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Five Reasons Every Writer Should Be on Twitter (And Check It Daily)
By Beth Bartlett
Would you turn down a free, daily writer’s conference packed
with editor’s tips, job opportunities and networking with fellow
scribes? If you’re not on the social network site Twitter, you’re
missing out on some of the best online resources for writers.
Here are five reasons, along with actual tweets, to illustrate
why every writer should have a Twitter account and keep up with
the conversation.
Publication Research
Sample Tweet: (From Cosmopolitan.com) @CosmoOnline: #tosavemoney
check out these brilliant tricks. you could save $250 in 30 days!
http://bit.ly/a9BruS
Once upon a time, writers spend a day at the library studying back
issues of magazines. More recently, they would spend an hour on the
magazine’s website. Now, following publications on Twitter keeps you
updated on the latest articles and themes. While the library work
still works, Twitter is an efficient way to keep tabs on all those
magazines and journals.
Jobs and Opportunities
Sample Tweet: (From literary journal The View From Here)
@theviewfromhere: Thanks for following us! We are OPEN for fiction
& poetry submissions.
Keeping up with the latest market newsletters, like Funds for
Writers, is easy with Twitter. Some newsletters offer leads first
on Twitter before the e-mail versions go out, giving you the jump
on competition. Find individual job postings or re-tweets of a
publisher’s current needs. My friend Jen Nipps received a message
from a publisher expressing interest in her manuscript on the same
day she created a Twitter profile for her pseudonym, Kat O’Reilly.
A few magazines that I’ve followed let me know they were open to
submissions, and I’m pursuing those opportunities.
Current Topics
Sample Tweet: (From author Terry Odell) @authorterryo: The Same but
Different: How far can an author go and retain readers?
http://bit.ly/4zfUFd
Writers discuss pet peeves, new solutions to old problems, and
fresh dilemmas of freelancing and social networking. A daily check
of those Twitter trends gives you an inside track and can inspire
material that will catch an editor’s eye. Ask people directly for
quotes rather than just yanking their words out of a day’s Tweets
and plugging them into a query; old courtesy goes a long way in
new media.
Learning the Business
Sample Tweet: (From agent Nathan Bransford) @NathanBransford:
Rather than querying 1,000 of your favorite agents at once,
consider trying 5-7 at a time
http://bit.ly/9iSQg9
New writers have no idea how the publishing world works, or how
much labor goes into a new book. By following agents, editors and
favorite authors, you get a well-rounded view of the business,
from how many hours that best-selling author spends at the keyboard
to how fast an agent goes through proposals, plus scheduled chats
with top professionals. Twitter is an amazing tool that puts words
and faces to those nameless powers behind agencies and publishing
houses.
Making Connections
Sample Tweet: (From writer Heiddi Zalamar) @HeiddiZ @plaidearthworm
A little under the weather, but okay. Thinking of what my next
#writing project should be. Any ideas?
If you only use Twitter for business and leave out the personal
exchanges, you may miss the opportunity to share a moment with an
editor or publisher. I’ve talked with editors and writers about bacon,
poetry, pets, television and life in general. I’ve received kind notes
from book publishers, writers and magazine staffers I hope to work
with someday, and I’ve built a few professional relationships with
people I’ve never met. If you don’t live in Los Angeles or New York,
Twitter gives you the opportunity to chat with people you might not
even have access to at a writer’s conference. Just remember, the best
way to mix small talk with business on Twitter is with a positive
attitude and a smile.
BIO
Beth Bartlett ( @plaidearthworm ) is a freelance writer for web and
print publications, and a growing Twitter addict. Drop by her
website at www.plaidearthworm.com, or enable her procrastination
with a Tweet or two.
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