Twitter Guide For Writers (Part 1)

(Updated January 16, 2010)

This is the first of a series of posts I’m going to be writing with concrete tips, examples and strategies to help writers get the most out of Twitter. If you’re not convinced you should be on Twitter, read Cheryl Rainfield’s post on the topic.

I’m going to assume you already know the basics; if you don’t, please read the excellent post by Mitali Perkins: Getting Started on Twitter: A Quick Guide for Kid/YA Writers. Even if you’re not a Kid/YA writer, you’ll find these newbie tips useful!

I’ve noticed a surge of interest from writers in the Twitterverse in recent months. In fact, I was part of that surge. I’ve only been taking Twitter seriously since mid-June, when I saw how many authors, editors and publishers in the children’s book industry were using Twitter.

Being a big fan of online communities, I decided to throw myself into researching how Twitter works. When I first tried Twitter, I couldn’t see the point. What could I say in 140 characters that could possibly be of interest to people? Why spend time Twittering when I could be writing? I was already on Facebook and several (ok, more than several) social networks. Did I really need another network?

I’ve already answered some of these questions in my post, 10 Ways Twitter Can Help Writers, but I think the questions need more detailed answers.

I’ve seen a lot of writers sign up for Twitter but then be confused about what they should do next. Or get frustrated because no one seems to be reading their feeds. I’m far from a Twitter expert but I’ve done a ton of research online, lurked and chatted, and made Twitter mistakes (a lot of them), then learned from those mistakes.

One of my goals for this series of posts is to help you learn from my mistakes, and also share what I’ve learned about what does and doesn’t work on Twitter, from an author’s perspective.

When I started actively posting in Twitter, I accumulated over 3,000 followers (non-spam followers!) and made new friends and contacts in the first three months:

See where the line changes from flat to climbing? That’s when I started using Twitter with a specific goal in mind. See the flattish bit later on in early August? That’s when I was away for a week.

Follower count can be a rough indication of how many people find your Twitterfeed interesting, BUT….

Contrary to what many Twitter spammers think, increasing your follower count should NOT be your main goal. At least it’s not mine. From what I can tell, it’s pretty easy to get thousands of followers if you’re just after numbers — just use an auto-follow (more about why I -don’t- auto-follow in a future post), follow lots of people who auto-follow, and don’t weed out spammers.

But what use is that? Spammers aren’t going to buy your books, nor are they reading your posts. As for enhancing your reputation, someone just has to browse your follower list to see how spammy it is. If you want to check how many of your followers are actually spammers right now and have the option of giving some of them the boot, try Twitblock.

Besides, Twitter may be the hot thing right now, but who knows how long that’ll last? If you find yourself focusing too much on your follower count, ask yourself: “If the Twitter site shut down right now, would the time I spent there still be worth it?”

Ok, fine. If you’re not after sheer numbers, then why ARE you joining Twitter? And that’s my first piece of advice for writers new to Twitter.

—> Ask yourself what you want to achieve. <---

One possible reason: NETWORKING.

Originally, this was my main goal for @inkyelbows (my goal is more complex now, but more on that in a future post). I knew I was going to be attending the SCBWI Conference in L.A. and figured I’d be less nervous if I got to know at least some people ahead of time.

“Networking” has negative connotations for many people because they interpret it as one person taking advantage of another. I don’t agree with this definition.

From MomGrind:

The value of social networking, especially for businesses, is in the opportunity to form real, genuine relationships with people and organizations who are relevant to your business, and who may be far less approachable in real life than they are on the Web.

Networking on Twitter ISN’T about getting thousands of followers. However, I also don’t agree with those who think that someone WITH thousands of followers isn’t worth following. I’ll rant more on that topic in a future post. I’ll talk more about what you should and shouldn’t do on Twitter when trying to network.

Meanwhile, another possible way writers can use Twitter:

PROMOTING YOURSELF AND YOUR WORK

Before you rush off to start posting announcements about your books and signings, however, be aware that unless you’re a Stephenie Meyer or Meg Cabot or other Big Name Author, just having a twitterfeed with pure promotional announcements (this includes links to your blog) is going to be pretty boring to most people.

Besides, your current fan base is probably already following your blog. Twitter can be a good way of finding new readers in addition to keeping your current fans interested: more on this topic in a future post.

Unless you’re a BNA (Big Name Author), having a Twitterfeed packed with day-to-day details about what you had for lunch or how bored you are is also not going to appeal to the masses.

With an awareness of Twitter etiquette and the community, however, there are many ways you can promote yourself on Twitter as an author in addition to what you post, including chats, book parties, live interviews, contests, and other events. Including some personal info in your regular posts is not a bad thing, as long as you don’t go overboard.

More about these topics in a future post.

Another possible way writers might want to use Twitter:

INSPIRATION AND MUTUAL ENCOURAGEMENT

This is a biggie for me. Twitter is especially useful for those days when my creative energy lags, when I slide into “omigod my writing TOTALLY SUCKS” mode, or when I’m feeling isolated. With Twitter, I know I can -always- find writers at work, no matter what time of day. Hashtags are one way: #amwriting and #writegoal, for instance. For more info about how writers can use hashtags and other writing-related tags, please see my Twitter Chats For Writers post.

IMPROVING ONE’S CRAFT AND KNOWLEDGE OF THE INDUSTRY

Twitter’s also a great place to find out what’s happening in publishing news as well as links to wonderful blogs and blog posts about the business and craft of writing. I’ll be posting a list of some of my favourite Twitterfeeds.

These are just a few reasons that writers might want to join Twitter, of course. I know some use Twitter just for the mental break, to chitchat with others about topics that may not have anything to do with writing. Some writers may be on Twitter for ALL the reasons above.

I do think it’s important, however, to have a clear idea in your mind on why you’re on Twitter, else you’ll just end up frustrated.

I’ll be including tips and resources to help writers achieve their goals on Twitter, based on my own experience as well as what I’ve observed about how others use Twitter. I’ll also include links to other people’s tips and resources, so feel free to comment and suggest other info or topics.

Continued in Part 2: Twitter Guide For Writers (nicknames, public vs private accounts, userpics), profile info, DMs, following back etiquette.

Tagged as: twitter