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Social networking is a wonderful thing. It enables us to make new friends, find beta readers and critique partners, keep up-to-date with new books and publishing news. But when misused, the outcome can be frustrating for all.
We all hate spam. Some authors believe that as long as they aren’t telling you to buy their book, they aren’t spamming. But what about the following?
Thanks to the sales of my book, my kids can now go to college.
My book is #17 on Amazon and still climbing.
I love it when fans write to tell me they adore my book.
When a dog is abducted by pirates . . . . [link to Amazon inserted here]
Translation:
Buy my book
Buy my book
Buy my book
Buy my book
Once in a while these tweets aren’t bad. Authors have to promote their books after all. But if someone checks out your profile and the majority of your tweets are like the above, the person might not follow you. One of my friends saw tweets similar to these by one author. She ended up unfollowing the author. Why? Because she felt the person was self-absorbed.
During WriteOnCon, agent and YA book blogger Pamela van Hylckama Vliegsaid, "1 out of 10 tweets should be self promo. No more!" Numerous people on the forum agreed with her. They unfollow authors who violate this unwritten rule. Remember, never underestimate the intelligence of your follower (like in the case of the above tweets). The moment you do, you've lost them.
For examples of authors who use Twitter wisely, check out:
MaureenJohnson
JohnGreen
JaniceHardy
Is there anything that you’ve seen authors do on social network sites that irritates you?