Incredibly enough, every second, five books are added to a “want to read” shelf on the site. What’s more, readers add 30,000 reviews to the site every single day.

Authors who have figured out how to use Goodreads for book promotion have seen the potential there — they can build a fan base, generate influential reviews, expand their platform, and ultimately sell more books.

Any author who wants to find readers needs to be on Goodreads. Here’s just a sampling of what you can do there once you take the necessary steps to use the site as an author (in addition to as a reader):

1. Get reviews that go farther.

Here’s what I really like about Goodreads reviews: They get syndicated – distributed – to USAToday.com plus e-commerce and library sites, so they work harder for you. In addition, on Goodreads, there’s a direct relationship between the number of reviews a book has and how many times it’s added to someone’s reading shelf. Get more reviews so your book gets added to more shelves by using Goodreads giveaways, widgets, and badges to generate reviews.

2. Be heard; get known.

As a Goodreads author, you can add your blog and videos to your profile so your thoughts and opinions get read, seen, and heard. Participate in the right groups appropriately and help readers know, like, and trust you. What’s more, when a reader selects the “I’m a fan” option on your author profile, your blog posts, reviews, and comments will appear in their Goodreads feed, which helps them get to know you better.

3. Generate attendance at book signings and other events.

Doing a book signing where you live now, or across the country where you grew up? Speaking about your book’s topic to a group? Presenting at a conference? Get more people to show up by promoting the event on Goodreads.

There’s much, much more you can do on Goodreads to connect with readers and get your book discovered, of course. If you’d like to learn more (so your book gets discovered!), listen to my audio program with Goodreads staffer Cynthia Shannon, “How to Use Goodreads for Book Promotion.” Cynthia, a true Goodreads insider, shared lots of helpful and specific information you can use immediately to improve your presence on this social network for book lovers.

What’s your best tip for using Goodreads?