I am not a happy camper.
WARNING: While this post will link you to the news, the post will be filled with snark. Feel free to just click the links and ignore my fuming comments.
The Twitter response is similar to my reaction and current feelings about it. As a future publisher and current bookseller, Amazon is the biggest threat out there. Of course there is resentment and anger.
Book Riot, however, posed the four main questions most concerning Goodreads users:
- Why did Amazon buy Goodreads? Goodreads is a social platform. Amazon is the largest online retailer. *headdesk*
- Why did Goodreads sell? Because they want money. Lord.
- What can Goodreads users expect? Well, from what Book Riot listed, I hope it’s ONLY their predictions. I hope Goodreads doesn’t turn into a retailer. Or only link us to Amazon. Or other cluttered, advert-loaded crap like that.
- What does this mean for books, publishing, and the universe? Bad news for retail. Even worse news and a bit of a sticky situation with publishers. Yeah, yeah, yeah, this means books are on the rise and isn’t that great and wonderful, but Amazon just needs to leave things alone. Let. Stuff. Alone.
Finally, Publishers Weekly contains a detailed article with comments from Amazon and Goodreads on the buy. Amazon sees Goodreads as a sales outlet (go away!).
When pressed, Chandler said: “We don’t have any plans to change anything about the buy links in the short term, but in the long term we’re going to do what’s best for our users.”
Chandler, I hope you realize your users love your site because it’s an online book club of sorts. No one is pressuring us to buy things 24/7. No, your site encourages discussion and reading. The second a retailer/buy button is thrown in, the experience will be cheapened and will be just like the comments forum in Amazon, B&N, and other retailers: crap.
Grandinetti said the acquisition was “not about making Goodreads commerce enabled,” but, instead, about opportunities to improve the user experience of Kindle owners.
NOT. EVERYONE. HAS. OR. WANTS. A. KINDLE. OR ANY OTHER TYPE OF E-READER, FOR THAT MATTER.
In 2008 it acquired Shelfari, but there seems to be no plans to integrate Shelfari and Goodreads.
You know what happened to Shelfari? It died.
What are your thoughts, positive or negative, on the Amazon/Goodreads deal?
Scribbles & Wanderlust 