Using Goodreads Listopia to Promote Your Books

/ Mae Clair

Hi, SEers! Mae here today with a small promo tactic you may not be using. This one involves some help from your friends, but it’s another avenue to get your work noticed.

Screenshot from Goodreads showing navigation drop down for listsHave you ever searched lists on Goodreads? You’ll find them under the BROWSE drop-down on the main navigation bar (screen shot at left). The link will connect you to Listopia—Goodreads’ home for sorting books by category.

You’ll find plenty of genre lists, along with specific niche lists as well. These are the ones likely to benefit you the most.Screenshot of book covers for several cryptozoology fiction lists on Goodreads Listopia

As an example, I enjoy books featuring creatures from cryptozoology (i.e, Loch Ness, the Mothman, the Van Meter Monster, etc). Fortunately, Listopia has a Crypto Fiction list that allows me to sort through a number of books at once. As a reader, I find GR lists easier and more accurate to use than Amazon, especially when I want to search a smaller niche.

On the flip side, I write crypto fiction, so it makes sense to get my books on Listopia where other readers will see them.

The same applies to your books.

First question: can you drill down your genre to a smaller niche?  If you write mystery, your book may be on a mystery list, but it’s competing with thousands of others in the same genre. Think more specific—British mystery, detective fiction, women sleuths, librarian sleuths, husband and wife detectives—you get the idea. If you write paranormal romance, go deeper with vampire fiction, shifters, werewolves, or ghost fiction.

How about haunted houses? Halloween stories? Alien abductions? Small town dramas? If a list doesn’t exist on GR, you can create one.

But…

this is where you’re going to need help from your friends. It doesn’t look good to add your own book to a list. You also can’t vote on your book, but if you have a friend add your book, you’re in good shape. Once that’s done, let others know.

Blog about it. Tweet about it. Splash it on Instagram and Facebook. If others have read your novel and enjoyed it, ask them to click the VOTE FOR THIS BOOK button to the right of the cover (screenshot below). This moves your book higher on the list.

Book cover thumbnails on Goodreads Listopia Cryptofiction list shows star ratings and vote buttons

It goes with out saying the more votes you have, the higher your book goes on the list, the more visible it becomes, the more likely potential readers are to see it. Also, niche lists tend to be smaller than the big genre lists, so you have more chance of moving into the upper rankings with others helping out and the upper ranks are where you want to be.

I need to be more proactive with this, as I read a lot of books each year, many written by talented author friends who could benefit from this additional exposure.

Have you ever added a book to a Listopia? Would you vote on books you’ve read if they were on a list? As a reader, do you use Listopia to scout out potential titles for your TBR? As a writer, do you see a benefit in having your novel or novels appear there? Let’s get some discussion going in the comments!

Ready, set, go!

Bio box for author, Mae Clair

67 thoughts on “Using Goodreads Listopia to Promote Your Books”

  3. Pingback: Using Goodreads Listopia to Promote Your Books | wordrefiner

  4. Reblogged this on Happiness Between Tails by da-AL and commented:

    Guest Blog Post: Book Promotion Using Goodreads Listopia by Mae Clair

    Goodreads is sort of like Facebook, only it’s a site for book lovers!
    Are you an author? A reader? Here author/reader/blogger Mae Clair explains how book lovers of all sorts can use Goodreads to let others know about their favorite reads…

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  7. Great idea, Mae. I added a couple of my own books years ago, but I agree that it’s much better if readers do it, so I haven’t done anything with the lists in years. I’ll have to search some niches, but I’m terrible at asking people to add or vote. Ugh. I should get over it, right? Ha ha. Happy Writing, Mae.

    Liked by 2 people

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    • I have the same problem with asking people to add or vote, Diana, but it is a good tool. Especially when you think in term of niches. I’m pretty sure one of my earliest books was on a list, but since then I haven’t checked. I do think in the early days GR allowed authors to add their own books. That appears to have changed now. I guess as with any good thing, there was some abuse going on.

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  15. Wow, great info, Mae! I knew absolutely nothing about this, and I see I’m not alone. I was once active on Goodreads (before I started writing) but had quit hanging out there for the same reasons many others did. Trolls, and constant bickering between too many folks. I’ve begun trying to update my presence there recently, though I haven’t made much progress, but I can see that I need to a) use Listopia myself for my own reading preferences, and b) figure out how to get my own books on it, for a bit more exposure. I really appreciate this information, and am going to be studying how to use Goodreads more effectively than I currently am, for sure. Thanks for a great post! 🙂 Sharing!

    Liked by 3 people

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  16. I’ve never noticed this vote button before, Mae! I will be looking out for it. Great idea to add books through friends to lists, too. I be will be looking into it, thanks )

    Liked by 3 people

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  25. I’m not sure how Amazon would view friends adding authors’ books, as friends’ reviews are discouraged on Amazon, and Amazon owns Goodreads. It’s best if readers unconnected to the author add books to the lists that they’ve actually read and enjoyed. It’s terribly hard for self-published authors to get a foot in the door when it comes to recognition, but I think if books are added because they are genuinely appreciated, then it’s all to the good.

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  26. I had no idea about this feature. I’m a pretty basic user, though. I use the basic bookshelves and post reviews. And that’s about it. I will have to be sure to explore the list feature though. I could see where it would be very useful! ❤️

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  27. This is something I’ve never looked at. I’ve been on GR for years but these days do very little there. I used to be a lot more active, but backed off after getting hit by trolls big time. The other thing is, I hate asking anyone to add a book for me, lol. I find it difficult enough asking for blog hosts. I know I need to get myself out there, but … shudders! [Okay, I at least have the sense to laugh at myself here.]

    Your post has given me pause for thought, and I might have to see if I can (A) find a niche, and (B) ask a friend to add me. Thanks, Mae.

    Reblogged on: https://harmonykent.co.uk/using-goodreads-listopia-to-promote-your-books/ with the comment: Check out this great post from Mae Clair over at Story Empire today … are you brave enough to ask someone to add your book? >>>

    Liked by 3 people

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    • I hear you, Harmony. I never use GR for anything other than reviewing books and surfing Listopia for what I want to read. I’ve never had issues with trolls, but I know too many authors who have.
      And I completely agree about asking someone to add a book for you, but I’ve known authors in the past who used Listopia to great success. It all starts with finding that narrow niche and writing an excellent work for readers.

      I’m glad you enjoyed the post. Thanks for the reblog!

      Liked by 1 person

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