Goodreads Got You Down?
Jun 27 2023
When Goodreads was down for maintenance recently, readers from around the globe went hunting for new books, conversations, and communities. This, in addition to a recent surge in negative reviews on Goodreads, has some readers exploring other places to find and create book reviews, book lists, and book clubs.Inspired by this quest, we’d like to show you how to use Fable as a safer, more positive space for promoting and discussing books. You can read, review, and rate books with our friendly community, import your lists from Goodreads, or create new lists!
A rise in review bombing and negativity
As The New York Times recently reported, when Cecilia Rabess’ debut novel “Everything’s Fine” was still months away from publication, Goodreads reviewers loaded the novel's Goodreads page with negative ratings. Even though the book wasn't in bookstores yet, it had received an overwhelming number of bad reviews.Reddit readers debated this issue, and many commenters expressed frustration with Goodreads allowing ratings and reviews for unreleased books. They worried that this could lead to biased and uninformed opinions, which can unfairly impact the success of a book. “Everything’s Fine” now has a solid 3-star rating on Amazon. However, this incident highlights how we all struggle to cope with review-bombing and other toxic behaviors on social media.How to make ratings and reviews on Fable
Fable was built to encourage genuine reviews from people who have actually read the book. When a club or individual reader finishes a book, our rating and review tools prompt them to write an honest review. We’ve also created a number of book review tags to help you collect your thoughts on everything from plot to writing style to content warnings. There are two different places where you can start your review for a book - the first is in the “Reflection” section of your favorite Fable book club, and the second is on the book profile itself. Follow these steps from our “How To Rate and Review a Book on Fable” post to make your first Fable reviews.Review a book via the “Reflection” section
To review a book after reading it with a club, follow these simple steps (we’ve included a helpful illustration below!- Scroll to the bottom of the club page
- Open the “Reflection” section.
- Tap the “Rate” button. You’ll see it in the upper right-hand corner of your screen, highlighted with a star.
- Start writing your review!
Review a book via the book profile page
If you want to review a book you’ve read outside of a club, just follow these steps!- Tap the “Bookstore” icon at the bottom of the screen in the Fable app.
- Search for the book you want to review and select it.
- Tap the “Rate” button below the book cover to rate and start reviewing the book!
How to import your Goodreads lists and reviews
It’s easy to create new book reviews on Fable, but you can also import all your Goodreads reviews as well. Once you open the Fable app on your smartphone or tablet, just follow these steps.- Tap the “Profile” icon at the bottom right hand corner of your screen.
- Select the settings gear icon in the upper right hand corner of your screen.
- Choose “Import Goodreads lists and reviews” and log into your Goodreads account through Facebook, Amazon, Apple, or your email address.
Create a book list on Fable
Lists are one of the most positive and engaging features on the Fable app. You can use our tools to create lists and share them with thousands of other readers. Just open the Fable app and follow these steps!- Click the blue + icon at the bottom of the screen.
- You’ll be prompted to create a “List Name” and a “Short Description” of your new list.
- This list will be automatically public and sharable on social.
- Choose “Share” and you can pass along your book list through email, text messages, Slack, WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook, and other social media tools.
Discover books to make you feel better
Fable is a tech company with the soul of an artist, and every team member is a lifelong reader. We believe that stories and storytelling are universally human and fundamentally define us as human beings. We work hard to help readers find new books, read together, and enjoy the many wellness benefits of reading. Our social reading platform puts the omnipresent mobile screen in service of digital nutrition. Through reading, we foster:- Mental wellness
- Personal growth
- Meaningful connections