Author-readers interaction: #1 Twitter

Have you ever enjoyed a book so much that you have the urge to give a positive feedback to the author? I have!

In my opinion, Twitter is the best way to do so because it allows global connectivity. I can communicate with authors at any time all over the world. Because of the limit of 140 characters, I have to be concise with my comments.

Tweets are also more likely to be noticed and acknowledged by authors and othere fans. Here is an example of a Tweet sent to an author:

MT"@emberzmars: Phew! You survived the week. What will you be reading this weekend? #weekendgoodreads Over the Edge" Say hi to Stan for me!

— Suz Brockmann still wears a mask (@SuzBrockmann) May 30, 2014

This tweet was started by Goodreads. I included Suzanne Brockmann in my reply and was pleasantly surprised when she responded immediately. She gave me a teaser in her next tweet, which increased my eagerness to finish reading the book.

Authors can also use Twitter to get ideas for their projects. Once I saw an author asking for any kindergarten teacher to contact her. Hhhmm could it be that she needed a muse for her next book?

Last weekend, Romance Festival 2014 organised several Twitter live Q&A sessions. Hashtag #Romance14 was used to easily identify posts that belong to the topic. I was fortunate enough to get my question answered by the wonderful authors in Young Adult genre: Lydia Syson, Cathy Hopkins and Liz Bankes (see below for the first response). I have always enjoyed Twitter chats so that session was no exception. If you miss out on the chat(s), don’t fret. Just type #Romance14 into the search box at the top of your Twitter screen.

@emberzmars @RomanceFestival it is tough – you want them to confide insecurities in the reader and make the experience intense… #Romance14

— Liz Bankes (@Liz_Bankes) June 8, 2014

I believe that every writer regardless of medium (books, television, academic research etc.) should be an active Twitter user. If you are a writer but need convincing about using Twitter, visit Twitter guide for authors and illustrators and Author Media.

If you enjoy tweeting to writers and/or fans, please spread the awesomeness by sharing this post with your friends and followers.

ps: This is a serial of blog posts about communication methods between author and readers. To read other tips, click #2 for Facebook and #3 for Pinterest.