Twitter Fun
I’ve been having so much fun on Twitter. I’ve met fellow writers, interacted with avid readers, read useful blogs and articles, entered contests and shared my personal experiences as a fledgling writer.
Through the process, I’ve noticed a few patterns. One, some writers trying to advertise their work forget to keep the “social” in “social media.” I have purchased only two books since joining twitter and being exposed to so many indie authors. Both those books were from authors who interact on Twitter.
I, as do all avid readers, have a large collection of paper books stacked beside my bed (and on the window sill and the dresser and…you get the picture) as well as a healthy list of digital books downloaded as part of a bundle or from a hefty discount. I have no interest in adding to this digital, and actual, clutter without a compelling reason. Being bombarded with the cover art of your work on Twitter when I’m trying to find interesting tidbits about my fellow authors morphs into an intrusion.
A writer who posts amusing quips gets my attention MUCH faster. One, Brian Rathbone, consistently responds to his followers. He creates tweets worthy of response! I highly recommend following him: @BrianRathbone. He has 129K followers for a reason.
Another observation: participating in popular hashtags can garner you more followers. I LOVE #1linewed. I find an interesting sentence from whatever I’m working on that day, then tag and tweet it. It’s fun reading the creations from other writers. Sometimes, I find people to follow and people find me. Networking is the secret to success, regardless of your area of specialty. Twitter allows this process to move along smoothly. Others I’ve routinely used are #amwriting, #amwritingfantasy, #amrevising and #amreading. I’m sure there are others, but I am still exploring, not even CLOSE to being an expert yet.
I am at a modest 204 followers at the moment. It’s a slow start. Considering I have NOTHING to advertise yet, I’m excited by the growth. Hopefully, by the time my first book is published, I will have a ready audience of whom I’ve gotten to know and interacted with in a way that entices them to purchase my book.
It worked for Brian Rathbone. I bought Call of the Herald, the first book in his The Dawning of Power series. This YA fantasy novel introduces the reader to Catrin, a farmer’s daughter from a small, insignificant town, who discovers she possesses a power not seen in the world for centuries. Her world is flipped upside down when an ancient religious sect sends an army to her island to capture her. It’s an adventurous read with many horse details which I truly appreciated! Don’t let the YA category fool you. This adventure, along with its characters, are as sophisticated as any novel aimed at adults. Try it and let me know what you think! Meanwhile, I will dive into book 2: Inherited Danger.
Read more books!