10 ways authors can treat their Twitter followers well

1.) Give your followers a shout out by recommending them on #followfriday and #writerwednesday (if they too are authors). And retweet their updates any day, if you relate.
2.) Teach your followers something. Explain the best way to start an outline, to query an agent, how to advertise your book, how to price your ebook, etc.
3.) Give away free books or bookmarks.
4.) Make them laugh. People are on Twitter to be entertained. Nothing captures attention, like something humorous.
5.) Hold contests- for example, literature trivia.
6.) Update with information you've not made available elsewhere- like a tour location you just booked.
7.) Connect your followers with each other- make introductions.
8.) Invite your followers to a chat/discussion around a certain topic, with a specific hashtag everyone can follow.
9.) Give your followers control, let them determine where your next reading will be, or what the name of the next chapter should be.
10.) Spice it up, include pictures (maybe use a popular service like Instagram), ask questions, let them know a personal life detail or two.

Simon & Schuster's tweetable ad generates 292 tweets!

We (Blogads) recently rolled out a “Tweet this” button for ads, allowing advertisers to recommend a Twitter update directly from an ad. Simon & Schuster was one of the first advertisers to use the tweetable Blogads, while promoting Bethenny Frankel’s new book A Place of Yes and the results have been phenomenal! Simon & Schuster's engaging suggested tweet text included the author's twitter handle, a link to the book, and a reason for viewers to care. In all, the ads generated 292 tweets and over 6,700 clicks.

This is just the latest innovation to our custom units, and it’s proving to be a big win for advertisers who are looking to spark their own Twitter trend. Get started building your own now!

Party's on Twitter!

Hey ya'll! This morning I found an amazing list of book industry folks on Twitter and thought I'd share with you-- so you can get involved in the conversation!

Sections you might be most interested in:
Book Publisher Company Accounts
Book Publisher Individual Accounts
Literary Agents Accounts

There are 355 comments under the list, so it's worth trolling through there for additional influential folks-- like my good friends @juliabaxter @mjrose @mitzpa and @liternista.

Using a tool like Twiangulate to see shared friends/followers is extremely effective as well.