If you've ever heard of, or perhaps even participated in NANO (National Novel Writing Month), you recognize that peer pressure can be a positive thing egging you on to do what you promised to do and helping you set up good writing habits -- in this case writing daily. And so it did for me (even though I didn't officially "win" NANO I did come pretty close). The daily writing was an easy habit to make and keep but sadly, a writing career isn't all about writing. There's networking, finding new markets, honing skills, and so much more.
The Internet has been a marvelous tool for accomplishing many of those goals, and with the best of intentions I set up a Facebook and Twitter account. Well, the Facebook account swiftly became inundated with personal announcements: who had a baby, went on vacation, wanted me to volunteer at a school fundraiser. So that left my Twitter account which I faithfully populated with the accounts of fellow writers, agents, publishers and such. I would be tuned into the publishing world. Hmmmm. Not so much.
I blame my phone. He isn't smart. Of sure, he can make phone calls, store numbers, even text (but I'm not a great texter so he doesn't get to show off that skill very often). But he definitely isn't smart enough to connect to the Internet and allow me to be constantly able to scroll through Twitter and tweet about my life from moment to moment. My tweeting is limited to when I am near my computer -- early in the morning or late in then evening. And oftentimes the thing that occurred to me to tweet earlier in the day has jumped clean out of my head. So tweeting, and even reading tweets, rapidly became I thing I DIDN'T do.
So I have decided to have a Tons of Tweets Month. At first, just for me but then I thought it would be much more fun if, like NANO, we were all playing the game together. It is an easy goal. One tweet a day from today until March 4. Tweets about writing, the publishing world, authors, books, whatever you think other writers would be interested in. Include the hashtag #TonsOfTweets. If you'd like me -- or anyone else reading today's post -- to enjoy your writing tweets leave your twitter tag below. You can follow me at #wordsbywebb
And let the Tons of Tweets begin!
Jodi Webb is a writer, WOW blog tour manager, and attempting to improve her tweeting skills. Stop by her blog Words by Webb or #WordsByWebb.
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By: Jodi Webb,
on 2/4/2013
Blog: WOW! Women on Writing Blog (The Muffin) (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: NANO, twitter, tweeting, Tons of Tweets, Add a tag
By: Aline Pereira,
on 2/9/2011
Blog: PaperTigers (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: PaperTigersOrg on Twitter, Mitali Perkins, Eventful World, Twitter, Tweeting, Singapore literature events, Asian Festival of Children's Content, Add a tag
Cue the trumpets….in 3, 2, 1…
The Tiger is now tweeting!!!
PaperTigers is excited to announce that we are now on Twitter. You can find us there under the name PaperTigersOrg (http://twitter.com/PaperTigersOrg) and will have some icons up shortly on our website and blog to take you directly there.
We look forward to exploring this type of social media and being able to connect with our readers in real-time, as well as follow the tweets of those involved in multicultural children’s and young adult literature around the world. Special shout-outs to Mitali Perkins who became our first follower and to all those who tweeted that PaperTigers had arrived on the scene. We can see how information spreads quickly with Twitter and look forward to jumping in with a big roar!
2011 promises to be a year full of exciting events as regards children’s and young adult literature, and we are thrilled to announce that we will be attending the Asian Festival of Children’s Content in Singapore this coming May. Obviously being able to tweet while attending such events will be wonderful and we look forward to being able to share our experiences in real-time on Twitter.
So come on over, introduce yourself and join the Roaring Twittering Tiger!
By: Mayra Calvani,
on 10/5/2010
Blog: Mayra's Secret Bookcase (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: twitter, tweeting, carolyn howard johnson, Frugal and Focused Tweeting for Retailers, Add a tag
Frugal and Focused Tweeting for Retailers
By Carolyn Howard Johnson
CreateSpace
ISBN: 1451546149
April 2010
Reference/Marketing
Frugal and Focused Tweeting for Retailers isn’t only for retailers. I requested a review copy because, as an author, I’m always on the lookout for new ways to promote and market my books. I have to say, I was not disappointed with Johnson’s book.
In an engaging style and simple, straightforward language, the author explains what Twitter is all about, and how to use it effectively in a marketing campaign. There are hundreds of Twitter applications out there, and the whole thing can get pretty confusing, especially for a beginner, so what is most helpful about this book is that the author separates the essential ones from the ones that should be avoided.
From the basics of how to set up an account, to how to integrate Twitter into your other social media, to building your list of followers, to attracting new followers, to much, much more, Frugal and Focused Tweeting for Retailers will take your Twitter marketing efforts to the next stage.
