I have a confession to make: When I first signed up to Twitter, I nearly signed off just as quickly. I was completely intimidated.

I didn’t know the name for the thing you wrote. (Now, the definition of ‘tweet’ has been updated in the Oxford English Dictionary to include ‘a post made on the social media application Twitter’). I couldn’t possibly say anything meaningful in 180 characters. (I’m an English grad). There was a disconcerting and ever changing amount of comments from complete strangers in my feed. (I know to call it that now).

For some reason, though, I stuck with it. Intermittently.

In the last few years, as I’ve delved deeper, observed and asked questions, my perspective of the platform has shifted.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not 100% in love with the concept of social media. I’m hesitant about its impact on my time, my relationships, and my mental health.

However, as a marketer, I can’t ignore the potential. I’ve heard and seen more and more stories of writers finding success and community through this, and other social media networks. I myself have discovered fellow writers, literary agents, editors, resources and events that I would never have found any other way.

Maybe, like me, you find Twitter scary but you see the benefits to your writing craft and career. Let me share some of the things that used to freak me out and how I learnt to make peace with them.

1 Being uncovered as a fraud

Imposter syndrome: I think every writer I know has struggled with this at some point. “What qualifies me to claim I’m a writer?” we whisper to ourselves. I was new to fiction writing when I joined Twitter but that was my main reason for signing up: to hone my craft and eventually promote my writing.

I guess it’s partly taken time, producing work, and sticking with the craft. But even if you don’t have those things under your belt yet, we all have the right to share our journey and everyone gets encouraged by the perspective of someone else on the writing path, no matter what stage they’re at. So, share away, even if you’re a newbie. In fact, it makes you relatable, which is key to building a genuine network. If you need more encouragement to just go ahead and call yourself a writer, read Jeff Goins.

2 Saying the wrong thing

There were, and still are, many political rantings on Twitter. There were abbreviations I didn’t understand. (There still are). I didn’t want to say anything inflammatory because I don’t like conflict.

We are privileged to have freedom of speech and Twitter can be a platform to express your opinion, but you choose how to engage. It’s OK to observe for a while; I did a lot of retweeting and liking before I started creating my own Tweets. It’s also OK not to make political statements. For me, I view Twitter more as on online writing conference. You decide how personal to get with your sharing. I don’t tend to share about family or personal thoughts, but I do share about the struggles of the writing journey. It does remind people you’re human, and we all love the chance to respond “Oh yeah, I know how you feel.”

Be thoughtful about your Tweets, especially if you’re promoting your own work. Don’t just shout that you have a book out. Think of some creative ways to let people know what’s cool and intriguing about your book and contribute to the community as much as you ‘take’.

3 Keeping my tweets to 180 characters

Aren’t we all grateful that’s been increased to 240 characters? Still, everyone else on Twitter seemed so pithy with their posts. Then, there are events like #PitMad when you can post the pitch for your manuscript. You tell me how you’re meant to cut a multi-thousand word book down to 240 characters!

Actually, this is one of the great things about Twitter. Not only does it let you scan things quickly, but it forces you to practise that all important skill: the dreaded elevator pitch. If you’re a screen writer you have to go one better and come up with a killer logline. 240 characters seems like an essay once you’ve tried writing a logline. Just read Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat if you are new to this concept. It’s hard work but absolutely worthwhile as it’s an essential marketing tool for pitching to agents, discussing your work with fellow writers, and promoting your book. I also find that, when I get to the nugget of my story and write in down in a sentence or two, it does wonders for my revision.

4 Not being funny, witty, trendy, remarkable, memorable enough

This one is just self-talk. Who cares if I’m not funny or trendy? This isn’t an exam. The chances are you’ll mostly build a network of fellow writers and writers are, largely speaking, some of the most encouraging human beings I’ve met.

5 Getting too much clutter in my feed

It’s true that platforms like Twitter and Facebook create their own algorithms, and change them frequently. There’s only so much you can do to control what the application spits out at you. It is free after all, so I guess we should let them have some say over how we interact with it!

Again, you choose how you use this tool. I personally have ALL my notifications turned off for ALL my social media accounts, AND my email. I choose when to engage and I’m careful to do so only at certain points of the day. Yes, I may miss certain events, but I keep my sanity.

To be honest, I’m not a Twitter aficionado. But, I’ve approached the platform at a pace that suits me and my writing career. I see the benefit of being part of this community, both for my craft and for a platform of readers who appreciate my work. I’ll continue to build my network, and I’ll continue to contribute to the conversation, because there’s so much to learn.

Do you need help figuring out how to use social media and other marketing tools to find your readers? Contact me and we can work out a plan which delivers that.