Uploading An E-Book On Goodreads- Definitely Possible

image from www.bligbook.com- from an article, by Robin-Shah, with links to 5 websites about sites with free e-books

Our Engl 295 class is considering writing an e-book for our final project.  One detail that we have been trying to figure out is how we can distribute to the online audience and who our subject audience was going to be.  Our class has really enjoyed the Goodreads site, so we wondered if there might be a way to post our book on their website.  I had remembered opening an e-book of Jane Eyre on their website so I started researching.  I thought that I had figured out how it would work to upload an e-book, but I wanted to make sure, so I wrote Goodreads Support.  Below is the letter that I wrote to them:

Patrick from Goodreads Support responded the very next day with this message:

Now our class has an outlet to post our e-Book.  I am really excited to see the response to our book on the website once it has been posted....but first, to write the book.

Goodreads Discussion

I have never started a discussion group before, and I was slightly hesitant to do so.  I tend to avoid conflict, which discussion groups often have a lot of.  This makes sense with so many people coming together with strong conviction about different issues and ideas, because we all come from different backgrounds and experiences.  My discussion group is just starting out, and I am hoping to gather some more opinions about the book Jane Eyre.  I am focusing the group on choice and independence, which are central themes in Jane Eyre.  So far, I have had people reply with different opinions than I have and some new insights have been brought into the discussion.  I am excited to see how the discussion continues to grow and develop.  Through my perspective of the book and the perspectives of the other members of the discussion group, we will be able to gain a better perspective of the work as a whole, each bringing our own piece of the Jane Eyre puzzle.  As I learn more about the book, I also hope to learn more about myself as a reader and scholar, especially on how to communicate my ideas more clearly in an online setting.  This discovery is going to take practice and research.  One article from IFHE discusses theories of the results of online discussion forums:

"The present study is significant in its attempts to draw on different theories to investigate the antecedents and outcomes of using ODFs along with classroom lectures. The findings indicate that facilitating discourse, reflective thinking, assessment and connectedness contribute to interactions in ODFs. From the practical perspective, the present study suggests that using multiple medium of instruction enriches the communication context and leads to enhanced learning."- M. S. Balaji, Diganta Chakrabarti, IBS Hyderabad, IFHE Universtiy, Hyderbad, India

I will discuss more about this article and others in my next blog post on how the results of different studies performed can help us, as information consumers, better share our own ideas with those around us, whether digitally or in the real world.

Good Quote, Good Site, Goodreads

 When my professor brought up the fact that he did not feel he really understood something unless he could explain it to his child, I automatically thought of a quote from this man:

"If you can't explain it to a six year old, you don't understand it yourself."
— Albert Einstein

I have some of my favorite quotes saved on my account for Goodreads.  When I thought of this quote, I was able to search my favorite quotes and found the one I was searching for.  For a girl who is obsessed with quotes, the Goodreads site has been wonderful for me.