per month
- Per-book Listopia campaign: 1-2 hours
Total annual investment: ~6-8 hours.
That's enough to capture the value Goodreads still offers without falling into the time-sink of obsessive review-checking and group-engagement.
What Goodreads can't do
- Drive launch-day sales (BookBub does this better)
- Replace Amazon as your primary review platform
- Generate viral discovery (Goodreads's algorithm doesn't have the velocity of TikTok or Amazon)
- Substitute for an author newsletter (Goodreads owns the followers, not you)
Common mistakes
- Treating Goodreads as a major marketing channel. It isn't, in 2026. Set expectations.
- Engaging with negative reviewers. Career-ending.
- Buying Goodreads Giveaway entries. Weak ROI for indies.
- Spending hours daily on Goodreads. Time is better spent writing book 2.
- Ignoring Goodreads entirely. Some genres genuinely benefit; don't skip the basics.
- Comparing Goodreads star averages to Amazon. Goodreads averages are typically 0.3-0.5 stars lower than Amazon for the same book. Readers grade harder.
The bottom line
Spend one hour setting up your Goodreads Author profile and claiming your books. Light maintenance monthly. One Listopia campaign per book launch.
Don't pay for Goodreads Ads or Giveaways unless you're testing in a specific niche.
Don't engage with negative reviewers. Don't argue. Don't read every review.
For most indie authors, Goodreads is supporting infrastructure — not the main stage. Treat it accordingly.
Frequently asked questions
Should I import my Amazon reviews to Goodreads?
You can't directly. Amazon and Goodreads are separate platforms despite Amazon owning Goodreads. Reviews don't auto-sync.
Can I delete a bad Goodreads review?
No — only the reviewer can. Goodreads protects reviewer freedom strongly. Authors deleting reviews via complaints has been criticised heavily; almost never works anyway.
What about "Goodreads choice awards"?
Reader-voted awards, useful credibility for nominees. Hard to win as an indie. Don't strategise for it.
Should I host a Goodreads Q&A?
Goodreads Ask the Author feature still exists. Light traffic; useful if launched alongside a release. Don't expect huge engagement.
Can I block reviewers who harass me?
Yes — block button on Goodreads. Doesn't remove their review but stops further interaction.
