Is Shelfari Good for Authors?

I am normally a fan of most things Amazon. The service is (overall) great and I’m not just speaking about ordering and publishing books. In fact, during the holidays, I spend way too much time with Amazon. Even so, I’m not sure how I feel yet about their newish “book community” site, Shelfari. For one thing, it doesn’t seem as author friendly as Goodreads but maybe that’s the point. I believe you can set up an Author Page but it appears a little trickier. Still, since we are talking about Amazon, the independent author’s biggest promoter, it seems odd to me. Or, and it wouldn’t be all that unusual, I am just missing it.

On the flip side, the sheer number of communities on Goodreads overwhelms me. I see one that look interesting and join but it’s nearly impossible to keep up with all of them. I do really like using my shelves and checking out reviews on that site. Shelfari also has similar “shelves” and I would think based on Amazon’s track record, the recommendations would be great. As I continue to delve into the site as a reader and a writer, I will share the pros and cons. Stay tuned.

On another note, I have had the pleasure of being featured on two great sites this week. As marketing and promotion are critical to getting your book out there, I am always grateful for the opportunity to talk about my book.

Thanks so much to James at HBS Author’s Spotlight and Deborah at BoodGoodies. They are both great sites for readers to find out more about authors and spotlight books. What more could any writer ask for?

Thanks again to Dina Santorelli for appearing this week as my guest to speak about the publishing process.

And to anyone buried in snow this weekend, please take care and all the best to you!