How to Master Tweets Faster: a 5 Step Twitter Guide for Writers

February 16, 2021

How to Master Tweets Faster: a 5 Step Twitter Guide for Writers

Published by Illumination on Medium, 2/23/2021

For tweet sake! If writing is your thing, have you thought about Twitter? Perhaps you dabbled on the platform but found the reception chilly.

Were your tweets unloved? Were followers sparse? That’s what happened to me, till I returned, years later, to decipher the place. And here’s what I learned during 40,000 tweets.

Twitter boasts 340 million users tweeting day and night about whatever they’re into. Topics include news and politics – science and technology – health and the environment – marriage and dating – kids and education – food and fitness – beauty and fashion – sports and entertainment – humor and inspiration – business and finance – the arts, the world, pop culture and more.

But what writers need to know is that Twitter is a busy hub of literary agents and editors too. (I found 250 in my niche with ease.) Would you like to follow decision makers? Trade advice with authors? Share your thoughts with readers? How about extending your online presence? Or promoting your books and events? Or learning of new opportunities?

If the answer is yes, then it’s time to master Twitter and do it in 5 steps.

A Twitter Guide for Writers

1. Plan your Twitter purpose 💡
2. Design a Twitter profile 🤵🏽
3. Share Good Content ✍🏼
4. Build Loyal Followers 👏🏼
5. Use More Features 📑

1. Plan your Twitter purpose 💡

User goals will vary. My Twitter content is a mix that works for me: a big bowl of humor, a cup of kidlit, and a dash of inspiration. But what will Twitter be for you? Will it serve a single purpose or hybridize any of these?

A resource stop for authors sharing craft tips and query advice.
A cache of interviews with industry pros and author success stories.
A second home for a newsletter to capture new subscribers.
A promotional tool for books, school visits, and author signings.
A bulletin board for business initiatives, promotions, contests, and awards.
A marketing site to launch a brand, gauge reactions and eye competitors
A lounge for conference participants to deepen engagement
A venue for creativity through art, excerpts, poetry, photography, etc.
A path to global engagement — users with shared interests are everywhere.

2. Design a Twitter profile 🤵🏽

If all the world’s a stage on Twitter, your profile is your marquee. It shows two representative photos, a tiny bio, personal data, follow counts, a pinned Tweet, and your content timeline (aka TL)—all the tweets you post in chronological order.

To design the right profile for you, it’s helpful to know the crowd you want to reach. This will inform your style of tweeting and visual aesthetic. Although my content is for adults, as an author who also writes picture books, I opted for vivid colors with a cartoon profile picture. I also decided owl moons ago that my tweets would be PG because F bombs didn’t fit my brand. But you decide how sassy you’re willing to get.

To begin, signup for a free account at Twitter.com. Use your real email and a strong password, then make these next decisions.

Creating Twitter names

Your “Twitter handle” is your username with up to 15 characters preceded by the at sign (@). For search purposes, consider using your real name. Pick your first and last name or the actual title of your blog or business. If already taken, tweak it. Add your middle initial or an underscore or tack on a valuable word, such as books, art, or services. Another option is to create a catchy name like @ManuscriptMechanic or @ScaryBookMary or @ArthursArt.

Your display name shows just above your handle. For instance, bylinetd is my permanent handle, but my revisable display name is my real name, Teri Daniels.

Picking profile pictures

For your profile picture (aka your gravatar, avatar or avi), choose a clear depiction of you or your brand (400 x 400 pixels). This circular user image will accompany every tweet, so choose it wisely.

For your header photo (1500 X 500), select a banner image that’s compelling. Refresh your header periodically to showcase something new or leave it be.

Book people tend to choose book jackets, books on shelves, or inspiring quotes. But you’ll also see personal pics: travel, family, even pampered pets.

Mine is a typewriter saying HELLO. It felt writerly and friendly, messaging I wanted to project.

Writing a Twitter bio

Here’s where you pitch yourself tightly to Twitter. You get just 160 characters to share who you are, what you’ll tweet, and key affiliations. One additional line is provided for a website or blog. If you have one, add it.

