The Writer's Technology Companion

A blog about writers and their tools

Do You Tweet?

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Image representing Twitter as depicted in Crun...
Image via CrunchBase

Twitter is one of the most significant social media platforms to emerge in the last couple of years. If you’re not familiar with Twitter, have a look at this post where I explain the general concept, then head over to Twitter.com and sign up for a free account.

I’m always interested in finding new people to follow on Twitter, especially writers (because, let’s face it, if you’re gonna read something someone wrote, even in 140 characters or less, it’s always better if that person can write!) and I figure many of the readers of this site are, too, so here’s the deal: drop a link to your Twitter profile (In the form http://www.twitter.com/username) into the comments along with your name, and every few days I’ll shift them into this post to create a single list of Twitterers. Follow them and join the conversation!

Check back every couple of days and see who’s new and who you might want to follow!

Here’s the list to date (names link to website, when it’s given, @username links to Twitter profile):

  1. Dustin M. Wax (@dwax)
  2. Kimberlee Ferrell (@kimferrell)
  3. Sonja Faust (@Sonja_Faust)
  4. Johne Cook (@theskypirate)
  5. Curt Wingerter (@Artistcw)
  6. Douglas (@palisade14)
  7. Alex Lobov (@alexlobov)
  8. Thursday Bram (@thursdayb)
  9. Copywriter Underground (@ChandlerWrites)
  10. James Chartrand (@MenWithPens) 
  11. Brandon J. Mendelson (@BJMendelson)
  12. Elspeth Murray (@ElspethMurray)
  13. Monica Valentinelli (@mlvalentine)
  14. Rich Chastang (@richcat1989)
  15. Tom Colvin (@tomcolvin)
  16. Carolyn (@WordCountess)
  17. Nathan E. Lilly (@nelilly)
  18. Silvia Straka (@silviastraka)
  19. Jetse de Vries (@Shineanthology)
  20. James Mallinson (@jmallinson)
  21. Roy Jacobsen (@rjacobse)
  22. Jeff Wetherington (@thewordofjeff)
  23. Zoe Westhof (@zoewesthof)
  24. Danielle Marie Crume (@sumsette)
  25. Michael Pokocky (@michaelpokocky)
  26. Carly Tuma (@ThePiratess)
  27. J.M. Strother (@jmstro)
  28. Sina’i Enantia (@SinaiEnantia)
  29. Jennifer Aderhold (@jjaderhold)
  30. Who’s next?

A Twitter Tip for Writers

One of the cool things about Twitter is you can search the tweets of virtually everyone on Twitter (except a few holdouts whose stream is marked “private”). Go to search.twitter.com and search on any keyword to see what people are saying about it (try your name or the titles of your books to see what kind of buzz is out there).

I use Tweetdeck, a desktop Twitter client, which allows you (among other things) to set up a live search in a column that is automatically updated whenever a new tweet is posted by anyone on Twitter that contains the keyword for that search. The most useful search term I have is “for writers” (with the quotes), which is updated whenever someone posts a job “for writers”, a question “for writers”, or a link to a good post “for writers”.

Have another good search term “for writers”? Add it to the comments along with your Twitter ID!

Want More Writers on Twitter?

Twittterpacks.com is a site that collects sets of Twitterers you should follow and orders them by category. CHeck out the WRiting Twitterers here.

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31 Responses

  1. Johne Cook says:
    January 18, 2009 at 6:48 am

    I’m Johne Cook, theskypirate. I’m Overlord at Ray Gun Revival, and like prog rock, film noir, space opera, and the Green Bay Packers. I use Ping.fm to update my status on most of my social networking presences in one swell foop.

  2. Kimberlee Ferrell says:
    January 18, 2009 at 6:48 am

    Hello. My name is Kimberlee, and I’m a Twitter Addict! You can find me at http://www.twitter.com/kimferrell

    My favorite search term on Twitter is “need a writer.” Very handy at times.

    ~Kimberlee

  3. Sonja Foust says:
    January 18, 2009 at 8:56 am

    Good idea about the search term “for writers.”

    I’m http://www.twitter.com/Sonja_Foust

  4. Curt Wingerter says:
    January 18, 2009 at 9:26 am

    Just getting started at writing and blogging.
    Curt Wingerter http://curtwin.blogspot.com

  5. Curt Wingerter says:
    January 18, 2009 at 9:28 am

    Sorry, meant to include this link:
    Curt Wingerter (Artistcw http://twitter.com/artistcw

  6. Douglas says:
    January 18, 2009 at 10:37 am

    I’m http://twitter.com/palisade14 You can find me there most every day.

  7. Alex says:
    January 18, 2009 at 11:09 am

    Hey great idea!

    http://www.twitter.com/alexlobov

  8. Thursday Bram says:
    January 18, 2009 at 11:12 am

    I’m @thursdayb and I pretty much live on Twitter. I think you might also be interested to know that there are now paying writing markets on Twitter, as well:

    http://thaumatrope.greententacles.com/
    http://shineanthology.wordpress.com/outshine-submission-guidelines/

  9. TC/Copywriter Underground says:
    January 18, 2009 at 11:54 am

    I’m on Twitter as ChandlerWrites, though I’m not real active (Tweet or two per day). 

    In truth, I don’t have that much interest in the mundane details of most people’s daily lives, yet also react poorly to hyper-commercial, self-serving tweet streams.

    BTW — I’ve been using TwitterFox, which offers the benefit of allowing you to quickly switch between multiple Twitter accounts, and integrates neatly into Firefox.

