How Twitter Can Help The Shy Writer

Please welcome erotic romance author Cari Quinn to the blog for the second time (her first post was 11/09 if you're interested). Cari wrote her first story - a bible parable - in 2nd grade, much to the delight of the nuns at her Catholic school. Once she saw the warm reception that first tale garnered, she was hooked. She attempted her first romance in junior high, long before she'd ever read one. Writing what she knew always took a backseat to what she wanted to know, and that still holds true today. Cari's genres of choice include contemporary, romantic comedy, romantic suspense, urban fantasy and paranormal. Recently she discovered erotic romance. Oh, how far she's come.

HERE'S CARI--This topic has definitely been touched on before, but I wanted to share some of my own experiences, as well as a few things that have worked for me.

Coincidentally, last night I was tempted to post to my Twitter feed how much I appreciate the friends I've made on Twitter, and it's so true. Because of that site, I've spoken to editors and NYT bestselling authors that I more than likely wouldn't have had a chance to make contact with otherwise, or at least not in such an informal forum. As writers - especially for those of us who publish with e-publishers - it's not enough to write a great book, because if no one knows about it, your reputation likely won't build. Word-of-mouth is key. So how do you generate buzz about your books? Doing interviews, writing guest blog posts, and having a website all help. For me, I've found the biggest way readers have heard about me is from other readers. And where can you find a lot of them?

Twitter.

My next book, Ex Appeal, from The Wild Rose Press' Wilder Roses, is coming out next Friday. So far I have a pretty good list of great reviewers I've met on Twitter who are all willing to review my book. Some I approached. Some approached me. But as we all know, reviews are golden in getting your book out there. I've seen this work for some of my friends, too. There are so many wonderful reviewers out there who take the time to try to find the next gem in a haystack, and they want your book! All you have to do is be visible and friendly and do a little legwork to see which reviewers like your kind of material.

The bulk of my Goodreads reviews for Full Disclosure came from friends/reviewers I met on Twitter. Some of the sweetest people have taken time they don't have to plug my book. Which brings me to my next point: reciprocation.

I've seen more than one writer wonder why their blog posts or their books don't seem to receive any response. Often, this person is rarely seen on other blogs and can't figure out why people aren't seeking them out. The reason is simple. People like people who like them. If I come by your blog fifteen times and you don't ever stop by mine, I might wonder why. It could simply be that you're busy. The only problem with that is we're all busy. None of us are given more hours in the day than someone else. It's not a matter of "well, I'll comment a bunch of places then more people will come to my blog." That may be true in the short term, but when it comes to building relationships, that won't work. It doesn't take much to connect with people. Really, a line or two commenting on their latest Twitter update or their recent book or even the picture they posted of their puppy can do wonders.

Some of the people I met two years ago when I started blogging are still friends today. And that means if I have an unexpected release, I can email them out of the blue and they'll post my blurb/excerpt or write me some interview questions or anything else they can do to help me get a little exposure. That's a tremendous help, and that offer wouldn't be there if I hadn't made the time - consistently - to get to know them better through their blogs/website/Twitter or Facebook (which is a pond I've only recently waded into, I admit!)

I recently sold my first book to Ellora's Cave, and guess where I met my editor? If you guessed Twitter, you'd be correct. ;) She allowed me to email my submission to her directly, and as someone who receives a LOT of manuscripts, I don't doubt that helped me stand out from the pack a bit. Why did she do this? She's a sweetheart, but also because we'd begun building a bit of a rapport on Twitter and she extended an opportunity to me because of that.

Twitter is teeming with agents and editors. Last night, I saw a prominent Samhain editor discussing what she had in her submission stack and what she wanted to see more of. That isn't information that will be posted on any blog, because she was just going through recent submissions and commenting. Invaluable. Twitter really is like an "inside source." Editors and agents - not to mention other authors - you meet there just may be able to help you reach your goals in ways you'd never imagined. But when I approach them, I take the long view and try to get a sense of their personality, which also helps me to know if I'd like to work with them.

I follow a lot of people who follow me on Twitter. Not all of them, but if someone's a writer, then more than likely I will. I've met lots of wonderful people this way. I also make sure if I love an author's book or a recent blog post, I tell them. I met one author on Twitter after I adored her book and told her, and since then she's bought my books and done the same for me.

Getting out there means, at least for me, reading other authors' books and letting them know I enjoyed them. Posting reviews is huge in building goodwill with your fellow authors. Even a couple line Amazon, Goodreads or Twitter review can help them generate more buzz, and there's a good chance they'll want to help you too. Besides, it's just good karma! I know how hard it is to be an author, and if I can make your day a little brighter by sharing how much I loved your book, you can bet I will.
And the best part of all of this...this shy writer can take advantage of any or all of these opportunities from the comfort of her easy chair!

My new book, Ex Appeal, release June 25th at The Wild Rose Press' Wilder Roses

. You can also visit me on my blog.