AuthorPlanet

A sweet spot between traditional and self-publishing

  • Home
  • Book Proposals/Buy
  • About
    • Jody Rein
    • Author Planet
    • Praise
  • Work
    • Praise
    • Services List
    • Case Studies
    • Client Forms
  • Contact
    • Contact
    • Get Quote

Top Ten Places to Discover Books Online

February 7, 2013 By Jody Rein Leave a Comment

Too many bookstores are closing their doors.  How will we find our books?

That’s the rub.

bookstore closedNot a massage kinda rub, but an OUCH! bruising kinda rub.

Plenty of studies show most bookbuyers find books in bookstores or libraries, through word of mouth, regardless of where they ultimately buy them.

Not online. Online is confusing and overwhelming.

A bunch of companies are trying to make online book “discovery” more user-friendly.

Will they replicate the bookstore experience? Never. But if they help readers find worthy books online, and keep the business of publishing good books alive, everyone benefits, even booksellers.

What do you think? Do these spots work for you?

Newest “Recommendation Engines”

1. Bookish was years in the making; it’s the result of a major collaboration between some of the largest publishers in the world. The look and concept is cool: type in a book you love and through miraculous algorithmic juggling, others you will love pop up. Plenty of bells and whistles; plenty of early praise and complaints.  Compared to Amazon: easier and cleaner; both less suspect and less powerful. Good people behind it; good luck to them.

Bookateria2. Bookateria launched by PublishersMarketplace and Lunch founder Michael Cader with the machinery of Random House’s technology behind it. Not sure where it will go, but where it is, is a very clear and selective recommendation that steers you to books in the most user-friendly manner I’ve seen.  It’s visually satisfying–you don’t feel stupid trying to figure out how to navigate it. What I love: it doesn’t try to be all things to all people.  Instead, it grabs readers where they hear about the books to begin with, connecting book to promotion in a way that mirrors and complements our “brains on books.” So you’ll find “books in the news,” “Oscar tie-ins,” the latest prize winners–all easy to find.

3. Bookscout is a a Facebook App that will ” use your Book and General Interest “Likes” to scout out a hand-picked selection of book recommendations just for you. When you “Like” or “Add” a book, the book is displayed on your Newsfeed.” You know, this could be a good idea, but you need to be a pretty savvy FB user to use it.  Somehow, I suspect those of us looking for the clearest book recommendations aren’t on the top of the tech-savvy heap.  Just guessin’.

4. ZolaBooks isn’t so new–it launched almost a year ago–and is morphing. It began as  place Independent Bookstores could sell their ebooks without cowtowing to Amazon. (So if you wanted to support an independent bookstore and “shop” there online, Zola would fulfill the order.  Google Books used to do that, but stopped. I think.)  Zola planned to be very social, with all sorts of interactivity. Here’s what’s on the site now: “We’re still under construction, but soon we’ll be selling eBooks from publishers big and small. We’ll also be a place where you can connect with friends as well as your favorite authors, reviewers, bloggers, and indie booksellers.”

Established Engines

5. You probably know about Goodreads, the most popular online place to find book recommendations absent Amazon. Goodreads is great, if a little confusing.  TotallyGoodreads crowdsourced, meaning all the “best of” lists and reviews and such are chosen by other consumers.  Here’s their pitch: “Goodreads is a free website for book lovers. Imagine it as a large library that you can wander through and see everyone’s bookshelves, their reviews, and their ratings. You can also post your own reviews and catalog what you have read, are currently reading, and plan to read in the future. Don’t stop there – join a discussion group, start a book club, contact an author, and even post your own writing.”

6. Shelfari was acquired by Amazon a few years ago, and feeds people into Amazon as part of the deal.  Shelfari involves community members, encouraging contributors to become   “editors” and “librarians.” It kind of reminds me a little of a Wikipedia for books.  (Please feel free to comment, Shelfari users! I haven’t spent much time on the site.) There’s a kind of an Amazon feel about it; something that tells me eventually I’m going to be sold something. Not that I’m against being sold books, that’s what this is all about.  I guess when it comes to books I prefer to buy, and learn, and not be sold.

library thing, the lovable7. Library Thing is lovable. It bills itself as the “world’s biggest bookclub.”  You need to be, perhaps, a little computer savvy to use all the options (chats and such), but the attitude is so straightforward and friendly you just want to jump in.  Who wouldn’t love any site that dares to call a key navigation tab “zeitgeist?” A personal fave, here’s their pitch: “LibraryThing is an online service to help people catalog their books easily. You can access your catalog from anywhere—even on your mobile phone. Because everyone catalogs together, LibraryThing also connects people with the same books, comes up with suggestions for what to read next, and so forth.”

 Finding Fiction

8.) And now, thanks to  my friends at Publishing Trends, a UK fiction site that sounds great.  Here’s the skinny from them that found it first:  “Fantastic Fiction is a fiction reader’s dream, as it captures complete works by every author we have entered, sorts them by year of publication and series, offers short synopses, and has recommendations from most of the authors for others that they like. It’s essential when you’ve just discovered a new writer that you love.

What makes Fantastic Fiction unique is the focus on the author and how their work is organized. If you compare it to an Amazon author page, there’s no contest.. if you click on a particular book, you find out all the formats it has been released in; the site knows if you’re in the US or the UK and gives you information accordingly—including the availability of used editions with links to the reseller. If the same book has been published under a different title in another country, it is noted in parentheses. In other words, everything a new reader needs to know is shown–cleanly and simply.

