Hatching on Twitter

by Deb Dudley

Hi.  I’m @debTWP and I have a confession.  I LOVE Twitter.  In my quest to become more social media savvy, I dropped by Twitter one afternoon just to take a quick peek.  I had my own preconceived notion of what Twitter was, and firmly believed it wasn’t going to be for me.  But shortly after I hatched, I started seeing something I didn’t expect to see.  A huge flock of writers, editors, agents, publishers, teachers and booklovers floating through my twitter feed, tweeting.  And as I read their tweets, I became mesmerized by their conversations and I realized I wanted join them.

 For those of you who have already written off Twitter because you think it’s scary or silly, I’m posting this entry just for you. Don’t knock it, until you try it. Did you know writers are pitching agents on Twitter through events known as #Pitchmas and #Pitchmad?  Real live agents are hovering over those hashtags.  Watching.  Waiting.  And when they see a pitch they like, they swoop in and favorite it.  Then comes the magic.  The chosen ones, the favorites, are invited to submit.  *Cue fairy dust*  In case you’re not totally sold on Twitter yet, hold onto your feathers and read this next part very closely – I have seen writers land an agent through these events.  You may be wondering why I am sharing this juicy piece of Twitter trivia.  Well, I am a writer and a reader.  I want the best stories published.  So if you have a great story, and you feel you need an agent, this might be the way for you to find one.

Have I successfully convinced you to try Twitter?  If so, make sure you tweet me @debTWP and say hello.  Follow me, my writing group @RCW_Lit   and some of the people I follow.  Many of them are established writers, agents, publishers, teachers and book lovers.  Find your favorites.  Read their tweets.   Retweet, favorite or reply if you like them.  Share light-hearted moments and books you love.  And always try to be positive in your tweets.

Want to know why I love Twitter?  I have tweeted back and forth with some of my favorite writers and illustrators.  I have discovered local writers on Twitter who are now my face-to-face friends.  It’s a mecca of information, a bundle of contacts and a phenomenon.

If you think you’re ready, do some internet research on Twitter to learn the basics before you hatch.  Replace your egg with a headshot, add a bio so people know you’re legit, and start tweeting.  Twitter, like all other internet social media, can get hacked.  Only open links from those you trust, and don’t open DM (Direct Messages) links unless you know exactly what they are. 

And one last thing, if something totally fabulous happens to you because you joined Twitter, please let me know.  Because I also LOVE happy endings!

Happy Tweeting!

Previously  posted on Deb Dudley’s Blog