BTB76: Steve Sarner, Former VP of Sales at Goodreads, on Amazon’s acquisition of Goodreads

Before the Bestseller


In this episode, my friend, Steve Sarner, a former vice president and one of Goodreads’ original users who supervised sales and marketing in addition to other duties, shares special insights into the integration of two popular platforms for readers and authors, Goodreads and Amazon. His journey to publishing demonstrates the art of navigating the ever-evolving landscape of modern publishing.

With Amazon’s acquisition of Goodreads, the two platforms are poised to work creatively together in the future. This strategic relationship has the potential to reshape the literary scene, providing authors with unprecedented opportunities for visibility and readers with new paths for discovery.

Alex Strathdee
BeforeTheBestseller | AdvancedAmazonAds

Recent PoDCASTS

connect with authors more famous than you: 3 secrets, 2 links, 1 quote

Reader, Today’s 321 is partly inspired by a fantastic interview with Tim Grahl on The Write Anyway Podcast hosted by Sue Campbell. 3 Secrets: 1. How to network with authors more famous than you Successful people want to see other hard-working people succeed. If you can show someone how hungry you are by actually implementing a piece of advice they have, they are more likely to be invested in your journey. After all, it’s their advice on the line. Step 1: Ask whoever you want to be friends…

LISTEN NOW

every reader must create ≥1 new reader, 3 secrets, 2 links, 1 quote

Reader, andddddd we’re back! How can I serve you this year? What do you want more of? Let me know 🙂 before we get to the first 321 of 2026…. horseback riding at Petra over Christmas with my childhood best friend Colleen okay, okay, now back to book marketing… 3 Secrets: 1. The Lean Startup’s Viral Engine of Growth but make it books… In the Lean Startup by Eric Ries, the Viral Engine of Growth is when your product grows because users bring in more users automatically. You’ve achieved…

LISTEN NOW

biggest post-launch mistake & review form template, 3 secrets, 2 links, 1 quote

Reader, happy to be back home with the family in Virginia for the holidays 🙂 *right before baby Elouise had a blowout all over my mom’s new couch* Wishing you all a happy and healthy holiday season 🙂 3 Secrets: 1. Releasing a new book in 2026? Getting everyone in your launch team to leave their review on launch day is like herding cats. Anyone who has released a book before knows that launch day has enough going on. So instead of trying to do it all on launch day… Create a Google Form or…

LISTEN NOW

Subscribe for a copy of Before the Bestseller and level up your book marketing today!

Fill out the form below, and you’ll receive your copy shortly.