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Twitter is an excellent place to get
news about the writing and publishing industries. The program is easy -- like most
things -- once you understand what you're doing. Let's walk through the basics of
how to use the site.
This tutorial assumes you have already
created an account. If you haven't done that yet, stop and create one now.
Here's a principle to follow on every
social media: use your author name. You should always be findable by the name on
your book covers.
Tips for Names
You cannot use a space on Twitter. Put your first and last name together. If your name has been taken already, consider adding an underscore (first_lastname) or add one to the beginning or end (_firstlastname OR firstlastname_). You could also add author to the end (firstlastnameauthor OR firstlastname_author) depending on the length of your name. There is a limit to the number of characters.
Do not use the word author first (authorfirstlastname).
Why not? Because when someone tries to mention you on Twitter, they will write your
name with the @ symbol in front of it (which triggers Twitter to find and link your
account). If your name is @authorfirstlastname and they type @firstlastname -- you
will not come up in the search. What comes up if they write @author and then begin to look for your name is a list of all people (in alphabetical order) who used author as the first part of their handle. If your name begins with AA or numbers, you might be viewable easily. If not, good luck! It might be pages before they see your name, assuming they stick around that long. Remember: always be findable by your author name.
Log in and Try This
If you already have an account, log
in, then click Notifications. You'll see anyone who mentioned you.
Within the rows or boxes that hold
tweets, you'll see a star icon. Click that to favorite (like) the tweet. It shows the person who
shared your post that you saw it. It's like a thank you.
To send it out to your own followers,
click the two arrows (similar to a recycle symbol). A box pops up. There's a place
to comment (you can say "Thanks for sharing" or whatever you might like).
Then click the Retweet button.
To reply (if you don't want to retweet)
click the single arrow. Write your message, and then click Tweet.
To follow, click the person's name.
A box pops up about them. Click the Follow button.
To send a tweet to a person, or to
mention them, type a short note, and then type the @ symbol. Begin typing their
name immediately after the symbol (mine is @kayelleallen). If you are already following
them, their name will show up as a possibility, and you can choose it to have it
enter for you. When you reply or retweet, it will go to them without having to add
their name. Try a few and see how you do. :)
If you like to read about a specific
thing, use a hashtag (#) to search for it. For example, if you love Lord of the
Rings, or the Hobbit -- use #LOTR or #Hobbit. In Twitter, go to the search bar (upper
right) and type one of those. Hit return, or click the magnifying glass in the search
bar. Tweets from anyone who used the term you searched for will show up. Try it
with almost any word (no spaces) and you will see the possibilities. The popular
searches for writers are many. Try these:
·
#amwriting
·
#amediting
·
#writing
·
#romance
·
#suspense
===
Kayelle Allen (who follows the #Thranduil and #Loki hashtags)
Kayelle Allen (who follows the #Thranduil and #Loki hashtags)
Author of the Tarthian Empire Companion, a World-Building Bible
and Guide to Writing a Science Fiction Series
Amazon http://bit.ly/companion-az Smashwords http://bit.ly/companion-sm
Website http://kayelleallen.mobi Blog http://kayelleallen.com/blog
Twitter http://twitter.com/kayelleallen Facebook http://facebook.com/kayelleallen.author
Google+ https://plus.google.com/+KayelleAllen/
Amazon http://bit.ly/companion-az Smashwords http://bit.ly/companion-sm
Website http://kayelleallen.mobi Blog http://kayelleallen.com/blog
Twitter http://twitter.com/kayelleallen Facebook http://facebook.com/kayelleallen.author
Google+ https://plus.google.com/+KayelleAllen/