Are you on Twitter?
There are surprising benefits to being a Twit. The other day I had a brief conversation with author Jackie Collins. This wouldn’t have happened without Twitter, considering she lives in glamorous Los Angeles and I am usually squashed into a stranger’s armpit on the London Underground.
The beauty of Twitter is that it creates direct access between users - be they authors, agents, publishers, book-sellers, writers or readers
It can be a lonely world for the unpublished writer, especially when you are just starting out. Joining a free social networking site like Twitter allows a unique glimpse into the industry.
For example at the time of writing this article, Jackie Collins is having dinner with Shakira and Michael Caine. Anne Rice is wondering why there isn’t a ‘great dark lush’ film of her novel The Witching Hour, while Meg Cabot is happily watching Glee. Peter James is in ‘mild panic’ about his delivery deadline looming ever closer and Katie Fforde’s dogs are distracting her from writing as they play in her office.
I love Twitter for revealing the person behind the book. The best tweets achieve a balance between self-promotion and being personable. It also can be fun – run a Twitter search using the hashtag #amwriting and you can see who else in the world is puzzling over their word count. It is a quick and easy way to banish loneliness, make new friends and feel part of the writing community.
As for my question to Jackie Collins - I asked who her favourite character is from her books and she replied ‘I always love my men.’ I totally agree. I always love her men too.
New to Twitter? Here’s a Twitter writer-focused directory to get you started. Please add any others in the comments, and also include your own Twitter link so we can find you! Mine is: http://twitter.com/jayneferst
Jackie Collins: http://twitter.com/jackiejcollins
Anne Rice: http://twitter.com/AnneRiceAuthor
Katie Fforde: http://twitter.com/KatieFforde
Meg Cabot: http://twitter.com/megcabot
Susan Hill: http://twitter.com/susanhillwriter
SJ Watson: http://twitter.com/SJ_Watson
Peter James: http://twitter.com/peterjamesuk
Ian Rankin: http://twitter.com/Beathhigh
Neil Gaiman: http://twitter.com/neilhimself
Paulo Coelho: http://twitter.com/paulocoelho
Lisa Jewell: http://twitter.com/lisajewelluk
Stephen Fry: http://twitter.com/stephenfry
Carole Blake: http://twitter.com/caroleagent
Jonny Geller: http://twitter.com/jonnygeller
Simon Trewin: http://twitter.com/simontrewin
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