Goodreads Alternatives?

I saw a Substack post the other day titled, "Goodreads is a Dumpster Fire. Here's Your Exit Map". Naturally, I was intrigued.

The author provided three alternatives to Goodreads, each of them for different purposes. I was already familiar with BookBub, of course, and based on my experience, I couldn't get on board with the writer's contention that an author could "move 10,000 copies in a weekend". I wanted to chalk that up as a joke, but that would make the entire article a joke, and I don't think the guy was kidding around. The last time I purchased a BookBub ad, I moved exactly zero copies. Every time I bought an ad through the site, I targeted comp authors, as David Gaughran instructed in his video, but it's a difficult choice, since I relied on their books' blurbs, and that's kind of a crapshoot. 

For matching a book to its ideal reader, the writer recommends StoryGraph. I definitely need to find my ideal reader, if there is one, so you bet! I pulled up the site and was immediately lost. I had absolutely no idea where to go and what to do. Most sites like this have an "authors" area. Nope! Google did provide me with an author signup link, so I managed to create an account. And that's it. Generally, one clicks on their profile and finds areas for creating a bio and most importantly, adding (or choosing) their books. Its search function allowed me to find Running From Herself, but it was categorized as romance, so I needed to edit that. Again, nope! Can't edit anything, because as far as StoryGraph is concerned, I'm a reader, not an author.

Google came to the rescue by linking to an article someone had posted about maneuvering through the site. None of the writer's tips worked, but she did include a link for questions/help. So, I dashed off an email, basically admitting my confusion. It's been about eighteen hours and I haven't received a response. I was even willing to purchase a giveaway for $69.00, since the Substacker emphasized that the site has four million users. A couple of those four million would have to be my ideal readers, right? I might never know. The article did mention something about needing to join the beta program before creating a giveaway, so I asked about that in my email. Maybe the program is super exclusive, which is really a bad business model. 

Google says, "To join the StoryGraph beta program and test new features, go to your Manage Account page in a web browser, scroll down, and check the box labeled "Interested in beta testing new features". 

Well, that doesn't exist, Google!

If this place is truly an alternative to Goodreads, its dumb-assery belies that point. But hey! If anyone figures it out, drop me a comment! 

Just when I thought Storygraph was the absolute worst site to navigate, I moved on to the Substacker's next recommendation, Fable. "... the real gold is the book clubs. You can host a club, invite your fans, and watch them react to your book in real-time. They leave emojis inside the text. They highlight your best lines. Fable then hands that data back to you through D2D. You can see exactly which sentence made them cry or which plot twist made them angry. That isn’t just “feedback” – it’s your marketing copy for the next three years."

This time I didn't bother trying to establish an account. Before I could even wade through that quagmire, I'd need my book(s) available on D2D. Well, my Kindle Select's exclusivity prohibits me from listing ebooks on D2D, which only leaves the option of paperbacks. Thus, I would need to set up a paperback on D2D, which, lemme tell ya, isn't ideal. I couldn't use KDP's ISBN, so I'd have to get a new one, which means I'd have two versions of my novel floating around out there. Sure, I've never sold even one copy of my paperback, so it's probably a moot point, but just to get on Fable? Even if it worked? Who's gonna join my Fable "book club"? Nobody. I browsed Fable's clubs and one thing stuck out immediately. Guess what it was. Hint: Even the "religion" clubs' first listing was for witchcraft.

My experiment with alternatives is a bust. I'd long ago rejected BookBub, and Fable is...just nuts. That leaves StoryGraph, which may or may not want my business. But my $69.00 can likely be much better spent anyway.

Based on who my ideal readers are, I think I need to search out senior citizens forums instead.