  10. James Chartrand - Men with Pens says:
    January 18, 2009 at 2:47 pm

    What?! I’m not on that list? That’s it. War!!

    http://www.twitter.com/menwithpens

    TweetDeck here, btw. Just in case anyone wondered.

  11. Brandon J. Mendelson says:
    January 18, 2009 at 3:28 pm

    Shameless writer plug: When I’m not kicking breast cancer’s butt, I’m writing. Twitter ID: @BJMendelson

  12. Elspeth Murray says:
    January 18, 2009 at 4:26 pm

    @ElspethMurray Poet and Wordsmith. Versatile Versemonger.

  13. Monica Valentinelli says:
    January 18, 2009 at 5:01 pm

    I tweet and I write. Then I write some more. 😉

  14. rich chastang says:
    January 18, 2009 at 5:52 pm

    add me

  15. Tom Colvin says:
    January 18, 2009 at 8:17 pm

    http://www.twitter.com/tomcolvin — I only started with Twitter about 5 months ago. Now I often pick up information from tweets that leads to breaking-news posts on my blog. And lately, Twitter has been bringing me increased traffic.

  16. Carolyn says:
    January 18, 2009 at 10:31 pm

    http://www.twitter.com/WordCountess — Not very active currently, but don’t plan to keep it that way. I’m still learning.

  17. Nathan E. Lilly says:
    January 19, 2009 at 6:20 am

    I’m Nathan E. Lilly, and the editor of several ‘zines: the aforementioned Thamatrope (twitter fiction), and well as Everyday Weirdness (flash fiction), and SpaceWesterns (short fiction).

    I can be followed at http://twitter.com/nelilly

    I also have a running list of SF/F/H writers at http://www.greententacles.com/twitter/

  18. Silvia says:
    January 19, 2009 at 6:49 am

    I’m Silvia Straka. At first I thought I might not qualify, because I’m “only” an academic writer. But then I realized I also participate in NaNoWriMo and author a blog. I’m on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/silviastraka

  19. Jetse says:
    January 19, 2009 at 12:29 pm

    I’m Jetse de Vries, editor of the Shine anthology, a print anthology of optimistic, near future SF to be released by Solaris Books, and Outshine, the Twitterzine mentioned by Thursday Bram above.

    I can be followed at “shineanthology.

  20. James @ Organize IT says:
    January 19, 2009 at 1:38 pm

    Nice idea, I’m James Mallinson, do a lot of (productivity) writing at Organize IT

    http://twitter.com/jmallinson

  21. Roy Jacobsen says:
    January 19, 2009 at 2:32 pm

    I’m at http://twitter.com/rjacobse.

    I write about writing at my blog, Writing, Clear and Simple.

  22. Jeff Wetherington says:
    January 19, 2009 at 2:36 pm

    Great idea! I’m Jeff Wetherington, website http://the-word-of-jeff.blogspot.com/ and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/thewordofjeff

  23. Zoe says:
    January 19, 2009 at 8:41 pm

    Hello hello,

    I’m http://www.twitter.com/zoewesthof

    Looking forward to connecting with more writers!

  24. Danielle Marie Crume says:
    January 20, 2009 at 11:06 pm

    Would love to connect with other writers!
    http://www.twitter.com/sumsette

    Thanks!

  25. Michael Pokocky says:
    January 25, 2009 at 12:16 pm

    Hi Dustin. Hope you are having a great day. So nice of you to invite me. I would love to connect with other writers too @ http://twitter.com/michaelpokocky
    Let me know if there is anything we can do together.

    Kindest,
    Michael

  26. Carly Tuma says:
    January 25, 2009 at 7:49 pm

    You’ve already followed me, Dustin, which is how I found this page. 🙂 But for anyone else interested, I’m @ThePiratess on Twitter, and my website is http://www.suddenstorm.net

    I look forward to connecting with other writers.

  27. J. M. Strother says:
    January 27, 2009 at 8:17 pm

    Hi, Dustin. I’m jmstro on Twitter.
    http://twitter.com/jmstro
    I don’t use Tweetdeck, though I’ll check it out. What I found to be handy is to feed the Twitter search directly to my newsreader (I used Google Reader). I’ve gotten great results on “writing contest”. I’ll add “for writers” and “need a writer” to my Twitter news.

    I did a little how to on adding Twitter searches to a newsreader, if anyone needs pics.
    http://www.jmstrother.com/tiki-view_blog_post.php?blogId=1&postId=57
    Twitter and Google Reader are a killer combo.
    ~jon

  28. Sina'i says:
    February 7, 2009 at 9:46 am

    Hi! I’m Sina’i Enantia, (http://www.twitter.com/SinaiEnantia/), and I write fantasy and a little sci-fi. I also run a comic and blog called Muse’s Block (http://www.worldofenantia.com/musesblock/) that’s dedicated to writers and artists…though mainly writers…

    Looking forward to reading some great tweets!

  29. Jennifer Aderhold says:
    February 15, 2009 at 10:28 am

    Hi, Dustin. My user name on twitter is jjaderhold
    http://www.twitter.com/jjaderhold.

    Thanks you for the opportunity to learn of, connect, and get to know other writers with this post! 

    Best, Jennifer

  30. Ralph Lambert says:
    September 19, 2009 at 7:12 pm

    Say it isn’t so, writing is work! I knew there was a catch.
    http://www.twitter.com/rlambertsc

    Ralph

  31. Nanda says:
    October 31, 2009 at 5:19 am

    I’m on Twitter.
    http://www.twitter.com/nandao

    I use Twhirl (I think it’s called Seesmic now) to tweet. I love it!