Entering personal data

Enter your location to see regional content mixed in under Twitter’s #Explore tab and to be found by local people. Enter your date of birth to get a burst of balloons on your profile each year (which I happen to love). Note: you can manage personal data under privacy settings.

Showing follow counts

Your follow stats appear publicly next: who you follow and who follows you. These stats will not be equal. And, in the beginning, I followed many more accounts than followed me back. Others can click this data too.

Twitter will suggest accounts in a “Who to Follow” box based on the Twitter topics selected. I ignored this advice till Twitter got to know me better.

Pinning a tweet

A pinned tweet is the single tweet you stick to the top of your profile to remain in view. (It won’t get buried by newer content.) After you’ve been creating content, find a meaningful tweet, preferably written by you >click the more symbol beside that tweet (the 3 ellipses)>then click “Pin to your profile.”

You can pin a tweet to entertain, update, inspire, or educate followers in a more lasting way. The pin is also the place to spotlight an upcoming event. But too avoid appearing stagnant, it’s a good practice to refresh your pin every few weeks.

From: Twitter Guide for Writers at kidlitcrossing.com

3. Share Good Content ✍🏼

A pressing question for newcomers is What will I tweet?

Whether classic topics or trending ones, the goal is to make tweets relatable. Good content is what matters to you and the tweeters you want to attract.

Where to find content

If at first you’re reticent about writing original content, follow experts in your industry and a few top newsletters and influential bloggers. Then scroll the main tweet feed at the home page for fresh material by others to share. Eventually, you’ll take the leap and tweet your own stuff.

It’s worth noting that if you find an account of particular interest, you can elect to be notified of all new tweets. Simply, visit the profile, hit the notifications icon (the bell) under the header photo, then>All Tweets.

Content for career authors

Career authors should compose tweets with their audience in mind—teachers, librarians, peers, parents, maybe teens. (FYI, age 13 is the minimum on Twitter.) My crowd is a mix of adults in kidlit and lots of arm chair comedians.

Sure, tweet about book releases, cover reveals, seminars, your services, and speaking engagements. But don’t make it all about you! Focus on others too. Feed them…teach them…inspire them…make ‘em smile.

Create Twitter polls about book characters.
Ask questions to prompt new discussions.
Share pics of pets and ask readers to share theirs.
Attach fan mail. Art + humor are crowd pleasers.
Tweet GIFs and memes with literary themes.
Post peer advice on marketing and school visits.
Host book giveaways and first-page reviews.
Supply writing, illustrating, and editing tips.
Broadcast live: Create live videos on Twitter.
Retweet well-matched content created by others.

Content for striving writers

Striving writers might solicit opinions, advice, and feedback. But to foster Twitter relationships, they should also give back.

Post themed reading lists, reviews, and what you’re reading.
Tweet motivational quotes about success and rejection.
Compose content about the query and submission process.
Recommend classes, conferences, and good books on craft.
Promote Twitter lists you discover and #writerlifts (see below).
Create a Twitter List for your critique group or association.
Participate in book pitches and other hashtag events (see below).
Establish your own Twitter chat room (see below).
Support useful content created by other authors and artists.

Sending your tweets!

Twitter is considered a micro blogging site, meaning each tweet is brief. It may hold no more than 280 characters and/or 4 photos.

To tweet from a smartphone>click the feather tab (bottom right). Then compose a tweet and send, or save it to edit later by hitting>click cancel>save to draft.

To tweet from a computer>click the Twitter bird (top left). You can then compose, send, save to draft, or schedule a tweet via the calendar tab in the compose window).

Third party applications, such as Buffer, Tweetbot, Crowdfire, Twitterific, and HootSuite, can streamline the tweeting process further. I use Hootsuite to schedule my tweets ahead, a few times a week, during higher usage time, typically 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. (EST). (Read more about How to tweet and Attach photos to tweets.)

What to expect next

Everything you tweet and share will appear on your profile page in the timeline and also show for a few minutes in the main feed at Twitter home. (Tweets there get buried quickly.) Your content will be searchable too, possibly even if you delete it. So keep public visibility in mind whenever you tweet. A fraction of Twitter users keep their content private, but locked accounts tend to scare off potential new followers.

