With the new Google+ design comes new advantages for authors. Here are several hints on how to utilize and grow your Google+ presence:

1. The cover photo is bigger – real big! For info on sizes and proportion and even a free template download, CLICK HERE.

2. If you are an author with a book – make sure you add a book page. Just visit the “More” icon, select pages, and take it from there.

3. Visit the “People” icon to find folks you may want to add to your circles. And, while we’re on the subject, you can make circles for anything. So maybe a circle for literary agents, one for readers, one for family, another for friends, etc.

4. Spend some time playing around with the other menu icons, too. You can learn what’s hot, list an upcoming event (or find one), add or view photos, find communities and more.

5. Don’t forget to offer up content on your Google+ page, just as you would on Facebook or Twitter. Adding content, such as blog post links, gets you more attention. And the added bonus is that content on Google+ is indexed by Google, allowing folks to find out more about you and your work even faster!

Recommended Reading: What the Plus by Guy Kawasaki (Click the link to get it for just 99 cents on Kindle! Guy does a fabulous job outlining all the ways you can put Google+ to work for you.

Have a unique way you’re using Google+ to connect with readers? Tell us about it with your comment below!