I think Goodreads is, by any measure, a boon to independent authors. The reading network makes it easy for users to rate and review books, which gives indie authors social credibility. It also lets readers share books they’re enjoying, which gives authors exposure. These are important needs for indie authors, and Goodreads is doing the Lord’s work by meeting them.
So generally, I think Goodreads is great. But as an independent author, there are a few things I wish it did better. And if I could climb into the head of Goodreads’ product management team and control him or her like a helpless meat puppet (a la Being John Malkovich), I’d totally get a few things at the top of their development roadmap. (Which is perhaps the most boring and unscandalous thing that you could do in a Being-John-Malkovich scenario, but that’s how seriously badly I want these.)
Here’s my 2017 wish list for Goodreads development team:
