Well, Holy Crapmonkeys: Amazon has Acquired GoodReads

Goodreads LogoThere has been a great disturbance in the force: Amazon has acquired GoodReads for an undisclosed amount, but one I presume contains a looooooot of zeros. 

From Goodreads CEO Otis Chandler's blog post:

Today I'm really happy to announce a new milestone for Goodreads: We are joining the Amazon family. We truly could not think of a more perfect partner for Goodreads as we both share a love of books and an appreciation for the authors who write them. We also both love to invent products and services that touch millions of people.

I'm excited about this for three reasons:

1. With the reach and resources of Amazon, Goodreads can introduce more readers to our vibrant community of book lovers and create an even better experience for our members.
2. Our members have been asking us to bring the Goodreads experience to an e-reader for a long time. Now we're looking forward to bringing Goodreads to the most popular e-reader in the world, Kindle, and further reinventing what reading can be.
3. Amazon supports us continuing to grow our vision as an independent entity, under the Goodreads brand and with our unique culture.

It's important to be clear that Goodreads and the awesome team behind it are not going away. Goodreads will continue to be the wonderful community that we all cherish. We plan to continue offering you everything that you love about the site—the ability to track what you read, discover great books, discuss and share them with fellow book lovers, and connect directly with your favorite authors—and your reviews and ratings will remain here on Goodreads. And it's incredibly important to us that we remain a home for all types of readers, no matter if you read on paper, audio, digitally, from scrolls, or even stone tablets.

For all of you Kindle readers, there's obviously an extra bonus in this announcement. You've asked us for a long time to be able to integrate your Kindle and Goodreads experiences. Making that option a reality is one of our top priorities.

ETA  of note: Amazon also owns Shelfari and Book Depository. And I confess to being skeptical that Goodreads will continue to develop and grow as an independent entity. 

Laura Hazard-Owen at PaidContent highlights the likely changes that the acquisition could bring

Goodreads has served as a fairly “neutral” hub for readers until now — a place where publishers and authors can market and promote their books without being tied to a specific retailer. Until 2012, Goodreads sourced all of its book data from Amazon, but it then decided that the company’s API had become too restrictive and switched its data provider to the book wholesaler Ingram. “Our goal is to be an open place for all readers to discover and buy books from all retailers, both online and offline,” Goodreads told me at the time of the switch. While being an “open place for all readers” may still be Goodreads’ goal, it’s now clearly tied to promoting books for sale on Amazon.

Goodreads is also likely to be less open with access to its data now that it has been acquired by Amazon. In the past, the company has shared information about how its readers discover and buy books and about their digital reading habits, presenting the data at conferences and in blog posts. This past February, for instance, CEO Chandler noted that ebook readers experiment with platforms — a significant percentage of Kindle users, for example, also buy ebooks from Apple’s iBookstore. All of this data is certainly useful for Amazon to have, but the retailer is not likely to see a reason for Goodreads to share the data with others (and with Amazon’s competitors).

Yeah, no kidding! One of the must-see panels on my list at any conference is Goodreads sharing data, whether that's for Tools of Change attendees or at RWA. It will be interesting to see how their participation at conferences like these changes in the coming years – if they attend at all. 

What do you think of the acquisition? Are you surprised? Are you migrating to LibraryThing? (ETA: …which is in part owned by Amazon as well, per Vicki and Olivia below.) 

 

ETA II: Electric Bugaloo:

Laura Hazard-Owen, who is like the Batman of book journalism, has an interview with Otis Chandler from GoodReads asking key questions about data and their intentions post-acquisition:

Will Amazon have access to all of the Goodreads users’ data?

 

OC: “Goodreads is or will be a wholly owned subsidiary of Amazon, so on one level, yes. Are things going to happen in the background without customers understanding it? I think the answer to that is no….We’ll make it very easy for someone to say, ‘Yeah, I’d love it if you could import all of my Amazon or Kindle purchases into my Goodreads shelf.’ We’ll make it very easy for people to do, but they’ll be aware of what’s happening.”

Users already have the ability to export their data from Goodreads, and they’ll continue to be able to do so.

 

Will Amazon use Goodreads reviews on its own retail site, or will Amazon reader reviews migrate over to Goodreads? In general, how much content will cross between the sites?

OC: “We’re going to think about this in terms of what’s best for our members. Maybe if we find books that don’t have any Goodreads reviews we might consider that, but I don’t think there’s any specific plans to do that at this time.”

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  1. Stephanie says:

    I always try to keep a balanced approach.  I occasionally order from the big A, but I try my local indie bookstore first, or the Books a Million at the mall. My library gets the bulk of my reading business.  My priority is to support authors, so I like to spread my purchasing around, not buy exclusively through one retailer, which is partly why I chose Nook over Kindle. Losing the community at Goodreads concerns me most. I also no longer view amazon book reviews with much interest.

  2. Karalee says:

    I have many of the same concerns as all of you!  But I often find my Goodreads account neglected because I simply don’t have the time.  If my Amazon and Goodreads accounts can be integrated, that would be great!

