I watch Twitter, so you don’t have to. Visit each Sunday
for the week’s best Tweets. If I missed a great Tweet, leave it in the
Comments. Always
welcome your suggestions on improving this weekly feature.
Quick
plug: Check out these upcoming Writer’s
Digest webinars:
- Self-Marketing
for Authors by agent Chip MacGregor on April 8. This session
breaks down book marketing into clear, doable steps.
- Legal Issues Affecting Writers by lawyer Amy Cook on April 15. Whether you’re a novelist, memoirist, or journalist, learn how to stay on the right side of copyright and fair use laws.
- How to Publish Your Poetry Collection by WritersMarket.com editor Robert Brewer on April 29. Learn from the guy who brings you the Poem-a-Day Challenge and champions poetry over at Poetic Asides.
Best of Best
Common query-writing errors (that have nothing to do with the query)
@elizabethscraigGiving it away for free: Obscurity vs. Making Money as a Writer
@bradvertreesAn agent is looking for fresh & new (and what that is)
@elizabethscraigSelf-Publishing Pro and Con(temptuous)
@JFBookman7 Reasons Why Writers Need To Start Using Video For Book Promotion
@thecreativepenn
Stand
Alone
My job is not to just set down events that happened to me. My job is to create an experience for a reader (memoirist Mary Karr)
@DebraMarrsFirst impressions of characters are important. Why should we like them, or want to read about them?
@DocumentDriven
Going high-concept with your writing
@RoniGriffinWriters: can you distill your story into 1-2 sentences? @KathleenBolton on logline pitches
@inkyelbowsLiterary Agent Nathan Bransford on Pitching (video)
@PublishingSpySelf entitlement is the law of anti-attraction online
@elizabethscraigWhy writer need to learn the art of pitch: insider tips from Alan Rinzler
@inkyelbowsThe Quest for Art vs. The Quest for a Publisher
@storyfixerAn editor on how lead titles are chosen among new releases
@elizabethscraigFrom Book to Bestseller: What It Takes To Crack The List
[how bestsellers are determined on the major lists]
@bookgal
Craft & Technique
Hallie Ephron on the best writing advice she ever received
@elizabethscraigHow to Grab Them on Page One
@jamesscottbellHas your book got a saggy middle? Pick up the pace
@RoniGriffin4 problems with turning life into fiction
@elizabethscraigAvoid using the cliche “It suddenly dawned on her” – Character arc & epiphanies
@FictionNotes5-part blog series on creating believable characters through the 5 stages of grief. Part 1 starts here
@p2p_editor
Publishing
News & Trends
Stephen King rejects iPad, praises Kindle, and furnishes with books
@pubperspectivesAre Mobile Apps Worth the Investment? The future of eBooks, or a distraction?
@DigiBookWorldPublishers are not staying ahead of the shift
@MikeShatzkin
Blogging & Site Building
4 Foundations of a Successful Blog
@problogger4 classic mistakes a blogger made in the 1st year–and how she still ended up with 1000 followers
@elizabethscraig5 Easy Blog Improvements in under 5 Minutes
@BlogussionWhat do you talk about on your blog if you write fiction?
@tonyeldridge
Social Media
5 Commonly Misunderstood Things on Twitter
@BubbleCowFacebook etiquette–things you shouldn’t do on Facebook
@elizabethscraigWhy commenting on blogs is important
@bmillerfictionReading author @MargaretAtwood’s early experiences as a Tweeter. A worthy read. She’s funny!
@DebraMarrs
Marketing, Platform Building, Self-Promotion
Marketing your first book: Tips for authors
@thecreativepennMarketing 101: Never (Ever) Sell Your Book
@bookgal8 Steps For Successfully Marketing Yourself Online
@bookgalMarketing can give a books a boost, but you can’t make something a phenomenon
@NathanBransfordEssential reading for writers building their online presence
@BubbleCow
Self-Publishing
and E-Publishing
Thoughts on Traditionally Published Authors & E-publishing
@thewritermamaGreat article: Adventures in Self-Publishing
@BubbleCow
Before You Self Publish: 5 Vital Things To Do
@BubbleCow
Resources/References
& Online Tools
All the Bookkeeping a Freelancer Needs in One Little Web App
@goldenwordsmithBeyond Amazon–tools for tracking your book sales
@elizabethscraig
The Writing Life
& Fun Stuff
Go Into The Story: “The Best Writing Advice of the Best Writing Advice”
@scribomaticShould we develop non-attachment to our writing? “As soon as you care, you lose”
@elizabethscraigDos and Don’ts of connecting with a writing mentor
@MuseInksSlush pile lessons–why an editor refuses to be a snarky slusher (and unfollows those who are)
@elizabethscraigThe 7 most motivational quotes of all time
@GuyKawasaki
Looking for more?
- List
of Tweeps most often included in weekly Best Tweets for Writers
(always under development)
-
Follow Writer’s Digest editors on Twitter: @writersdigest @JaneFriedman @brianklems @robertleebrewer @alicepope
@jessicastrawser @chucksambuchino @chadseibert @vanessa_lw
-
Become a fan at our Facebook
page (4,500+ fans)
- Join our online community,
kind of like Facebook for writers
(4,200+ members and growing)
There were a lot of good links, as usual. I especially liked the one about pitching at a conference. Although I don’t have a formal pitch session set up, I do have an agent/editor query critique and a ten-page critique set up, so I have a better sense of how to be prepared in case they ask me about another project.
As my blog readership increases, it’s hard to keep up with each follower’s blog. I have some that I follow religiously, but it would be great if you ever come across a blog etiquette post, to provide a link. Should I follow everyone who follows me? If not, how often should I try to visit/comment?