It was announced yesterday that Amazon has worked out a deal to purchase the online book sharing network Goodreads. That’s right, when Amazon takes the reigns later this year, your Goodreads account email and reading profile belong to them.
It was just last year that Goodreads moved to an Ingram database from Amazon because of Amazon’s objection to its Goodreads-contracted book information allowing for customers to choose alternate retailers to the online giant. There will likely be no conflict as to purchase options when Amazon takes over.
It was just last fall that Goodreads approached independent regional book associations to arrange for Goodreads book award promotions in local stores. As the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association published in its member newsletter earlier today, “folks at Goodreads went out of their way to extol the importance of bookstores to the culture of books and reading. Well, that didn’t last long.”
In the end, it looks as if Goodreads found it easier (more profitable) to just join ’em. They certainly have the right. Just as Goodreads players have the right to respond, as this one did, shared via Shelf Awareness: “Deleted Goodreads account. My community is not a commodity.”
Want to bail out before you and your reading passions are turned into raw data? Here are the two spots to go, according to the American Booksellers Association: How do I cancel my account? Goodreads Facebook sign up.
Worst news this week. Best news, however, is that Changing Hands in Arizona is openings a new location. 🙂
Back to the worst news. I’d like to print or export my Goodreads list that I’ve lovingly tended for years before I close my account. I’ve been told to go to My Books and then export, but I see no such option anywhere. Any help would be appreciated.
I was not thrilled with this- although I understand wanting to sell a business when it’s profitable. Amazon already has their own reading-social-media app Shelfari and they’ve not done much with it. So will they fold Goodreads into their product or let it stand on its own? Either way, it feels like a loss for reading for the sake of reading.