Goodreads is a great resource for readers. One part review platform, one part social sharing, all parts clunky and hard to navigate.
Yet it is worth taking the time to navigate the platform because you’ll discover great new reads and reader friends.
Putting books on lists in Goodreads’s Listopia section especially helps others find new books. You can put books on a list (although if you are an author you can’t add your own) and vote for books already on a list to increase its visibility and let others know your interests.
BUT navigating Listopia is not all that simple. There are literally thousands of lists and thousands of books on the popular lists. The terminology is confusing, with the word “vote” sometimes used in place of “put” and not much space between columns, making instructions run together.
Here’s the easiest way I’ve found to get a book on a themed list. Note–These instructions are for laptop/desktop screen, not a mobile device.
Step 1
Log into Goodreads. From the homepage, use the search box at the top of your profile to find the book you want to add. You can type in a title or an author name to find books. See how I’m using BARRACUDA BAY as the example.
Step 2
Click on the search result that shows the book you want. This will take you to the description page for the book.
Below the book cover you will see a button which is set to the default “Read.” This is your “bookshelf” section. Click to select from “Read” or “Want to Read” or “Currently Reading.” Choose any option as all will add the book to your profile’s book list.
Step 3
Now that the book is on your “bookshelves,” go to the top menu, click on Browse and select List.
This brings you into the Listopia section on Goodreads where thousands of lists reside and are waiting for your additions and votes. Click on one of the category links running across the middle of the screen.
Step 4
In this case, I chose the Mystery Tab, which brings me to the mystery book lists sub-section.You can also type in a keyword but that doesn’t seem to work as well to bring up relevant lists.
I’ll choose the list called Best Twists.
Step 5
To add a book to Best Twists, I have to click on the “Add books to this list” text on the right.
The books on my personal bookshelves will appear. Choose from that list showing the books you previously added to any of your bookshelves. I’m going to add DEAD WATER to the Best Twists list.
Step 6
Once you have added a book, a box will appear on the lower right of your screen giving you the option to say why you chose that book .Note–the screen won’t return you to the list, but stays on your bookshelves view, which is kind of irritating.
Type in a short note, such as Recommended to me or Book Club selection, etc. There is not room for a real review. Note–there’s no “Save” button. Just type and go. Use your browser back arrow to get back to the lists.
Step 7
If you see a book that is already on a list, you can “Vote” for it. Just click the box that says “Vote for this Book.” A text box will appear just the same as when you added a book, asking Why you added this book. Again, a short phrase is sufficient and there is no “Save” button.
Bonus: You can see what lists a book is already on by scrolling to the bottom of the book description page where you’ll see 3 lists and a link to all the rest of the lists where this book appears. So if you are adding that book to lists, pick different ones to add the book and/or choose an existing list to upvote the book.
That’s it!
Go forth and add books to Goodreads lists. Don’t forget to leave reviews, too.
