With all the excitement and novelty and momentum surrounding social media tools such as Twitter, people sometimes forget the “social” part of the equation.

Twitter is like any other community or network where abiding by a few friendly rules helps everyone get along.

You know that annoying n00b who shows up at parties and networking events? You know the one I mean — the person who dominates the conversation with loud talk that’s all about them. The person who’s telling you all about their manuscript or book before you’ve even had a chance to finish saying your name.

Don’t be the Twitter equivalent of that n00b. Instead, practice the Twitter KISS: Keep It Short and Sociable.

Short: Well, duh. You only get 140 characters per tweet. That’s the easy part.
AND
Sociable: That’s the really important part.

Being sociable on Twitter means:

• Participating in conversations
• Asking and answering questions
• Being helpful to others for no immediate gain
• Being supportive of others
• Being enthusiastic
• Freely sharing resources and information
• Building relationships

Yes, you can talk about yourself sometimes. That’s part of sharing. But make sure the conversation isn’t all about you all the time.

And don’t forget that Twitter isn’t a way to lob your manuscript or book idea over the virtual transom of every publishing employee in the land to see if someone wants it.

If you’re not using the Twitter KISS, you might find yourself getting the kiss-off.