Tweet interaction rises in tandem with three things: your consistency, follower count, and knowledge. Eventually you’ll learn which tweets do best and why. So try to tweet every few days but set realistic goals. Be satisfied in the beginning getting a heart or two—a retweet if you’re lucky.

Are you curious about viral tweets in the thousands? They’re mostly the domain of the Twitter famous and sometimes the making of Twitter bots. But tweets by us regular folk can take off nicely. I’d be quite happy with a few hundred likes.

Here’s how you might get more likes than followers. When people relate well to a tweet—they feel seen or agree deeply or find a message stirring or funny—they may also feel compelled to retweet it. If enough people retweet what you wrote and certain algorithm markers are met, Twitter will expose the tweet to a broader audience, then bigger still. And that’s how a good tweet travels.

4. Build Loyal Followers 👏🏼

To interact productively on Twitter, you must have followers. But the follow system takes getting used to. On Facebook or LinkedIn, “friending” or “linking” opens the gate to private posts. On Twitter most accounts are public already. You can visit and read a profile page without being a follower.

Just as following others drops their tweets in the main feed at Twitter home for your viewing, having your own followers drops your tweets at Twitter home for them. Without followers, your experience on Twitter will be like filling a diary only you bother to see.

How to find followers

Finding followers takes savvy and pluck not bucks. Don’t be tempted to buy them. What you truly need is engagement, not a random bunch of handles that don’t interact.

Use the search feature (🔍,the magnifying glass) to locate users you know in real life: friends, family, and colleagues, as well as members of associations and other social media groups (Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram).

Visit the Twitter profiles of peers, competitors, and leaders in your field to eye their follow data. Look for active users who might value your content and follow them. Many will follow back fast; others won’t ever. Some play the numbers game: follow few/gather many. But don’t take it personally, just move on.

In the beginning, I followed names I knew and a few strangers with overlapping interests. At the suggestion of a new Twitter friend, I began to retweet relatable stuff; for me that meant funny tweets. Then slowly some wit heads followed me back and retweeted my content too. In time, my love of humor rooted me in a place called “Joke Twitter” and I could not be happier.

I also frequent “Book Twitter,” a hotspot for agents, editors, and publishers posting what’s happening: book releases, speaking events, calls for submissions, staff changes, and the ups and downs of their daily lives. Book Twitter is populated with writers and artists too, who tend to follow back and support each other. For instance, Steven Viner keeps a roster of authors @StevenViner1. Add on your handle if you’re willing to reciprocate. Search #booklifts to find similar growth opportunities.

Interacting through retweets

Unless you’re super Twitter popular or real world famous, it’s hard to lure followers without retweeting their content, especially the tweets they originated. Stronger bonds are formed when you trade support. On Twitter you tweet in concert; it’s not the best venue for a one-man band.

When you find tweets you’re into, interact by striking the like icon (the heart) and write an occasional reply (via the speech bubble). But aim to retweet (the box shaped arrows) what might strike a chord with your followers. Use the options icon (the up arrow) to send, copy or bookmark a tweet.

There are two ways to retweet: with a quote and without. Retweet with a quote to add your own thoughts or hashtags. This starts a new conversation. Retweet without a quote, meaning leave the tweet as is to keep a tweet traveling. Sharing a tweet untouched is greatly appreciated on Twitter because it lets the like/retweet count accumulate for the original sender.

Adding a search link

When you begin to retweet others regularly, add a search link to your Twitter bio to jump visitors to just your tweets. This is helpful for reading and retweeting purposes. (Tweeters love this scroll-saving function.)

To create a search link to the primary tweets you wrote, replace my handle (bylinetd) with your handle (no @ sign) using this format: https://twitter.com/search?q=from%3A%40bylinetd(exclude%3Areplies) (This link will exclude your secondary replies to other users and is preferable.)

To create a search link including secondary replies: replace my handle (bylinetd) with your handle (no @ sign) in this format: https://twitter.com/search/?q=%28bylinetd.

