Monday, August 02, 2010

Why you are on Twitter

It's where your readers are.

And you want to hear what they are saying

to wit:

I received a lovely surprise last week. After announcing that I had received book four in Jeff Somers series and bemoaning the fact I had book three but not the first two, the inestimable author himself contacted me via Twitter and asked if he could send me them for review.

How lovely is that? So unexpected, and such a treat. As a consequence, expect to see these shooting up my TBR pile - kindness begets kindness, after all!


If you think twitter is only about what you had for lunch, you're out to lunch.

22 comments:

Kathryn Rose said...

It's an incredible medium for social networking! We get news out there fast when we tweet! :)

Anonymous said...

A Twitter network is an awesome phenomenon.

If I were someone of note, and I had something of note to offer to others, I would feel like a spider sitting in the middle of the Twitter-universe that is my web.

Any little wiggle in the extremeties would be instantly noticed and opportunities would be acted upon as they arose.

Lydia Sharp said...

I just recently joined Twitter and I can't believe how many valuable resources and contacts I've found there. Should have done it sooner.

Becca said...

I had a twitter, right before the hype started about it, and deleted it out of boredom. Now I'm dancing around the idea of getting one again, without any idea of what I'd do with it if I got it.

JD Horn said...

I think I need to sign up for remedial Twitter.

Taffy said...

Wow! What a great story and post. Kindness abounds in places we don't think about.

Debra L Martin said...

Twitter has been a great way to meet readers and other authors. Social networking is imperative these days for authors. Twitter and facebook and a networked blog are key ingredients in your marketing arsenal.

Deb

Simon Hay said...

That's a great story. There's so many kind and generous people in the world.

Twitter has been good for me: contacts, friends, work, and an invite to Rochester NY.

Debra Lynn Shelton said...

Twitter rocks, plain and simple. I found my agent through Twitter and have made many writer friends there. It's a supportive, interesting, fun community. If you're a serious writer, you should definitely be on Twitter. It's where the action is. #nodoubt

JD Horn said...

But is Twitter a good place to meet anonymous references for prospective agents?

OK, on the serious side, I have just gone to the Twitter and set myself up one of them there account things.

Daisy Bateman said...

I'm just there for the free booze.

There's going to be booze, right?

N. R. Williams said...

I'm fairly new to all this twittering and facing bookish thing, but the value is there if you seek it out. I should love to be discovered, it's almost like the old Hollywood fantasy of a young woman working as a waitress and a big wig from the studio, or director, or agent discovers her. Off she goes to make her own history.
Nancy
N. R. Williams, fantasy author

Magemanda said...

Thank you for the link back to my blog (I was wondering where all the sudden traffic came from!)

I have to say - this is not the first time I've encountered such sweetness via Twitter. I dived in with an account and much scepticism in January of this year, and cannot count what benefits I've received as a result: invites to publisher events for bloggers, books from authors (as with Jeff Somers), and contacts with those in the industry (such as the amazing Simon Spanton of Gollancz).

If you are even thinking about getting involved with Twitter, I say grasp the opportunity whole-hearted.

As with anything, you receive from it what you are prepared to put in. If you build your contacts wisely, and interact with them properly rather than just "using" them for what they can do for you, then it is a very rewarding process :-)

Thanks again!

Amanda (Floor to Ceiling Books)

Magemanda said...

Just popping in another comment so that I can have any follow-up comments (questions etc) sent through to my email account - silly me didn't do that the first time round! :-D

Buffy Andrews said...

Yeah, I know. Right. So I tweeted that the banana on my desk was turning brown and within minutes I had a response from company explaining to me the science behind it. Another time I commented about a product and within minutes got a response. Hasn't happened yet with the new Blizzard Oreos, which i totally adore. Would love to get a surprise of a supply. Seriously, have you tasted those things? The cream is, well, different. Anyway...

ryan field said...

You can have a lot of fun with it, too. Everyone is always thinking social network = promote books. But it's so much more than that. I've found that I've made many unexpected friendships through these things.

JD Horn said...

Oh, heavens! Does this mean I have to start wearing tight sweaters?

Joyce Tremel said...

I resisted Twitter for a long time, but Janet's excellent workshop on social media at the Pennwriter's conference in May convinced me I needed to sign up.

I'm so glad I did! I absolutely love it. I've met a lot of nice people (not all of them writers, either) that I would never have run into otherwise.

Anonymous said...

Spot. On.

Dale Bishop said...

Out of context, I know. But I even got a date on twitter. A nice guy, too.

Unknown said...

There are so many valuable ways to reach out on Twitter. This is a supreme example. Thanks!

Unknown said...

@ShellyKramer introduced me to Twitter and I'm so glad she did. I'm so in love with twitter, in fact, that I just got my own ID necklace via @thehippest.

My husband doesn't get it. And probably never will. Alas, his loss.