I’m sure you’ve heard the news that the behemoth of a retailer Amazon.com is acquiring book-loving, social media site Goodreads.  There are lots of opinions out there as to what this will mean in the long run. My only concern is what it will mean for an indie author like myself.

I have no idea. But my first thoughts is that it can only be good for me.

Imagine having a fluid connection between a book recommendation and a one-click Kindle download. I’m especially interested in what it will mean for Goodreads advertising. I’m currently running ads for my novel Beauty Rising on Goodreads. It has been somewhat successful. I’ve had a good amount of views and a bunch of clicks that have led to a few sales. Right now, Goodreads recommends that an ad’s link circle back into the Goodreads’ book page instead of an external link. Their reasoning is that by having interested readers go to the book’s page on Goodreads, it will then lead the person to click the ‘to read’ button which will have a multiplier advertising effect as their actions, concerning my book, will show up in their friends’ feed, further promoting my book.

I understand their logic, but I have wondered if it has stopped people from buying my book because it’s not set up to go to a page where they can actually purchase it. Perhaps a reader thinks it looks interesting, they click the ‘to read’ button, but then my novel gets buried underneath the other hundred books that they haven’t read yet.

Now let’s enter Amazon into that equation. A potential reader clicks on my Goodreads ad and goes to the book’s page on the site. Sitting right on that page is a ‘one-click’ purchase button for an easy Kindle download of my book.

Sounds good to me.

Will the marriage drive away some readers for fear that Goodreads’ impartiality and independent minded set-up will be compromised? That remains to be seen.

But I can’t see Amazon doing anything to Goodreads that would jeopardize the positive experience of 16 million Goodreads users because, bottom line, they want to sell books. As many as is possible.

I could be wrong, but I think they are on to something. Here’s one indie author who’s hoping it will be another way to broaden his base readership.