Why Writers Need Twitter (X)
If you are a writer and you don’t have X (formerly known as Twitter), you need to get it now. Create a fun, unique handle to start connecting with fellow writers (mine is @inkwellspills).
Social Media is all about being *social.*
The number one reason writers need Twitter (X) is to connect with people who matter most to writers: Other Writers and Potential Readers (Sometimes a two-for-one special.)
- Writers : My favorite part about the writing community is connecting with fellow writers. Not only do I love supporting them and helping them out, but they do the same for me when I need it.
- We’re a unique breed and it takes a writer to understand a writer.
- Readers : Most writers are also avid readers. You’ll find that many of them often host “writer lifts.” They add “#writerlift” to their post(s) in search of new books to read.
- Unlike the general audience, writers know that books need reviews to rank on Amazon. So, they’re more like to read your work, and they’ll put in the extra effort to write a quick review.
Meet Mentors
- Many members of the writing community are seasoned authors.
- They offer sage advice for all of us newbies.
- They answer your questions, offer a shoulder to cry on when things get tough, and post insightful commentary relevant to the difficult and often tragic life of a writer.
- Use the hashtag #AskAMentor to grab their attention.
Grab an Editor
- Once you’ve completed your WIP, you could head to Google in search of a good editor. Or you could open up your Twitter App and Tweet about it.
- Chances are you’ll get much better results in Twitter, especially if you engage with your followers. You might find that one of your Tweeps is actually an editor.
- If you have put in the work to become their friend, they might even offer their services at a discount!
Wants more followers? Engage your audience.
- You could just Tweet about yourself and try to make an impact that way. You’ll get some followers, sure, but they won’t really care about you. Develop relationships with the people who follow you. Remember to follow them back and support their journey!
- Ask questions, give support, offer feedback, get involved!
Connect With Publishers & Literary Agents
- Yes, you can find agents and publishers on Twitter too.
- But, there are rules of engagement. Click here to learn more.
- As a general rule, you should not solicit agents or publishers via Twitter.
- Instead, follow their solicitation policies.
- However, there is an event called #PitMad:
- “Pitch Wars is a mentoring program where published/agented authors, editors, or industry interns choose one writer each to mentor.
- “Mentors read the entire manuscript and offer suggestions on how to make the manuscript shine for the agent showcase.
- “The mentor also helps edit their mentee’s pitch for the contest and their query letter for submitting to agents. Mentors can participate solo or pair up and co-mentor.” –Pitch Wars Website
- Not sure if Pitch Wars is your thing? That’s OK, but be sure to check out their amazing resources page before you start querying.
Develop a Useful “Distraction”
As writers we have a tendency to procrastinate. We know we have to write, but sometimes we just can’t.
- Instead of spending my social media time looking at videos of fluffy kittens, I have transformed it into something actually productive.
- Whenever I need a break from writing, I hop onto Twitter to engage with my writing community. Often times, I will leave feeling much more inspired and motivated than if I had just scrolled through YouTube videos on Travel Hacks….
Improve Your Writing Habits
- Participate in Writing Contests – There are so many, too many to list. But here’s a few of my favorites
- #vss – Write a “very short story.” Using Twitter’s 140 character limit, you write a brief story to captivate your audience. It’s a great exercise as you must create a great story with a microscopic word count. It’s also really fun.
- #vss365 – Similar to the vss challenge, in this one you write a very short story every day for a year. There was even a book created using very short stories from across the Twitterverse.
- #vsspoetry – Self explanatory, yes? Very short stories in poetry form. Super fun, and some amazing work comes out of this writing challenge.
- NaNoWriMo – Not sure what #NaNoWriMo is? Click here for more information.
- Twitter is the place to be during November, or National Novel Writing Month.
- You can find support and meet other participants.
- I like doing daily check-ins on Twitter to hold myself accountable for my word count and to see my Tweeps are doing the same.
- My absolute favorite part about NaNoWriMo on Twitter is the word sprints. If you’ve ever done NaNoWriMo, you know that some days you fall behind on your word count. But it’s OK, because NaNo Word Sprints are there to save the day!
- Inspiration and Motivation for Writers –
- As a general rule, the writing community on Twitter is super supportive. But they’re also very inspiring and motivating.
- If you’re having a bad writing day (or week, or month), just hop on Twitter and let your tribe know. They’ll get you back into writing mode in no time.
- Ask any writing-related question with the hashtag #writerq and you’ll get an answer ASAP.
- If I’m stuck searching for a writing idea, I will often just scroll through Twitter for 5 minutes or so. I’ve cultivated my followers, only writers & other creatives allowed. So I’m destined to find something inspiring in my feed at any time.
Learn and Grow with the Writing Community of Twitter –
- Advertise Your Work –
- Writer Lifts (more on that below) are a great way to get your work out there. People will voluntarily do these. They ask their followers and members of the writing community to use their Tweet as a platform for promotion.
- You can also use your “pinned tweet” as an advertisement for your work. I will often stick my most recent post there so people see it whenever they visit my profile. It’s the first thing they see, so make it stand out. Learn more about best practices for pinned tweets here.
- Tweet about your work, but don’t constantly market yourself. If your entire profile is filled with repetitive advertising tweets, people will notice. That’s not a good thing. Remember, the writing community is about engagement. Share your work, so people know it’s there. Just don’t be spammy.
Create and Become a Part of a Valuable Community –
- Foster Relationships –
- When I first joined Twitter, my goal was to get lots of followers so people would be more likely to buy my books. Then I discovered the writing community and my world shifted.
- I discovered this amazing, supportive, entertaining, loving community and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
- This year, I have created so many new and valuable relationships with complete strangers.
- Followers are good. It means people notice you. But friends? Those are irreplaceable.
- Get Listed –
- Twitter has a List section on your profile. You can create any kind of list you want.
- Adding people to lists is a great way to engage without following hundreds of people. If you see someone you’d like to keep an eye on, but don’t necessary want their tweets in your feed, add them to a list!
- A lot of members of the writing community do this. They have lists of specific writer Tweeps they would like to follow more closely. Some agents and editors do too!
- You get a notification when you’re added to a list, which is always an ego boost. But it also means that you stand out for some reason.
- Getting noticed by other writers, editors, and agents is great. Just note that it usually happens when you engage in a meaningful way.
Grow Your Social Media Skills on a User-Friendly Site
X (Twitter) is very easy to use, not so easy to master. Anyone can throw out 140 characters and get some type of interaction.
- It took me about two years to reach 1,500 followers – not impressive. But I started cold, with no idea what I was doing.
- I made the mistake of assuming people would be interested in what I had to say based solely on the idea that I had interesting things to say. False.
- Like I’ve said before, you have to engage. Use Twitter to learn how to engage with the friendly and supportive writing community audience.
- Twitter will help you learn how to use images, gifs, hashtags, and links at the right moments.
- Pro tip – look at the members of the writing community with lots of followers. Study their post content and structure as well as how they interact. Then, follow their lead.
