10 Reasons Why Every Writer Should Join Twitter

If I were a writer stranded on a deserted island with only ONE social media outlet, I'd choose Twitter, hands down.

Twitter for Writers
Source: Coletivo Mambembe

Why?


If you're not on Twitter, or are just dipping your toe in the waters, here's a little rundown of some of the awesome writerly things going down on Twitter.

             {  Need to get a handle on Twitter Basics first?
                     Check out InkyGirl's awesome Twitter Guide for Authors  }


10 Reasons Every Author
Should Join Twitter

1. Meeting Awesome Writer-Folks
   Need help finding friends?
   
   Tip #1: Start with a fellow writer you know. See what other writers they interact with. Follow those writers. Also tune in to #FF (Follow Fridays) to see who they recommend following and why. See if they have any Twitter "Lists" of other writers you might want to follow too.
   
   Tip #2: Go beyond "the follow," "the writing tip," and "the retweet."
               { Do those too though ;o) }
   Talk about your day, your cats, your kids, your epic fail at chocolate mousse. Talk to folks. You can talk to me, for starters. Check out the hashtags below.
   
   Tip #3: Insert yourself into conversations. We're friendly! We don't bite! We're all here to procrastinate be social.
   
   
   
   
2. Writing Chats
   There are a TON(NE)-and-a-half of great writing chats on various topics going down every week. For starters, check out the following hashtags (Warning: Following list may be slightly biased toward pure awesome): #YALitChat, #MGLitChat, #NALitChat, #WNDBChat, #WNDBnano, #WriteStuff, #SciFiChat, #FantasyChat, #RWChat, #YAFeministChat, #BlackLitChat, #KidLitChat, #KidLitArt, #storycrafter
   
   Also check out chats hosted by:  @gayYA
   
   
   
3. Writing Motivation & "Sprints"
   Need a little encouragement? Motivation to get your writing on track this month? We are here for you! Check out #WriteMotivation, #IWSG, #RSWrite (I'm doing this one this summer! <3), and also #JustKeepWriting, #1LineWed, and of course National Novel Writing Month: #NaNoWriMo, #JuNoWriMo, #CampNaNoWriMo
   Or do you need that extra push to write as much as you can in an hour?
   Here are some "sprinting" tags:  #1K1H,  #1K1HR, #WordSprint, #WriteSprint, #WriteClub, #WordWar, #amsprinting, or my personal favorite #500in30
   
   
   { Protip: Add "Search" Columns to Tweetdeck to monitor multiple hashtags at once }
   
   
   
   
4. Query Research
   Want to know what agents/editors are looking for right now? Did you know Twitter is the best place to find that info?? Check out Manuscript Wish List: #MSWL, and also find tips and agents live-tweeting the slush on #querylunch, #askagent, #tenqueries, #querytip, #pubtip, & #500queries. You can also see/subscribe to my Twitter List of ~500 Literary Agents
   
   
5. Pitch Contests
   If you've been around my blog or twitter awhile, you know I'm a huge fan of the Twitter Pitch Party. Held on specific days throughout the year, pitch parties are a great opportunity not only to get your pitch noticed by agents and small presses, but also a fantastic way to meet new writer friends! Here are some of the main twitter pitch contests that happen throughout the year: #PitMad, #SFFPit, #adpit, #kidpit, #PBPitch, #WritePit, #PitchMAS, #CBPitch, #DVPit
   
   
   
   
   { Also check out my Pitch Contest Calendar }
   
   
   
   
6. Writing, Editing, and Marketing Tips
   There are tons of tricks, hints, and protips being shared on twitter all the time: from plotting, to character development, to worldbuilding research, to line-edits, to prepping yourself for your book launch. Find some knowledgeable folk to follow, and soak it all in!
   Here are some awesome accounts to get you started:  @LaraEdits, @Janice_Hardy, @ShesNovel, @tweetonsisters, @SubItClub, @nownovel, @writerology, @WriterUnboxed, @WriteToDone, @WriterThesaurus
   
   Also: When and if you feel up to it, share your own!
   
   
   
   
7. Keeping up with (Writing) News & Events
   There's a ton going on in the writing world, and it can be hard to keep on top of it all. Book releases, giveaways, awards, bloghop and guest post opportunities, writing & publishing webinars & workshops, Book Expo/Convention/Conference announcements. It's much easier to keep up with what's happening if you have a network to let you know about all the latest news and events! Beyond that, it can be a great way to get other news headlines too, with awesome commentary from those whose opinions you respect!
   
   
   
8. Chilling with Your Favorite Authors
   Just read something you love? Tell the author! It's okay to write a fangirl/boy tweet and tag the author. It might just make their day. They might even chat with you! :oD
   
   
   
9. Forging Relationships with Readers
   Admittedly, this is something I don't have a lot of experience with, seeing as I'm still in the pre-published phases of this publishing journey. But even those of us who don't have books yet have an awesome opportunity to build relationships with our future readers.
   
   
   
   
   (Notice I said "build relationships" NOT "push your book"
   That's an important distinction. Twitter is a place to be friendly, not pushy.)
   
   
   Know some book bloggers or librarians who like the exact same books as you? Talk about those books with them! If they say they liked a book, it's okay for you to jump in and gush too! Strike up a conversation with someone about a common interest. Passing conversations could turn into an awesome friendship one day! And that's the day you can talk about your book, because at that point you won't be pushing it ... they'll be asking to see it!
   
10. Sharing Your Blog
    Twitter is a great place to share links to your latest blog, tumblr or instagram post (if you have a writing account for that). It's one of the main ways that I remember to check my fellow writers' blogs on a regular basis, especially if the topic is something I'm intrigued in. I also know that for this blog, tweets are one of the main sources of my blog traffic so ... yeah. If you have a blog and are trying to grow readership, it works.
    
    
    A good guideline to follow is to tweet your link once or twice max in a day, so as not to be spammy.
    
    
    
11. Sharing Your Book
    
    However, Twitter is not a place to hop on and just blast links advertising your book. Some people do it. I don't recommend it. Doing it probably won't help you ... in fact it will probably just scare people away.
    
    
    
    People should be pulled to your work. You should not have to push it.
    
    
    
    That said, a little bit of sharing is a good thing. Put your latest book titles in your bio so everyone can see them along with the publication/release years. If you have any awesome announcements about a giveaway, or your upcoming release/launch party, or sweet fan art, do share! Just don't overshare. Follow other authors that are in the same place in their publication journey and mimic their best practices.
    

{ Oh, before I forget! Here is My Twitter, in case you want to chat! :oD  }

Related Links:

225 Hashtags for Writers || Twitter Chats for Writers || Twitter for Writers || Five Rewards for Social Media Investment || Writers: Don't Become a Self Promo Bore

What about you? What are your favorite reasons for using Twitter?