The Wild Frontier – Google+ for New Authors by @FierceDolan #buildingaudience #amwriting

G+ for New Authors–The Wild Frontier
Guest Post by author Fierce Dolan

For most users, one of the best things about G+ is that it isn’t Facebook. What I mean by that I mean is, G+ isn’t overrun with ads, Sponsored Posts, spam, or games, as has become standard in navigating Facebook. In fact, Google Plus has none of that. With that brilliant distinction in mind, here are a few disadvantages and advantages of G+ for a new author:

Disadvantages

The #1 problem with G+ is…  getting people to use it. The young social platform just hasn’t attracted the attention of staunch Facebook or Twitter users, so as an author creating readership, your job is to sell yourself… and the service.
As a result of not getting the attention of Facebook, many users who are on G+ just don’t use it. They migrate where the conversation is, which is often away from G+.
Because the service is still new, Open Graph Protocol (social media sharing or “liking” buttons on websites) for G+ hasn’t incorporated on many sites.
Because G+ focuses solely on helping you interact with Contacts, there aren’t superfluous ads in the sidebars or embedded within your Wall. You would think that quiet is appreciated, though many find it bland, leaving them without accustomed landmarks to navigate the service.
Along that line, on G+, you can only write on your own Wall. If you want to write a note to someone, it must be posted to your wall directed only to that person (making it private between the two of you), or via public callout with an @ before the Contact name.

Advantages

G+ really does value your privacy. You can set your account to be totally private, public, or some flavor between.
Google Plus allows you to organize Contacts (your friends list) into Circles. Doing so allows you to group Contacts by interest, such as Writers, Editors, Graphic Designers, etc. You can also post to your entire group of Circles, or to a specific one. Apart from public posts, only those whom you add to Circles can read your posts.
Engaging socially in Communities gets you out there to meet readers, and others in the industry. You can set Community posts to show up in your main feed, or read them at the Community’s page.
You can create business pages on G+, allowing you to distinguish your personal profile from book or author pages.
Cover banners for pages on G+ have no comparison to any other, measuring at a whopping 2120X1192. You can almost put an entire book on that, alone!
Another nice feature of G+ is that it is integrated with all other apps on the Google platform. Potentially email (Gmail), photo albums (Picasa), Contacts, Droid (if you have one), and every other Google service you use can be integrated into your G+ account. If you want transparency with readers, this interconnectivity of apps allows that, though you can still enjoy the perques of these features with privacy.
G+ Communities tend to have more relationship and communication-driven interaction, rather than slews of drive-by promotion.
One of the best features of G+ for authors is Hangouts–live video webcasts. The potential to connect with your audience worldwide, in all your fantasticness and real-time glory has never been easier, or more fun.

 

The Fangirl’s Dream by Fierce Dolan

Siler Dunham would do anything to have Farraj Reza, hero of the smash network TV drama, Endangered. Every week she tunes in to watch him calculate the rescue of fellow bus crash survivors trapped deep in the jungle by a ruthless drug lord. A federal public defender with a penchant for saving the unsavable, she can’t resist his sad story, or his badass charm. When she seeks a matchmaking service to meet him, their one night stand isn’t what she expected. Forced to choose between unbridled lust and compassion, Siler must forgo her fantasy… or mustn’t she?

Available From:

Decadent Publishing | Amazon | All Romance

 



 

About Fierce

Erotic mezzofiction writer, Fierce is imagination shapeshifted as a scribe taunting blank pages and carpal tunnel, neither of which are much use for deadlines. Close allies are impeccable timing and a trusty masseuse. Being a switch I/ENFP doesn’t hurt. For kicks Fierce has other personas across several genres, tends to fill in “Other” on surveys without explaining, and chooses the finality of the Japanese Tamagotchi.

Frolic with Fierce on:

Facebook | @FierceDolan | Google+ | Goodreads

Amazon | Pinterest | Tumblr

Building An Audience Schedule:

August 9 -  Intro & Knowing Your Audience

August 16 -  Blogging

August 23 - Using Yahoo & Facebook Groups with author Liz Crowe

August 30 -  Twitter

September 6 - Facebook with Tawania from Wicked Readings by Tawania

September 13 - Pinterest with author Desiree Holt

September 20 - Google + with author Fierce Dolan

September 27 - Goodreads with author Cassandra Carr