Archive for the ‘librarything authors’ Category

Monday, January 31st, 2011

Becoming a LibraryThing Author just got easier!

We’ve streamlined the process for becoming an official LibraryThing Author (and getting the cool yellow author badge on your profile, author, and work pages).

Each author and work page now contains a green “Is this you?” box on the sidebar. Once the author clicks the “Become a LibraryThing Author” link, they’re asked to choose just one title from a list of all the books by that author (this step is useful in making sure we have the right one in case of split authors), and then we’ll confirm Author status.

This was part of a more complete freshening up of our How Authors Can Use LibraryThing page, which includes info not only on becoming an LT Author, but also on hints for sprucing up author profiles, joining the Hobnob with Authors group, Author Chats, and more.

If you’re an author and want to become part of the LibraryThing community, we’d love to have you! Search for your LibraryThing author page, find the “Is this you?” box, and we’ll get the ball rolling for you.

Labels: authors, librarything authors

Friday, March 12th, 2010

Hobnob with Authors

After much discussion, we’ve introduced the Hobnob with Authors group, a special place for authors and readers to mingle.

Of course, authors are welcome everywhere on LibraryThing. Authors can become LibraryThing Authors, which links their author and member pages and promotes them on their books and on the home page. Many authors participate in Early Reviewers and Member Giveaways. And authors also participate in our existing groups. We even have a special Author Chat group for organized author events.

But, encouraged as they are, we’ve also found a certain amount of static between some authors’ desire to promote their work, and the tendency for that to seem one-way, non-conversational advertising or even spam, both of which are against the site’s Terms of Service. Confronted with the request to avoid promotion, many authors expressed surprise that a book site would hinder their efforts to reach potential readers. Members were in turn divided on just how serious the problem was, the line between acceptable and unacceptable author posts, etc. The situation was sticky all around!

So, Hobnob with Authors was born, a “safe place” for authors to chat with readers, without fear of being accused of spamming. While some standards will be enforced, no reasonable author need worry. As a “Community Project” the group is prominent, and its posts will appear in Talk alongside other groups. But sensitive members will also be able to “ignore” the “Hobnob” group.

So, authors, you’re now free to shout to the rooftops all about the book you write. Excited readers will be waiting to hear about it. Join, watch or just read Hobnob with Authors, and support authors who help make LibraryThing what it is.

Labels: author chat, authors, librarything authors

Tuesday, August 11th, 2009

Hugos for two LT Authors!

The 2009 Hugo Awards (LT page) included awards for two LibraryThing authors—authors who are also members, and in this case ones with really serious LibraryThing collections!

  • Elizabeth Bear—member matociquala , with 1001 books cataloged—won “Best Novelette” for her “Shoggoths in Bloom.” Bear won “Best Short Story” in 2008 for “Tideline.”
  • John Klima—member johnklima, with 1,601 books cataloged—won “Best Fanzine” for his Electric Velocipede.

Congratulations to all the winners. The others include the social-media-savy Neil Gaiman, whose The Graveyard Book, won “Best Novel.” We’ll get him one day!

Labels: hugo awards, librarything authors

Friday, May 22nd, 2009

Author interviews posted

Our first two author interviews, first seen in the revamped State of the Thing newsletter, are live on the site itself. The interviews are:

Abby and I enjoyed reading the books—we both read from Bad Mother (thumbs up, but it will tweak you), and Abby read The Song is You (thumbs up)*. Philips’ interview convinced me I should check him out. “A child actor, a jazz musician, a speechwriter, a dismally failed entrepreneur, and a five-time Jeopardy champion” and a huge fan of Pale Fire? Will he come to our next party?

Want to do an author interview? Know someone who might? We’re looking for authors, and we’d rather get great ideas from members than declare open-season on our inboxes from publisher PR types. Email abby@librarything.com about it.

We have a number of other things authors and publishers can “do” with LibraryThing on the about page. We’ll be sprucing it up in time for Book Expo America in New York.


*I think we have to stop saying if we liked a book, as we’ll eventually read one we positively hate and “Check out this interview with Mr-Can’t-Write” probably won’t win us any friends.

Labels: authors, librarything authors, new features

Monday, May 11th, 2009

Who reads an author?

I’ve “brought back” top member lists on author pages, significantly enhancing them with lists that show the author’s readers among your friends and connections, and among Legacy Libraries (eg., C. S. Lewis had a lot of Twain).

Also new, LibraryThing Authors now get a new “Your Readers” connections category, so they can find out what your readers think of a given author or work.

Discuss here

Labels: authors, librarything authors, LT author, new features