Goodreads was founded in 2007 and quickly became the world's largest social cataloguing platform for readers, allowing users to rate books, write reviews, and share reading lists. The site gave poetry collections an unprecedentedly large reviewing audience beyond academic journals. For poets and publishers, a strong Goodreads presence became a significant indicator of readership and word-of-mouth popularity.

The launch of Goodreads in 2007 created a vibrant community for discussing and discovering poetry, enabling poets and readers to connect in new ways. This platform facilitated the sharing of diverse poetic voices, fostering a rich online literary culture that encourages engagement and collaboration.