Review: Twitter Guide for Authors

I recently received a review copy of the third edition (April 2011) of Twitter Guide for Authors by Dana Lynn Smith, aka The Savvy Book Marketer.

Regular readers may recall that I reviewed Dana's excellent Facebook Guide for Authors in this blog post a few weeks ago. Here are my thoughts about her Twitter Guide.

Twitter Guide for Authors is provided in the form of a downloadable, 62-page PDF. As with the Facebook Guide, my first impression was that it was exceptionally well written and presented. It's printed in a clean, sharp, sans serif font, with screengrab illustrations where appropriate. The table of contents is fully hyperlinked, not just to the main chapter headings but to the section headings as well.

Twitter Guide for Authors begins with a discussion about online networking in general. There is obviously some overlap with the Facebook Guide here, but nonetheless it's a sensible approach, as it puts Twitter into context with other social networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn. The guide doesn't go into great detail about these other networks, but there are nonetheless good suggestions on developing an overall strategy for promoting yourself and your work. Dana also reveals common mistakes people new to social networking as a promotional tool make.

The next chapter, Getting Started With Twitter, is aimed at people who are completely new to Twitter. The chapter starts with an explanation of what Twitter is, including the jargon (which often baffles those new to the service). Dana takes the reader on a mini-tour of Twitter with the aid of screengrabs, explaining the various features of the site. The latter part of the chapter takes readers step by step through setting up a Twitter account, including choosing a user-name, creating a profile, and so on.

This is all important stuff and clearly explained, but as an experienced Twitter user myself (10,493 tweets and counting!) it was familiar territory to me. In the next chapter, however, things started getting a lot more interesting. Networking on Twitter explains how to find people to follow and how to get people to follow you. The vexed question of whether you should automatically follow back all your followers gets an inevitable airing (I don't, incidentally). Dana has some sensible comments to make about this, although she ends up sitting on the fence to some extent!

The section of the chapter I found most interesting, however, is where Twitter Lists are discussed. I must admit I have never paid much attention to this aspect of Twitter, but Dana reveals that they can be a powerful promotional tool. The example she gives of one of her own Twitter Lists occupying top spot on Google for a common search phrase provides irrefutable proof of the importance of taking Lists seriously!

The next chapter, Posting on Twitter, offers a wide range of suggestions for what to write about. It also covers how often you should tweet, and how to automatically - or semi-automatically - have updates posted to the other main social networks, Facebook and LinkedIn. For me, though, the most interesting section comes at the end of the chapter, where Dana talks about running Twitter contests and giveaways. This promotional concept is clearly explained, with real-life case studies of authors who have used it successfully. I shall definitely be applying some of the things I learned in this section soon!

Twitter Tools and Resources, the next chapter, looks at free and paid-for services you can use to schedule tweets in advance, automatically follow back anyone who follows you (if you want to), manage multiple Twitter profiles, and so on. There is also a brief but important section on troubleshooting, and a list of recommended publishing and marketing people to follow. The book concludes with a step-by-step action plan for applying the advice in the guide and getting your Twitter account up and running successfully.

I normally try to include one or two criticisms in my reviews but, although I've tried, I can't think of one where Twitter Guide for Authors is concerned. If you're new to Twitter - or still getting the hang of it - I highly recommend the modest investment required for a copy. Even "old hands" (such as myself), however, are sure to pick up some valuable hints and tips from it.

Full Disclosure: I received a free review copy of Twitter Guide for Authors from the author/publisher. In addition, the links in this review are affiliate links, so if you go on to make a purchase after clicking on them, I will receive a small commission. This has not affected my review of the guide in any way.