Goodreads, as soon as the highest on-line group for e book lovers, has turn out to be a narrative of missed alternatives and decline. Since Amazon purchased the platform in 2013, it has confronted criticism for its outdated design, poor moderation, and rising consumer frustration. Scandals just like the Cait Corrain incident have solely added to its issues, leaving each authors and readers sad with the platform.
Outdated Design and Annoyed Customers
“The beige aesthetic, the clunky interface, the slowness of the search characteristic—all of it looks like a relic of the early web,” mentioned The Walrus. Regardless of being owned by Amazon, Goodreads feels caught up to now. The platform’s five-star ranking system hasn’t modified, despite the fact that customers need extra choices. Its app can also be buggy and unreliable, irritating readers.
“Goodreads hasn’t been all that properly maintained, or up to date, or saved up with what you’d count on from social communities or apps in 2023,” mentioned publishing advisor Jane Friedman. For a platform with 125 million customers in 2022, Goodreads’ lack of enchancment is difficult to disregard.
Moderation Issues and Scandals
Goodreads’ tradition has turn out to be an issue. Assessment-bombing—the place customers flood a e book’s web page with unfavourable opinions—is frequent. “Goodreads has enabled the weaponization of displeasure,” mentioned The New York Occasions. Authors are sometimes targets of those assaults.
The Cait Corrain scandal reveals how unhealthy it has gotten. Corrain, a debut creator, used pretend Goodreads accounts to offer one-star opinions to different authors’ books. When caught, she created a pretend chat in charge another person, however later confessed to having a “full psychological breakdown.” Her e book was canceled, and her profession is probably going over.
“The shortage of efficient moderation has turned Goodreads right into a battleground,” wrote The Walrus. Even bestselling authors like Elizabeth Gilbert have been harm—her novel The Snow Forest was pulled after it was review-bombed for being set in Russia. Goodreads’ minimal oversight has made these issues worse.
Amazon’s Position in Goodreads’ Decline
Goodreads’ issues are tied to its dad or mum firm, Amazon. The platform pushes widespread titles by algorithms, making studying really feel like a chore. “Your ‘to-read’ record turns into an limitless obligation,” famous The Walrus.
Amazon’s status hasn’t helped. Controversies, like Jeff Bezos halting The Washington Put up’s custom of endorsing presidential candidates, have annoyed readers. Bezos’ reward for Donald Trump after his election win solely added to the backlash towards Goodreads.
Can Alternate options Take Over?
As Goodreads struggles, platforms like The StoryGraph, BookSloth, and Libib are stepping in. These platforms provide fashionable options like half-star scores, personalised suggestions, and higher group engagement.
“Letterboxd has succeeded the place Goodreads hasn’t,” mentioned The Walrus, evaluating Goodreads to the favored movie-discussion web site. However whereas these alternate options are promising, none have but matched Goodreads’ dimension or affect.
Is Goodreads Value Saving?
Goodreads’ points could seem overwhelming, nevertheless it’s doable to nonetheless proper the ship. All of it begins with individuals—bringing in additional human moderators to actively monitor and handle the platform’s exercise. With higher moderation, up to date options, and clearer insurance policies, Goodreads might turn out to be a significantly better area for everybody concerned.
Regardless of its many flaws, I nonetheless see the worth in what Goodreads represents: a spot the place readers can join and share their love of books. As different social platforms proceed to lose their attraction, that is one price combating for. If Goodreads doesn’t evolve, although, it’s susceptible to turning into nothing greater than a relic of what it as soon as was.
An avid e book reader and proud library card holder, Angela is new to the world of e-Readers. She has a background in training, emergency response, health, likes to be in nature, touring and exploring. With an honours science diploma in anthropology, Angela additionally studied writing after commencement. She has contributed work to The London Free Press, The Gazette, The Londoner, Finest Model Media, Lifeliner, and Citymedia.ca.