  3. Evaine says:

    Thanks, Tarja!  I knew there was money involved but couldn’t remember the details.  🙂

  4. Morgan says:

    Obviously what needs to happen is some of us with the know-how and the funding should build a new book cataloging site.

  5. Lynnd says:

    “One ring to rule them all”

  6. I am so unbelievably sad about this. I’m hoping for the best but preparing for the worst. I’m most worried about reviewing practices. Amazon chops the hell out of mine and Goodreads was one of the few places (besides my blog) where I felt free to actually write whatever I wanted without being censored.

  7. Jennifer in GA says:

    Goodreads is probably my most favorite website. I don’t care as much about access to unbiased reviews as I do 1) keeping track of what I read and 2) seeing what my friends are reading and getting one-stop recommendations from them. As long as Goodreads keeps those features the same, then I guess I will welcome our benevolent overlords.

    The one thing I would NOT like to see happen is the automatic adding of book purchases from Amazon to Goodreads shelves. I have a system of adding things to my shelves that works for me, and I don’t want anything screwing around with that.

    Amazon pretty much already owns my soul. I have a Kindle, but most of my reading is done with physical books. I live in a small town with one bookstore- BAM. It’s fine, I guess. But like most big bookstores these days it’s heavier on toys and stuff and lighter on books. If we had an independent bookstore, I’d definitely support them. But really, if I want to read something it’s the library first and Amazon second.

  8. Jill Shultz says:

    Like Sarah, I’ve really valued Otis Chandler’s presentations at conferences because he shared so much data, and his insightful and neutral analysis gave me a clearer sense of the state of publishing and reading. I’d really miss that if Amazon restrained him.

    As an indie author, I also really appreciate the promotional opportunities presented by GoodReads, including the crucial point that I didn’t have to enter into an exclusive relationship with them to use any of their services. I’d really hate to see that change. If Amazon started to give preferential treatment to their exclusive books on GoodReads, that would be a huge setback. Likewise, if they shut down some of the groups that are about their competitors (such as the Smashwords Authors Group), that would cut off a really valuable source of information and support.

    OTOH, it would be great if GoodReads reviews could be automatically posted on Amazon (with the reviewer’s permission).

    I’ve enjoyed Goodreads as a reader, too. I like the site’s design and have often found the book discussions interesting even when I disliked the book.

    Here’s hoping for the best.

  9. Ok, this is what worries me about the Amazon take-over of Goodreads. For the second time this week Amazon has just rejected a review with this half-assed explanation that tells me nothing. So now I have to hack it death in the hopes that The Powers That Be might post it. Grrrr. My actual review posted immediately to Goodreads. If this changes I’m done.

    Thanks for submitting a customer review on Amazon. Your review could not be posted to the website in its current form. While we appreciate your time and comments, reviews must adhere to the following guidelines:
    http://www.amazon.com/review-guidelines
    We encourage you to revise your review and submit it again. A few common issues to keep in mind:

    Wicked Lies: A Dark Mission Novella
    ~Avon Impulse
      (13)
    Written reviews must be at least 20 words long. The ideal length is 75 to 500 words.
    Your review should focus on specific features of the product and your experience with it. Feedback on the seller or your shipment experience should be provided at http://www.amazon.com/feedback.
    We do not allow profane or obscene content. This applies to adult products too.
    Advertisements, promotional material or repeated posts that make the same point excessively are considered spam.
    Please do not include URLs external to Amazon or personally identifiable content in your review.

  10. Ruth says:

    BarklessWagmore you identified why I’m concerned, even though I can appreciate that this might have advantages for the reader. Amazon’s ideas of what to include in a review are so subjective that I don’t put reviews there unless an author specifically asks me to. I don’t litter my reviews with a swear word in every clause, but a “hell”, “shit” or even, dare I say it, “fuck” sometimes helps me make the point I want to make and hopefully make the review a bit more entertaining or passionate. I hate that Amazon thinks all book reviews should be accessible for five year-olds, even when the book is erotica or girl-smut.

  11. Avrelia says:

    I like Goodreads, though I am not very active there right now. It has a great multilingual community, lots of very useful reviews, and very convenient features. (a year ago I mourned the loss of their Bookswap feature – the best of all known to me bookswaps)

    The move of Amazon is totally reasonable, and the accepting loads and loads of money is totally reasonable for Goodreads owners as well, but I am sad. I use Amazon as much as the next person, but I mourn the loss of an independent resource. I needed my personal library info to be independent from any book seller. 🙁

  12. Nikki says:

    Majorly disappointed. Just canceled my GoodReads account.

  13. It is so frustrating as a reader/reviewer. They never respond to my queries and just send me repeated rejection letters. I removed the f-bomb, the reference to Amy Lane and all quotes from the book and now I have a generic little review. Let’s see if they reject it for the third time!

  14. It’s up and it’s lame but at least they kept the version with the Amy Lane reference. I wonder why I even bother with Amazon and I hope I don’t feel this way about Goodreads in a few months.

  15. Bridget Baker says:

    I’m very dissapointed in this.  I’m going to wait and see what happens and if too much changes I *might* leave GR.  My main fear is censorship, as I read the kind of dark erotica that Amazon has censored.

