When you rebrand a series or refresh a cover, Goodreads is the platform authors forget, and an old cover lingering there undercuts the new look everywhere else. Goodreads does not let you overwrite a cover the way you might expect, so to update your book cover on Goodreads you use one of two routes depending on your access. This guide covers both, and the one piece of information Goodreads volunteers need before they will make the change.
Why can’t you just replace the image on Goodreads?
You cannot overwrite a Goodreads cover because Goodreads treats each version of a book as a separate edition, and its catalog is maintained partly by volunteer librarians to keep book data accurate. Instead of swapping the file, you add the new cover as an edition and set it as the primary one, or you ask a librarian to make the change. Which route you use depends on whether you are in the Goodreads Author Program.
Route one: the Goodreads Author Program
If you have claimed your book through the Goodreads Author Program, you can do this yourself. On your book’s page, choose to add an alternate cover edition, which copies all the existing information across to a new edition and lets you upload the new cover. Then set that edition as the primary edition for the work, so the new cover is the one readers see by default. Covers must be JPEG, PNG, or GIF. This is the cleanest route, and if you are not in the Author Program yet, this is reason enough to join.
Route two: the Goodreads Librarians Group
If you cannot make the edit yourself, the Goodreads Librarians Group is the official place to request it. Librarians are volunteers who update catalog data, including covers. Post your request in the group and include a link to the book on a non-bookseller source, such as your publisher or author website, so they can verify the new cover against an official source. A retailer link is often not enough on its own. Requests are usually handled quickly, but they depend on volunteers, so allow a little time.
What to watch out for
- Editing the edition readers are not on. A book can have several editions on Goodreads. Adding a cover to a stray edition does nothing if reviews and readers sit on a different one. Set the correct edition as the primary edition for the work.
- No verification source. Librarians need to confirm the new cover against an official, non-bookseller link. Have your website or publisher page ready, or the request stalls.
- Wrong file type. Goodreads accepts JPEG, PNG, and GIF. Export the cover in one of those before you upload or send it.
What comes next
A cover refresh usually comes with other listing updates. If the book is new or relaunching, How to Set Up KDP for a New Book covers the metadata that goes with it, and How to Share Your Book’s Buy Links Correctly keeps the links you share pointing at the current edition. The Author Onboarding Bootcamp lists the platforms to keep current.
For more detail, see Goodreads’ librarian manual on uploading covers and the Goodreads Librarians Group.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change my Goodreads cover myself?
If you are in the Goodreads Author Program, yes. You add an alternate cover edition on your book's page, upload the new cover, and set it as the primary edition. If you are not in the program, you request the change through the Librarians Group.
Why won't Goodreads let me overwrite the old cover?
Goodreads treats each version as a separate edition and keeps catalog data accurate through volunteer librarians. Instead of overwriting, you add the new cover as an edition and make it the default, or ask a librarian to update it.
What do Goodreads librarians need from me?
A link to the book on a non-bookseller source, such as your author or publisher website, so they can verify the new cover. A retailer link alone is often not enough. Covers must be JPEG, PNG, or GIF.
How long does a Goodreads cover update take?
The Author Program route is immediate once you set the new edition as primary. A Librarians Group request depends on volunteers, so allow a little time, though requests are often handled quickly.