I have made it no secret I despise Amazon pretty much because they wreck anything they hoover up into the vacuum of their insatiable maw. When Amazon bought Goodreads, I bailed.
For my personal book reading, I drifted for years through different platforms, including the Fediverse’s Bookwyrm, and a bunch of others. It was not until I became a writer of anything beyond “hobbyist” that I found an actual use for Goodreads. I support other indie authors.
I do not like Goodreads and I keep my personal reading from it. Only a one or two authors know I have added their books to alternative platforms. However, I use Goodreads more for promoting other authors because that is where a tonne of readers…well…read. If the readers are there, then it is on Goodreads where a review has a more meaningful impact.
A.M. Blackmere | Author’s book Shadows of the Wall got a review (click the book cover) and the wonderfully sick mind of Zachry Wheeler produced the wicked funny Roy: The Most Chaotic Midlife in Cosmic History. Being part of the indie community has meant a bit more awareness of what it takes to get your books out there. I may not be able to buy a lot of books, but I sure can write some good reviews about what I do read.
One of the points I make is when I get hold of a book for free, which both of Zachry Wheeler’s books were, is that I make sure I get a review out there for them. This is a bit of a big deal for me from an ethical viewpoint. In my humble opinion, if an author has given someone a book for free, the least the recipient can is jot a few lines down, even if they did not love the book. I copy and paste reviews across my platforms sometimes, so I do cheat a little. But I think it is important to say thanks with a review, even a short one.
With so many cool writers out there pumping out words of wonder and delight, I cannot begin to wrap my head around the choices I have with what I can read. It is amazing to behold. The indie scene is in a really good state at the moment, even with the AI slopadrama infecting it all. There are good authors out there with real talent and human-focused processes. We can help keep it that way one review at a time.
You can grab my debut book, NeoTokyo Dead, from all fantastic platforms!