The book also includes sample Tweets and critiques, a list of applications (those that work and those that should be avoided), as well as a glossary of important technical Twitter terms.
I would recommend this book to authors who are new to Twitter, and also to those authors who, like myself, are familiar with the basics but would like to take their tweeting to a higher, more focused and effective level. If you don’t quite ‘get’ what Twitter is all about, your doubts will be clarified after reading this little crash course on the art of tweeting.
By: Anastasia Goodstein,
on 1/20/2010
Blog: Ypulse (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: texting, Youth Advisory Board, tweeting, gchat, Add a tag
Today's Ypulse Youth Advisory Board post comes from media analyst Libby Issendorf who was spurred into defending her fellow Millennials after catching a BlackBook article we recently cited in Essentials. Remember, you can communicate directly with... Read the rest of this post
By: tara,
on 1/19/2009
Blog: Tara Lazar (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Children's Books, KidLit, Fiction, Publishing, Short Stories, Creative Writing, Flash Fiction, Children's Writing, Literary Agents, Micro Fiction, Writing, Writing for Children, Twitter, Author Promotion, Tweeting, Add a tag
I first heard the phrase ”TwitLit” from writing friend Christopher Cocca. I’ll give him coining credit. We both write flash fiction, so he had suggested using the 140-character Twitter format to tell uber-short stories. His first submission: “His probation stopped on a dime-bag.” Mine? “The gourmand often ate too much, but she was living life to the fullest.”
So how else can writers use Twitter? You might want to refuse answering the assumed question, “What are you doing?” Come on, that’s boring. We’ve got Facebook status for that. Twitter is nimble, Twitter is quick, Twitter has the power to change the world. (OK, a bit of hyperbole there.)
Agent Nadia Cornier used Twitter to update authors on Firebrand Agency’s “query holiday.” From December 15 to January 15, Firebrand invited submissions without a query letter. At final count, she had over 3500 submissions with 387 read and 30 requested. Useful, clever Tweeting. Thanks, Nadia.
Of course, agent Nathan Bransford already covered authorly Tweeting with a guest post by Traci Marchini two months ago. Marchini suggests 21 ways an author can use Twitter. Yep, she’s got TwitLit covered.
But I’m going further with this.
You may be aware of the cell phone novel phenomenom in Japan. Authors deliver stories a few lines at a time directly to mobile devices and welcome reader feedback regarding the tale’s direction. Once the novel is completed, readers rush to buy the paper copy because they feel invested in the story. After all, they had a hand (or a thumb) in its creation.
Some critics consider mobile novels an omen of a literary doomsday. Others think the platform can’t be ignored, especially with five of the top 10 novels in Japan having originated on cell phones.
So why not tell an entire tale in Twitter a few lines at a time? OK, perhaps there’s a certain level of literary integrity you want to maintain and this ain’t the way. But it’s a fun and interesting new venue for fiction, and one that could elicit reader feedback. Applications like TweetDeck help you to organize Tweets by subject and keep track of responses to others (using the “@” symbol). But be careful not to use Twitter for conversations that will lose other readers.
What about a Twitter account for your fictional characters? Don’t they have something to say beyond the confines of your book? A Tweet or two and they’re brought to life in real-time. Or maybe you can create a new character who only exists in Tweets.
The format is experimental. Who knows if it will catch on for story telling. But with Amazon’s Kindle gaining popularity and cell phones evolving into integrated entertainment devices for music, web browsing, pictures and videos, surely books and zines can’t be far behind. Can you imagine your phone’s screen folding out like a newspaper and delivering any story you want anytime you want it? Will Twitter help push things in that direction? Perhaps with a million authors using it, it just might.
So how are you using Twitter to enhance your writing career? Are you marketing yourself or using it creatively? Please share your ideas!
Keep us posted on Tons of Tweet month! Social media is a tricky time-sucker to negotiate.
I love this idea. I'm going to give it a go and let others know about it, too. YAY!
I'm going to try this. I don't know much about Tweeter, but I am @NancyClarkVA. I can't yet find Jodi Webb, but I did include #TonsOfTweets in my tweet.
Love this! I'm @Margo_L_Dill. I just sent a #tonsoftweets from WOW!'s too. We are @womenonwriting
THANKS, Jodi!
I'm adding everybody -- I think I already have you Margo. You can find we @wordsbywebb
Great idea, Jodi!