Hail, Twitteronia!
In the May/June edition of Poets & Writers, I have a short piece on authors on Twitter – what they are doing there, the best way to reach readers, and if the fuss is warranted (you can probably guess my answer to that particular question):
As they have come to do
with Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube, many in the publishing industry now consider
Twitter an essential marketing and communication tool: Publishers such as
Random House, Graywolf Press, and New Directions interact directly and
instantaneously with reviewers, booksellers, and industry professionals about
new and forthcoming titles. But for authors new to the service or mulling over
whether to join, Twitter can be a challenge: How does one send and receive
clear signals amid the high-clanging noise? Just as setting up a page on other
major networking sites does not guarantee success, joining Twitter doesn't mean
automatic recognition. It helps to have a game plan in advance: a specific
reason to follow specific users' updates and an incentive for them to follow
yours.
with Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube, many in the publishing industry now consider
Twitter an essential marketing and communication tool: Publishers such as
Random House, Graywolf Press, and New Directions interact directly and
instantaneously with reviewers, booksellers, and industry professionals about
new and forthcoming titles. But for authors new to the service or mulling over
whether to join, Twitter can be a challenge: How does one send and receive
clear signals amid the high-clanging noise? Just as setting up a page on other
major networking sites does not guarantee success, joining Twitter doesn't mean
automatic recognition. It helps to have a game plan in advance: a specific
reason to follow specific users' updates and an incentive for them to follow
yours.
Read on for the rest, and while you’re at it, check out Jofie Ferrari-Adler’s wide-ranging roundtable with agents Jim Rutman, Anna Stein, Maria Massie and Peter Steinberg.