For the avid mystery reader, the site is essential and the UK perspective is especially helpful…And it’s not just mysteries. Search for any fiction writer and you will find their complete works—even when it’s just a story in a collection! Try it; you’ll be hooked.”

9.) and 10.) Your local libraries and bookstores.  Their sites probably aren’t as snazzy or easy to navigate, but, back to the point: they are obviously put together by real people, who are, as I type, standing, in reality, in a place where they can reach out and touch real books. Most library sites now also offer books for sale, at least ebooks, and if you buy an ebook through your library, they get a little cash.  Same with the local bookstore–buy a book online through their site, and keep them in business another day.

Our book brains will thank us.

Your thoughts welcome.

 

Spread the Word: on Twitter on Facebook on Google+

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Platform and Sales, Practical Publishing, Self Publishing

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Time limit is exhausted. Please reload CAPTCHA.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

General Advice

Praise

Working editorially with Jody Rein and her team at Author Planet is like getting a graduate degree in writing… (more)
Timothy Ashby
Kudos to Jody! She provided the substance and valuable information we sought. Jody has such an open, upfront approach; it was perfect for our casual atmosphere. (more)
Bonnie F. McCune
Jody is beyond AWESOME! (more)
Mark Kistler
Jody gives thoughtful and thorough assessments, a value to me, and I appreciate it. I take her words to heart.  (more)
Bill Nesbit
Jody’s suggestions are clear and concise, and effectively point me in the direction I need to go with my project. I’ve had a most instructive and enjoyable time working with her! (more)
Louise Hauck
Jody has a gift for communicating in a clear, authoritative, engaging way that inspires trust and affection. (more)
Michael Larsen
Jody is the consummate professional; she’s creative, a pleasure to deal with and her knowledge of book publishing is profound. I couldn’t recommend her highly enough. (more)
Madeleine Morel
Jody strives for the best, sets the bar high, and encourages others to do the same. Her success in the world of book publishing reflects her high standards. She knows the business inside and out–and her clients benefit! (more)
Dr. Lucy Spelman
Thanks to (Author Planet), I have been able to serve as the force behind several events that have resulted in change for good…(more)
Trisha Pritikin
Jody actually takes the time to digest and understand what it is the writer is attempting to do before offering well thought out input. She has a more creative “big picture” mindset than most. (more)
Joe Lieberman

Recent Posts

  • Literary Agents: The Right Way to Nag
  • Thru Dec. 9! Holiday Raffle for Art Books, Lessons and Equipment

More Posts

Publishing News

Writing a book? Confused about publishing options? Need a marketing plan? Don’t miss the 7th annual Nonfiction Writers Conference—a virtual event unlike any other.

Join 15 top speakers May 3-5, 2017 from the comfort of your home or office. For details and registration got to NonfictionWritersConference.com.

Note: This is an affiliate link. Jody knows and respects the people who run this conference.

RSS General News

  • Pop Culture Veterans Launch Endpaper Entertainment January 15, 2021
    Endpaper Entertainment is a new content development company focused on producing original stories in a variety of media, formats and genres and is being led by Rich Johnson and Syndee Barwick.

RSS Publishing Trends Feed

  • Top 5 Publishing Articles/Blog Posts of the Week 1/11-1/15 January 15, 2021 PT Editors

Self-Publishing News

RSS Self-pub news from PW

  • Autofiction: What It Is and What It Isn’t January 8, 2021
    Whether writing autobiographical fiction or memoir, writers must own their truths.
  • First Lines: January 2021 January 8, 2021
    Our monthly look at some of the best first lines by BookLife authors.
  • Pantser or Planner? January 8, 2021
    In many writing communities, there are two common approaches to writing a novel.

RSS The Book Designer Feed

  • e-Book Cover Design Awards, November 2020 December 28, 2020
    e-Book Cover Design Awards, November 2020 including The post e-Book Cover Design Awards, November 2020 appeared first on The Book Designer.
    Joel Friedlander
  • Self-Publishing: Carnival of the Indies Issue #123 December 25, 2020
    Self-Publishing: Carnival of the Indies Issue #123 including Darcy Pattison, Frances Caballo, Sandra Beckwith and many others The post Self-Publishing: Carnival of the Indies Issue #123 appeared first on The Book Designer.
    Joel Friedlander

Author Planet, Jody Rein News

Looking forward to the upcoming 2018 San Francisco Writers conference February 14-17, 2018. Jody will be teaching many classes, and offering free coaching sessions.

Hey, hey, teaching again at the wonderful 2018 Willamette Writers Conference, August 2-5 in Portland, Oregon. This time taught a SIX HOUR Query Master workshop–super fun!

Jody is doing the morning keynnote for theCastle Rock Writers Conference 2018, in October, in Castle Rock, Colorado.

Jody was interviewed by Stephanie Chandler in a teleseminar for the Nonfiction Authors Association on April 13, 2016.

Recent Tweets

  • Tweet Avatar RT @indivisiblefrr: Thank you for covering, @KDVR. Coloradans want accountability and we want freedom from elected officials who incite… https://t.co/zH3skHi6FM 5d
  • Tweet Avatar @CharlesSchwab You didn't respond to @forbes request to stop donating to MoC's who spread lies that incite US terro… https://t.co/gmxWlw39OT 5d
  • Tweet Avatar @TMobile Thanks for saying you're re-evaluating your donations to MoC's who spread lies that incite US terrorists t… https://t.co/btL121vMZt 5d
Follow @authorplanet

Copyright © 2021 · Log in