I just found out how to “claim” my author page on Goodreads, so you can find me there at http://www.goodreads.com/daviddlevine.
What do you find useful about this community? What do you recommend I do as a new user?
About David
David D. Levine is the author of over fifty published science fiction and fantasy stories. His work has appeared in markets including Asimov’s, Analog, F&SF, and Realms of Fantasy and has won or been nominated for awards including the Hugo, Nebula, Sturgeon, and Campbell. He lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife Kate Yule, with whom he co-edits the fanzine Bento.
There are a lot of people running around Goodreads shouting for attention. They join groups in order to promote their own books, spam people they’ve never interacted with, etc. I wouldn’t expect you to do that, but I’m just mentioning it since they have given authors on the site a bit of a bad name.
The better tactic is to start with your own profile: write some reviews (not of your own books) or import some you’ve written in the past. Join some groups and contribute to their discussions as a reader. If people like what you have to say, they’ll seek you out. If you choose to friend people, take a minute to tell them why and make a personal connection.