5. Use Other Features 📑

Don’t be intimidated by Twitter icons. They’ll soon become second nature.

These four symbols span the foot of your smart phone screen:

Home tab (the house): to scroll your tweet feed, the content sent by those you follow.
Explore tab (the search glass): to search and connect to trending and regional topics.
Notifications tab (the bell): to see the interactions with your tweets (hearts and retweets).
Messages tab (the envelope): to read the direct and chat room messages to and from you.

You’ll find additional Twitter tabs stacked in the sidebar on your computer screen:

Bookmarks tab (the open book): to store certain tweets in a private file.
Lists tab (the lined paper): to organize users into themed lists (see below).
Profile tab (the person): to reach your profile page and content timeline.
More tab (the 3 ellipses): for functions like topics, analytics, help, privacy.

More about the more symbol. Clicking the three ellipses beside any user’s tweet lets you weed out unwanted material:

>Turn off Retweets: to see only a user’s original tweets (no retweets).
>Mute: to secretly prevent seeing future tweets by a Twitter user.
>Block: to openly ban and remove all interaction with a Twitter user.
>Report: to bring to Twitter’s attention a tweet, list or direct message for violations including trademark or copyright infractions, spam, abusive or violent behavior, pornography, tweeting private data, and impersonating an account. (Learn more about Twitter Rules on Reporting.)

Making and sharing Twitter lists

A Twitter list is a hand-picked collection of Twitter handles (usernames beginning with @). Curating your own lists is an expedient way to observe related people without having to follow them. (Learn more about Twitter lists here.)

Twitter list ideas:

Thought Leaders with Great Content
Twitter Users Who Retweet
Local SCBWI Chapter Roster
YA Literary Agents and Editors
Critique Group Members
Journal & Magazine Editors
Poetry Publications & Contests
Cartoonists & Illustrators
Newsletters for Writers
Conference connections

Twitter lists are timesavers.

A visit to my “Kidlit Blogs-Newsletters” list gives a sense of what’s doing in the children’s book industry. Ditto for a scroll through “250 Kidlit Editors & Agents.”

Many career authors use them. Lists by Cynthia Leitich Smith include: Authors, Fandoms, Graphic Novels and Comics, Indie stores, K-12 Librarians, Native Book Lovers, School Librarians, TXSCBWI, and We Need Diverse Books.

To view and subscribe to any existing Twitter list, click the more tab just below a header photo when on a computer or in the top right corner on a smart phone. (Read this to learn more about Twitter lists.)

Sending direct messages

You can send a direct message or “DM” someone you follow if the message tab (the envelope) is visible below their header. (Note: Some accounts restrict DM access under their privacy settings.)

I might use the DM feature to send birthday wishes, award a trophy in a contest, or solicit Twitter advice. It’s not the place to pitch a literary submission or illustrations unless requested.

To send a direct message to many people at once (a group DM), click the message tab (in the footer of your phone or in the computer sidebar). Then click the compose message tab (the envelope with a plus sign) appearing just above it. Next search for people to receive your message>scroll to “Start a message here,” compose and send. (Read Twitter’s Direct Message FAQ. Learn more about Direct Messages.)

Doing DM rooms

A “DM room” is a direct message room (a private chatting place) for users who share a style of tweeting or topic. Belonging to DM rooms is a way to have friendly clans on Twitter. I chat with poets, artists, movie fans, and people who like to write jokes.

Here’s how a DM room happens. A host invites Twitter users to a DM room (up to 50 members), sets the room guidelines (e.g. no politics or vulgarity, new tweets only), and maintains order. Members chat, commiserate, drop tweets, and retweet what they like.

Writers and illustrators could establish chat rooms to talk shop, share ideas and resources, and support each other’s content. To start your own DM room, click the message tab, search or enter handles of recipients, compose your invitation, and send. You can then give the group an identity. Strike the i for info; then edit>enter your group’s name>and upload a photo to represent the room. You can also have fun with this feature. For instance, the leader of the group named Pups changes the photo to another lovable dog every few days.

