Seriously, Invest Time on Twitter

Okay, so in case you missed it, I have a new book out. If you're into horror and crime, please check out Coyote Songs. Now, like most indie writers, I have no machine behind me. I don't have an agent, a PR person, or a big press with money to spend on marketing. What I do have is Twitter. Yeah, I know it doesn't sound like much, but if you pay attention and put the time in, Twitter can be an excellent tool that could help you put your work in front of readers. Here are a few things you should do and/or keep in mind:

1. Twitter is unique 

Twitter's timeline is faster than any other. Things fly by and it's easy to miss a lot of things. That said, this also works in your favor because sharing a link twice per day on Facebook is different than sharing it four times on Twitter. The platforms operate differently, and that means that content on Twitter can be repeated without making people angry of boring them with the same content.

2. Retweets > shares 

I won't write a dissertation here on how Facebook strangles Amazon links unless you're paying to have them in front of users. What I will say is that Twitter doesn't seem to do that. Also, I don't have exact numbers, but if you compare the number of times people share a post of yours on other social media platforms and then look at the number of retweets you regularly get, the power of Twitter will become obvious. A single click. That's all it takes. In fact, I offer retweets every single week. I love doing it. You have a new book out? Let me retweet it. It takes less than a second and it lets me put books in front of eyes. If those people dig what they see and decided to do the same...well, that leads to number three.

3. The potential for organic growth is amazing 

I'm not saying you will go viral every week, but tweets have a tendency to get around more than posts on other platforms. Be witty, be funny, be engaging. Hell, in my case, I'm even political and inappropriate most of the time. Go ahead and call it pat of my brand if you're into that sort of thing. The point is that the ease with which folks can share your content on Twitter is almost unparalleled. Once something takes off, it grows exponentially and feeds on every retweet. There is no secret to this or a magic trick you can do, but the potential is there. Furthermore, content that has nothing to do with your book is the type of content that will get shared the most. That's just the nature of the beast. However, this gets you in front of people's eyes. This gets you seen and known. You get new followers. Users click on your name and go see your timeline. And the best part of it? It costs you absolutely nothing.

4. It's fun, not work

Writers with new books out are encouraged to write blog posts and do interviews, but at times (especially if you have one of two days jobs, kids, deadlines, and other responsibilities) this can feel like work. Twitter doesn't. It's right there on your phone and you can share words, links, photos, videos, and content from whoever you want throughout the day. It's fun, very interactive if you want it to be that way, and easy to do. 

5. It helps you build community 

Twitter is about community. It's about following others and sharing content yourself. It's about strengthening the writers around you and helping others because, although Dagon doesn't care about such small matters, a rising tide lifts all boats.

6. It's free

Yes, I know I mentioned it already, but it needs to be said again: it's free. There are too many predatory "review" sites charging authors for reviews (note: NEVER pay for a review). You can get on podcasts and blogs and websites, but you probably won't be able to do that every day. On the other hand, you can probably find scattered minutes throughout your day to be active on Twitter. Talk to people. Interact. Build your platform. Share a wide array of content. The time you will invest will feel like nothing compared to the benefits of learning how to use this tool. Now go and do it!