Posted on 2 Comments

Goodreads

goodreads_bookmark_front-flickrIt’s looking like the new GREEN issue of From Polymer to Art will be dropping on my doorstep today or tomorrow. There has been such an overwhelmingly good response to this issue (thank you!), that I am close to selling out already, and the magazines haven’t even gotten here yet! I’ll be ordering more this week, so I hope not to keep any late-orderers waiting too long.

Also, in that vein, I’ve been processing payments ahead of time this week, and doing as much as possible to be ready when the mags arrive.  Being a one-person packing and shipping machine isn’t easy, and I want it to go as quickly and smoothly as possible.

Because of this, I’ve had my nose in the computer a lot this week already, sending out invoices, processing payments, answering questions, etc.  So, you’d think when I found myself with a surprisingly empty email box yesterday afternoon, I’d have taken the opportunity to close the laptop and do something in the real world for a while.  You’d think that, but you’d be wrong.

Somehow I found myself tackling a project that I’ve had on my mind for some time: goodreads @ Polka Dot Creations

For those not in the know, goodreads is a social network for book lovers.

I’ve been a member for years, and I think it’s just great.

Goodreads appeals to my organization-loving side by providing a way to catalog, sort, and otherwise virtually shelve all of the books that I have read / am reading / want to read in the future.

And now, if you are a goodreads member, you can add books to your virtual shelves directly from Polka Dot Creations. How cool is that?

Next to each book in the shop that has an ISBN number, you will find an “add book” button, which also provides information about how many people have read the book and what the average rating is.  Here is a closer look:

Press the button, and a new window will open, wherein you’ll be given an opportunity to add the book to your goodreads shelves, specify whether or not you’ve already read it, and give it a review or rating if you wish.

The other aspect of goodreads that really appeals to me is the reader reviews of each book.  These, too, are now available on Polka Dot Creations. (woo hoo!)

Simply scroll down past the description of the book, and you will see excerpts from up to three reviews of the title.  You can use the provided links to read the full reviews or to read any other reviews that are not displayed.

Here’s a closer look at that:

I think this feature has the potential to really add some value to the Polka Dot Creations shopping experience, and I hope you will use it freely.

Additionally, you can now add Polka Dot Creations to your goodreads shopping links. Check it out.

So there you have it.

One thing I have noticed, though: there are not nearly as many reviews of polymer clay books as I had expected!  This Christi Friesen book I used as an example was one of the very few that had a decent number of reviews to show.

We can fix that, though.  If you’re not a member of goodreads yet, go take a look and sign up for a free account.  Feel free to add me as a friend, too.

Once you’re there, start adding some of your favorite books to your shelves, and start telling the world what you think of them!  Filling up your shelves for the first time doesn’t have to be hard, either.  You can

  • import a list of ISBNs (if there is interest here, I can whip up a little tool that will email you a list of the ISBNs on all of the books you have purchased from me – just let me know!)
  • if you have an android phone or tablet, the goodreads app includes a barcode reader.  You could plop yourself down with a pile of books and just scan the barcodes for a few minutes.  Easy.
  • you can go through a friend’s book list, and add any titles you have in common with each other.  Here’s a link to my polymer bookshelf, if you want to get started that way.

I hope you enjoy the new additions to the website!  And please, add some reviews at goodreads so that everyone may benefit.  If the magazines I need to ship don’t show up today, I plan to spend some time reviewing my own favorite clay books for the cause.

P.S. I created a “Best Polymer Clay Books” list where you can vote for your favorite polymer books of all time.  You can choose from the ones I’ve already selected, or you can add your own titles.  Let’s see what we come up with together!

 

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Posted on 2 Comments

2 thoughts on “Goodreads

  1. I love goodreads, too. And just did a friend request for you! But I never even thought of putting craft books there. I’d be overwhelmed by the data entry! However it would be a nice way to inventory them, I think. I didn’t know you could do what you described here, so thanks for the info!
    Sally

    1. It’s funny, I’m quite the opposite – I have nearly all of my craft books (the important ones, anyway) on there, but very little of the mysteries or classics I’ve read. The data entry there overwhelms me, too, but I do think I may tackle it at some point. Especially if I can find a way to just import the whole catalog of certain authors whose books I’ve devoured whole 🙂

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