Exploiting Networking Sites
by Marc Schultz -- Publishers Weekly, 7/16/2007
Social networking sites that also serve as virtual libraries, like LibraryThing.com, Shelfari.com and GoodReads.com, give readers an online place to meet, discuss and—most significantly for publishers—list all of the important books in their lives. Although these book shelving sites can serve as market research tools for publishers, so far few have done much to exploit them, though that may be changing. LibraryThing recently announced a program in which publishers can supply ARCs of forthcoming books to some of its members.
| SHELFARI | GOODREADS | LIBRARYTHING | |
| Founder/Investors/Monthly Estimated Users /Date Founded | Tastemakers, Inc. Amazon / 9,898 October 2006 | Otis Chandler none / 15,192 January 2007 | Tim Spalding AbeBooks / 218,112 August 2005 |
| User Friendly? | Colorful, clearly laid-out pages make navigating, shelf-building and people-finding easy. Some features (private messaging, library export) are hard to find. | Bland but easy-to-use layout allows users to build libraries quickly. Multiple shelves separate current, past and future reads; like Shelfari, some features require digging. | Spreadsheet-style library display lets users change tags, ratings, etc., rapidly. Works with UPC scanners. Non-paying members limited to 200 titles. |
| Social Scene? | Personal home page tracks discussions of/users with your books, and groups are easy to start and join, but no private messaging system. | The “meet people” page lists users who live nearby, are online or popular; personal homepage reports friends' updates. Features messaging system, groups and writing from fellow users. | Data-rich profiles; numerous discussion groups; personalized “watch list” keeps tabs on users and groups, but there's no “friend” or private message system. |
| The Owners' Take | “Publishers can benefit by leveraging Shelfari's community and tools to create community discussion within their own online marketing experiences.” —Chairman Josh Hug | “We want the site experience to be both enjoyable and useful for anyone who comes to GoodReads. Advertising will come with time.”—Otis Chandler | “LibraryThing will help publishers to recruit early reviewers... with its detailed understanding of how books and members relate... it can match readers up to books.”—Tim Spalding |
| Industry Involvement | Fantagraphics, Soft Skull Press and Unbridled Books each have profiles; Unbridled started a group for Shelfari-using publishers (current membership: 10). | Currently boasts 125 authors among its members, including debut author Tao Lin, novelist Aimee Liu, legal thriller writer Tim Green and photographer Randy Leffingwell. | Random is the first to participate in “Early Reviewers” program that matches upcoming titles with likely readers; titles offered include Away by Amy Bloom and The River Wife by Jonis Agee. |
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