First Issue

If you’re an author, you should be on Twitter. If you don’t know what Twitter is, it’s time to learn.

You’ve probably at least heard of it by now — the service has about 6 million users and is growing every day — but maybe you haven’t taken the plunge. You’re not sure what it’s all about or aren’t convinced of its benefits.

If that’s the case, make it a goal in 2009 to get started. Twitter is a micro-blogging tool. You get 140 characters to answer the question, What are you doing?

People share news about what they’re working on, what they’re learning, conferences they’re attending, people they’re meeting, books they’re reading, food they’re eating. OK, that last one isn’t really all that important, though people do tweet about it. People tweet about anything and everything under the sun.

Why Should You Care?

• Twitter is an amazing way to meet people and participate in conversations on an endless array of topics. You can start to “follow” people in the publishing industry, as well as potential readers, and begin building relationships with them. I’m active in several social networking venues but the people I meet in Twitter are usually people I have not, or could not, meet anywhere else.
• You’ll see an endless stream of as-it-happens news, be led to wonderful websites and blogs, get sneak peeks of products and content in development, and hear what people think about what’s going on in the world.
• You can tweet about new blog posts you’ve written, upcoming book signings, or your latest podcast. You can tweet about the chapter you just wrote, or the free download you just made available.
• You can ask questions and instantly get responses. The Twitterverse is a friendly place and people like to help and share their opinions.

These benefits only scratch the surface of what Twitter can do. You’ll need to try it to get a sense of just how powerful it can be.

Getting Oriented
Here are some basic pointers to get you oriented:

• Everyone has a Twitter handle. The protocol is to refer to people as @TwitterHandle. For example, my Twitter handle is jennifertribe so I am referred to as @jennifertribe.
• You can talk to other Twitter users by starting your tweet with their Twitter handle. If you tweeted @jennifertribe Wow, Twitter is cool! I would see that message in my Twitter stream. It becomes part of the public conversation so others can view it too.
• You can send private messages to other Twitter users. These are referred to as DMs (Direct Messages). To send a DM, you start your tweet with d TwitterHandle.
• Linking to websites you’d like to share can eat up valuable characters, especially when the URLs are long. So use a URL shortener such as TinyUrl.com or is.gd
  
• It’s considered good form to pass along interesting news from other tweeple (people on Twitter) instead of just talking about yourself all the time. RT is the Twitter shortform that means “retweet” or “retweeting”. It indicates that you are re-stating someone else’s tweet. Always give credit to the person you are retweeting. For example, here’s a tweet I made a few days ago:
  RT @booksin140 Hotel turns forgotten books into library for guests. Surely more hotels do this? http://tinyurl.com/67gmyb
  It tells people that @booksin140 made the tweet first and I am passing it along.

@jennifertribe’s Recent Publishing Tweets
Here is a selection of my tweets from the last couple of weeks. In addition to showing you some sample Twitter content, there is lots of good publishing-related information contained in all the links. You can follow me on Twitter to receive information like this as I post it.

Algonquin Hotel in Manhattan (yes, THAT Algonquin) offers guests loan of Kindle device and free e-book with each stay http://is.gd/ckoN about 2 hours ago from web

Facebook group to support Pages bookstore: http://is.gd/c3sa. See letter from city councillor in discussion area. 7:59 PM Dec 16th from web

Why am I just learning about this? Pages bookstore in TO is in trouble. Rent is doubling: http://is.gd/c3qx 7:57 PM Dec 16th from web

RT @booksin140 RT @mdash A look at literary agents in Canada, from the National Post: http://is.gd/bFkx 11:07 AM Dec 16th from web

RT @booksin140 Hotel turns forgotten books into library for guests. Surely more hotels do this? http://tinyurl.com/67gmyb 11:01 AM Dec 16th from web

RT @CanMediaLayoffs Canadian magazine industry is optimistic on weathering tough economic times. http://bit.ly/8188 10:29 AM Dec 16th from web

I’m loving this idea of curated subscription http://is.gd/ba9A 10:02 AM Dec 11th from web

If you haven’t bought your Amazon Kindle yet, you’re out of luck until Feb. (Say what? Not re-stocking for holiday sales?) http://is.gd/aTUL 4:56 PM Dec 9th from web

RT @sarahw Improvement in Canada’s book publishing climate http://is.gd/aQel 9:39 AM Dec 9th from web

RT @booksquare post with great comments about ebook prices. Publishing people, note how real customers think: http://snurl.com/7nwtz 3:44 PM Dec 8th from web

McMaster U in little ol’ Hamilton, ON has a POD Espresso Book Machine — one of only 9 in the world. Who knew? http://is.gd/a5Ur 3:12 PM Dec 3rd from web

9 cool gifts for authors and self-publishers: http://is.gd/a5wi 2:27 PM Dec 3rd from web

Dean Hua of Sachi Studio recently posted a great article on how authors can use Facebook to promote their books. A shortened version of his 8-point tip list appears below. For the full article, visit Dean’s blog.

1. Create a “page” for your book. A page is a mini-site on Facebook that is dedicated to the product or service you are selling. You can post videos, messages, pictures, and links. Other Facebook users can click a button to become a “fan” of the page, and your page then shows up in their profiles.
2. Create a group around the topic of your book. For example, if your book is about wealth management, create a group that discusses wealth management tips and strategies.
3. Import your blog entries into your Facebook notes. This helps you capture a new readership base and adds more interactivity to your Facebook presence.
4. Keep your profile dynamic. Don’t just create a Facebook account, add 5 friends, and then wither away. Update your status regularly with news about your book or business. Post photos – think networking events, book signings, talks, conventions, and more. Answer wall messages and emails to be sociable (it is social media, after all) and stoke the fires of conversation.
5. Incentivize your outreach strategies. A few suggested prizes include a free, signed copy of your book, a special edition of your book, a free consultation, or anything that may be appropriate. Offering prizes and incentives helps expedite word of mouth.
6. Befriend members who read your book. Do a search for members who list your book as one of their favorites. This is one of the more time-consuming outreach initiatives that you’ll develop. If you have a lot of members listed, look for ways to filter down the list and add only those who are most important. Look for influencers.
7. Create events. Facebook allows you to create events that you may be hosting such as a book tour or speaking engagement. Create these events and invite your friends. But don’t just stop there. Encourage your friends to spread the word by inviting their friends to the event on Facebook as well.
8. Add a badge to your website and blog. Facebook allows you to create a badge (a mini-banner) that lets your website visitors know you have a Facebook profile. This makes it easy for visitors to find you and encourages them to connect with you.

Example of a Facebook badge

Print newspapers continue to cut back their book review sections. Anyone surprised? You shouldn’t be. Waaaaay, way back in 2001, dwindling book review sections were cause for alarmist headlines about the war on culture.

Today, the print space dedicated to books continues to decline. And yet book buzz is greater than it ever was. It’s just moved to a Web 2.0 space.

Even while print publications cut down their book space, many of those same publications have recently launched new book blogs. Check out Paper Cuts from the New York Times or Jacket Copy from the Los Angeles Times as just two examples.

Then there are the countless blogs run by readers and other “amateur” reviewers, and the thriving social networks built around books. Look at Shelfari, a social network where members swap book info, or LibraryThing, where users can build a virtual bookshelf and delve into discussions with other members.

As in many industries, the power of buzz has moved away from a small number of credentialed cultural arbiters to online communities and social networks. There are countless opportunities to get the word out about your book, without having to worry about a big print review.