- Amazon launched “Your Books” to compete with its Goodreads platform.
- It taps purchase data to recommend and sell more books.
- The tool risks cannibalizing Goodreads amid questions about Amazon’s commitment.
Amazon has launched a new book tracking and discovery experience called Your Books, positioning it as a competitor to Goodreads, the social cataloging platform it acquired in 2013.
Your Books vs. Goodreads
While Goodreads focuses more on community reviews and ratings, Your Books taps into Amazon purchase data to automatically compile a library of everything you’ve bought or saved. Readers can organize books and get tailored recommendations for new titles to buy.
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The launch comes as Goodreads faces ongoing issues like review bombing campaigns and tanking books before publication. Your Books avoids user reviews and uses Amazon’s data for commerce-driven suggestions.
It’s about selling more books
Essentially, Amazon aims to leverage its trove of consumer insights to recommend your next book purchase algorithmically.
While it risks cannibalizing Goodreads, Your Books better serves Amazon’s ultimate goal – selling more books.
So, while couched as a library management tool, Your Books gives Amazon another vector to turn reading enthusiasm into a retail opportunity.
And it raises questions about the book seller’s commitment to developing Goodreads after letting it languish for years.
