How to Add a Book Review on GoodReads

How do I add a book review on GoodReads? I recently found myself asking the same question. While adding a book review on GoodReads is simple, it’s not as intuitive as you might expect.

This quick GoodReads tutorial will show you how to add a book review to your GoodReads profile in 7 Easy Steps.

Step 1 – Log in

Yes, it’s simple and perhaps obvious that you need to log in to your GoodReads account. If you are a returning user, sign in as usual. If you are new to the site, sign up for a free GoodReads account.

Step 2 – Click on the My Books Tab

Once you’ve logged in, click on the My Books tab on the upper left side of the screen.

Step 3 – Search for Your Book

At the top of the page you will see a search box that reads, “Search and add books”. Make sure that you use this search box and not the search box at the top of the website.

Using the search box at the top of the page, search for your book by title. You can search for the book by author or keywords, but I find that the title search yields better results.

Step 4 – Select Your Book

If your book search worked, you should be able to scroll down and find your book. Go to the green button to the far right of your book. Click the dropdown arrow and select “Read”.

A new screen will pop up allowing you to complete your review. More on that in Step 5 below.

Step 5 – Review and Rate

Now that you’ve marked the book as read, a new review screen will pop up. Here is where you can rate the book and leave a review. The written review is optional, but it’s always nice to share your thoughts with the book loving community.

If your book review includes spoilers, remember to click the box to hide your review. Your review will still appear on the site. Users will get a warning that the book review contains spoilers. Basically, they proceed at their own risk.

There are a few more things you can add to your review to make them more personally meaningful. You can provide:

Date started and Date finished
Number of times read
Who you would recommend the book to
Who recommended the book to you
Private notes (which are not displayed)

You can also decide if you want your review posted to your GoodReads feed or blog. To do this simply check or uncheck the boxes at the bottom of the screen.

Step 6 – Write a Thoughtful Review

You don’t have to write a review. You can certainly drop your stars and go. But you never know what fellow booklover (or author) would appreciate your insights.

Yaasha Moriah of YaashaMoriah.com has a great YouTube video titled How to Write a Killer Book Review in 5 Easy Steps.

Be fair. Be kind. Be honest. Be mindful of GoodReads’ review guidelines.

Don’t Hit Save Just Yet

After you’ve written your review, you might expect to hit the Save button. Don’t do it. You are not saving a draft here. The Save button on GoodReads actually posts your book review for the world to see.

Instead, click Preview which you’ll find at the bottom near the Save button. Go figure. If you’re not happy, keep editing your review. If you want to stylize your review, you’ll need to use GoodReads html codes.

Step 7 – Save and Share Your GoodReads Review

Once you’re satisfied with your book review, click the Save button near the bottom of the screen. The only thing left to do is spread the word.

You can share the link to your GoodReads review on social media.

You can pick up the phone and tell a buddy about your latest read. That’s old school, but what else did you expect?

You can share a link to your review in the comments below. I’d be happy to stop by.

An Alternative Way to Leave a Review on GoodReads

There is another way to leave a review on GoodReads, but I find it a little tricky. Go to the GoodReads homepage. Search for your book in the search box at the top of the site.

When you get to the book’s page, look for the “rate this book” message. It typically appears below an image of the book. Once you rate the book by clicking the stars, a small popup will appear inviting you to write a review. One false step, and the “write a review” message disappears. You may have to clear your rating, and add it again in order to make this work.

From there, the review process works the same.

I’d give you a screenshot, but the “write a review” popup does not stick around for long.