Using handy hashtags (#)

Add hashtags to identify topics and key words within a bio or a tweet, but don’t go crazy. A paragraph of hashtags is a turnoff. I use hashtags scarcely and limit them to three at a time.

Writers can search specific hashtags to find people with common interests and to interact on the platform. Here’s what hashtags can do for you.

Hashtags make a bio more searchable:

#AmWriting
#Kidlit
#WritingCommunity
#FreelanceWriter
#WritingPoetry
#SelfPublishing
#LitMag
#SCBWI

Hashtags invite engagement:

#WritingTip
#WritingGoal
#WorkInProgress (or #WIP)
#WritingPrompt
#WritersBlock
#WriteMentor
#WritingGame
#KidlitChat

Hashtags make initiatives more discoverable:

#WrtieOnCon
#WritersDigestConference
#ASJA2021
#SCBWIDigital
#BlackLivesMatter

Hashtags invite industry questions:

#AskAgent
#AskEditor
#AskAuthor

Hashtags identify day related trends:

#Monday Motivation
#IndieTuesday
#WritersWednesday
#FridayReads
#FictionFriday
#FollowFriday

Hashtags represent contests and events:

Twitter pitching is a novel way to get eyes on your work. If you’re brave in spirit and your manuscript is ready and you’re willing to post your logline online…give Twitter pitches a go:

#PBPitch for writers and author-illustrators of picture books
#PBParty for writers and author-illustrators of kidlit
#PitMad for novel writers of middle grade through adult
#BVM a subcategory of PitMad for work by Black authors
#PitchWars for mentorship in varying genres and age ranges
#DVPit for work by marginalized voices in all age ranges
#LatinxPitch for Latinx creators of all kidlit
#WMPitch for writers of children’s fiction
#RevPit for varying genres of 25,000 words or more
#WMPitch for writers of children’s fiction
#IWSGpit for writers of all genres, all age groups
#SFFpit for science fiction and fantasy in all age categories
#PitDark for dark mysteries and horror, middle grade through adult
A handy calendar: 2021 Twitter Pitch Parties for Writers

Hashtags identify literary genres:

These are pretty popular, but check contest websites for hashtag variations.

#PB (picture books)
#AI (author-illustrator)
#CB (chapter books)
#MG (middle grade)
#GN (graphic novel)
#YA (young adult-teen)
#NA (new adult)
#A (adult)
#WF (women’s fiction)
#LF (literary fiction)
#CON (contemporary fiction)
#HF (historical fiction)
#HR (historical romance
#NF (nonfiction)
#SF (science fiction)
#SPF (speculative fictions)
#C (contemporary)
#CR (contemporary romance)
#LGBT (LGBTQIA material)
#STEM (science, tech, engineering, math)
#Own (own voices)
#BLM (Black lives matter)
#DIS (disabilities)
#MH (mental health)
#ND (neuro diverse)
#HA (humor)
#Fu (funny) (Someone had a sense of humor!)

Constant Tweet Contests

You’ll see all types of contests on Twitter, and many involve giveaways attached to a promotion. But others are just for fun, inviting memes, GIFs, hashtags, or jokes.

Wordsmiths might opt for a tweet contest with changing weekly themes. Winners get shiny teeny tiny, digital trophies, but that’s not the point for me. Thematic tweet contests sharpen your writing skills, give your account exposure, and lead you to new followers. Check out these:

@SaturdayContest
@LazyFunday
@Under1kContest
@The_Fledglings

Final thoughts✔

There’s much to love about Twitter. I feel tweeting lets me express myself. Scrolling helps me decompress. And interacting with the platform taps me into the zeitgeist.

Since Twitter is built on conversing through content, it’s an ideal site for people who love words. By trial and error, you too can develop a recipe for tweet success.

But bear in mind generosity helps, and self-promotion should be part of a much larger meal.

Give Twitter a go. If your content is relatable, and you support the posts of others, you will begin to build a following that appreciates your spread. And if you mingle through hashtags, chat groups, and curated lists, Twitter will become a warm and welcoming platform.