  16. Librarian Kate says:

    Hmmm… “It’s important to be clear that Goodreads and the awesome team behind it are not going away. Goodreads will continue to be the wonderful community that we all cherish.”

    Tell that to Fictionwise.

  17. A Bit Bookish says:

    Wow, I had no idea the other book-related companies were also associated with Amazon. That’s worrisome and disheartening.

    I abandoned plans to launch cataloging/review community last year after deciding to put my support into GR, an independent resource that already existed. Perhaps it’s time to resurrect those plans.

  18. Carrie G says:

    Here’s a tip: Use different account info for your Goodreads and Amazon accounts and they won’t be linked. My kindle account is in my husband’s name/email address so mine won’t be linked whether I want them to or not!

    And I don’t personally think they will link accounts, at least not without opt-out options. Too many people share accounts with family members like we do so books are bought by 2 or more people of varying tastes.

    I can’t get too worked up about this. I prefer to take a wait and see approach. It does amuse me that everyone is running around shouting “The sky is falling” when they fear Amazon is going to take over the world, but when it looked like Apple was headed that way (and without any discounting for consumers along the way) everyone just seemed all starry-eyed over their iThingies.

    Apple didn’t take over the universe and I doubt Amazon will either. If things at Goodreads get s screwy the internet gurus will launch something new to take it’s place. The internet is too big for a takeover.

    Will I be sad if Amazon screws up Goodreads? Absolutely. I’ve got my reading list logged over there from 2000 onward, along with hundreds of reviews. But I bet they will have opt-out options on things like review sharing. I don’t want my reviews going to Amazon unless I put them there, which I do every so often.

  19. Carrie G says:

    Also, I have accounts with Amazon and Audible, which is wholly owned by Amazon, and they have never interfered or tried anything like review sharing. I’ve written several Audible reviews and there’s never been a hint that those reviews would show up on Amazon. You can link your Kindle and Audible accounts, which often gives you amazing savings on audiobooks. Like you buy the ebook for $5 (often less) and get the (complete unabridged) audio version for $2-$5.

  20. That’s the thing, though, currently my Amazon account is managed through my personal email (so, if I want to leave a review, I’ll be able to) and my Goodreads account is through my author email. And when my book gets an ISBN (it’s still in editing), I’ll modify my account to be a Goodreads Author. (Seems pointless/impossible until then.) If Amazon decides to ban authors from reviewing ON GOODREADS, then I’m limited to reviewing on my own blog, and deprived of the chance to review books under my author identity and broadcast those reviews to people who don’t already follow me (but read the same titles I do). So I lose what I think of as a valuable promotional/web-presence-building tool. Which is making me cranky. Because that’s sorta why I joined Goodreads in the first place.

  21. LSUReader says:

    What a monopoly we’re getting in the book world. It doesn’t sound like this will be good for readers or authors.

  22. Stef says:

    goodbye goodreads.. I recently just started using Goodreads & needless to say I fell in love with the site almost instantly…& just as quickly as I fell out of love with my ex I have fallen out of love with Goodreads after reading this post.. I hope the creator got an unspeakable amount of money to give up such a great creation.

  23. SusannaG says:

    The sentiments in the response threads over at GR are running highly negative (I’d say about 80%).  I’m not leaving there … yet.  But I’m going to be watching for any suspect behavior, and checking out the alternatives.

  24. Sally says:

    If money is a concern, LibraryThing is waiving the membership fee for a year to new users who sign up until Sunday.

    http://www.librarything.com/blogs/librarything/2013/03/free-accounts-through-sunday/

  25. Clara says:

    I’m not happy about these news. I really really hope Amazon doesn’t start “forcing” users to cross their data from Goodreads and their Kindle library. I like to keep all my accounts in different websites separate.

    On the positive side: at least it wasn’t Google who bought Goodreads. Or else we’d all be screwed.

    I’ve been using The Book Depository since way before they were bought by Amazon and as far as I can tell there haven’t been any changes. Maybe Amazon is still trying to figure out how to use it to their advantage.—But I’d hoped they would at least improve the shipping speed. When I first started using it, it only took 2 or 3 weekdays for my books to arrive… but one or two years later it turned to 2 or 3 weeks (and if it’s Christmas it’ll take longer).—Yes, I would rather wait longer for my books to arrive than to pay for shipping fees… but still!

  26. I am most curious about the crossover that you mention at the end and what will happen to the reviews?

    I do like the neutral feeling of goodreads – so I am kind of sad about this.
    R

  27. Patricia says:

    I’m wary, but also somewhat curious about the features that might happen. I hope none of the ones I can think of will be forced on us, though. (Users would need to sync our Amazon and Goodreads accounts for the most “commonly thought of” features to work anyways, I think, like auto-adding books we’ve bought, or sharing our reading progress automatically.)

    If booklikes.com had more users, I’d probably spend the rest of my life there. It’s just so tumblr-y, I can’t help but feel at home.

  28. Alicia says:

    Sorry, don’t like it, too much Big Brother feeling, so I’ve deleted my GR account.

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