Amazon Buys the Goodreads Experience

Today an announcement flew about the internet. I first saw it on my Facebook Timeline since I follow Publishers Weekly. Then it was confirmed by the headline across my homepage on Goodreads.

Amazon.com just bought Goodreads.com. Huh?

How is this going to affect the reader/author experience?

A lot of questions will surface over the coming months.

1. Will the reviews suddenly automatically appear on the Amazon site?
2. Will our Amazon book purchases be added automatically to our to read/reading lists?
3. Will the book giveaways keep going for the author/reader experience?
4. How are the big six publishing house going to feel about the stronger control Amazon is going to have over their reader experience?

Many, many more questions are going to be asked over the coming months.

I see some people who are anti-Amazon are running over to The Library Thing as their way to get away from Amazon. Is that really the answer? Is Amazon really an enemy just because they have learned how to play the game of monopoly? I can see it now, owning all the review sites would be like owning all the railroads and charging a fee for landing on it.

Naw, they wouldn’t do that now, would they?

Only time will tell.

Me: I’m on both Goodreads and The Library Thing.

At least The Library Thing allows eBook giveaway make great use of those Smashwords coupon codes for free books.

Oh, and just so you know, there is another book giveaway site out there. It is called fReado.com – You should take a look at it sometime if you are looking to escape the Amazon/Goodreads Experience.

Related articles

• Amazon/Goodreads: Why didn’t someone think of this sooner? (amarketingexpert.com)
• Amazon Buys Goodreads, Expands Their eBook Empire (the-digital-reader.com)