As a modern author, you need to know a bit more about Twitter than the basics. Even if you don’t “tweet” often, you should understand how to utilize their signature symbol, the hashtag (#).
Hashtags represent basically five main categories: emotions (#OhNoHeDidn’t), identifying a brand (#Rolex), recommending a product (#BestRead), finding like-minded people (#MemoirChat) and finding experts (#AskAgent).
You should be using one to two hashtags per “tweet” (more than 3 just clutters the message and turns readers off). Try to include at least one “big” hashtag that will connect you with a larger audience.
Here are some of the best hashtags an author can utilize to get his or her work out there in the public eye:
Connect with Other Authors:
#amwriting #amediting #writing
#editing #writerslife #writingparty
#wordcount #creativity #writegoal
#writingprompt #nanowrimo* #WIP*
#1K1H* #wordathon #storystarter
#5amwritersclub #writingcommunity
#storycrafter #storysocial #thewriterszen
Connect with genre:
#scifi #romance #fantasy
#horror #urbanfantasy #YA
#history #fanfic #romancewriter
#scifichat #kidlitchat #mglit*
#rwa* #scbwi* #memoirchat
#flashfic #biopic
Get information:
#askagent #askeditor #askauthor
#publishing #selfpub #bookmarketing
#pubtip* #writetip #writingtip
#promotip #getpublished #ebooks
#indiepub *
Connect with readers:
#fridayreads #mustread #bookgiveaway
#novelines* #litchat #storyfriday
#teasertues #freebook #freedownload
#kindle #nook #followfriday*
#bookish #shelfie #readmore
*some explanations:
NaNoWriMo: National Novel Writing Month, an event where writers pledge to write 50,000 words in 30 days.
WIP: Work in Progress
1K1H: pledging to write 1,000 words in 1 hour
MGLit: middle-grade literature
RWA: Romance Writers of America
SCBWI: Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators
PubTip – may or may not include drinking! Supposedly “Publishing Tip.”
Novelines: post a line or two from your novel
FollowFriday: suggesting new people to follow