Dear Editor
A published writer friend is thinking of freezing her blog and simply posting regularly on Twitter. She says the blog takes too much time for too little feedback. I get that she wants more writing time while still having the social networking, but this seems like a strangely backward idea. If I wanted to open a discussion, Twitter would be my last choice. What’s your opinion? Which will agents/editors prefer to see? How do YOU write a successful blog, keep tabs on the triplets, write books, and run the vacuum cleaner? or feed the dog? or put your feet up for a simple moment of peace and quiet?
Anon.
Dear Anon….
Actually, your desire for “discussion” can be met on Twitter via chats, hashtag threads, and replying to others’ tweets. Plus, good tweets are retweeted to thousands of people, who may then reply, retweet, and “follow” you. Major networking and promo potential! But participating in Twitter on that level takes time. I respect your friend’s choice to go all in. Editors and agents know the potential of a strong Twitter presence. I hope she doesn’t “freeze” her blog, though. Readers seek out authors through their websites, and a dead blog makes a site look abandoned—a negative impression. Keep a blog current with minimal effort by blogging one of your tweeted items every weekish with a sentence or two expanding on it. (BTW: We have hissing cockroaches instead of a dog. Far less work.)
Happy writing!
The Editor