To Follow or not to Follow on Twitter

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THE RECKLESS RESCUE is out now!
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Well it depends what you say. If you say, "I saw on Twitter your request for awesome books, and so I am sending you my awesome book" that shouldn't be a problem. It shows you are paying attention, it personalises the query, and demonstrates you know how to use social media.

If however you write something like, "I see from your tweets you like cats, I like cats too, here's my query" well, that's just kind of silly.
 

Ctairo

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Even if you aren't comfortable following individual agents, you might want to pay attention to hashtags like #askagent. I've seen Twitter chats pop up occasionally with that hashtag, and there's always good information. If you have a specific question, the chat's also a wonderful opportunity to get it out there.
 

RKLipman

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Agents are just people, guys. They're on Twitter to network and talk and have fun and dish about the industry and take pictures of their breakfasts like the rest of you.

I follow a bunch, including agents who've already rejected me, agents who currently have my full, and agents who I'd never query because they don't rep my genre. Several of them follow me, as well.

If one of them tweets about penguins and I have something to say because hey, I like penguins too! I would talk to them. If they ask you to query them or for pages via Twitter (and yes, this does happen), be grateful and send those things along, and then pretend it never happened.

They are not going to be shocked or scandalized if you follow, @, or subsequently query them. They are just human beings. So follow and chat away.

Who knows? You may even make a friend.
 

popmuze

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I really don't agree with the above. It's just a gut feeling.
 

RKLipman

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popmuze - Can you explain what, specifically, you don't agree with? I have a number of friends who are agents and, while I certainly can't speak for everyone, I can tell you they share these sentiments. It's social media; they expect you'll be social when the urge strikes you.

What are your objections? What has led you to feel this way?
 

Old Hack

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I've become firm friends with a couple of agents I "met" on Twitter: I've stayed with one of them for weekends, even. They're confident I'm not going to start pitching my books at them; we get on well; it works. It's almost like they're (gasp!) real people!
 

Ctairo

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She jests not. And why are you calling her Shirley?
 
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lauralam

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I'm with Rick. I follow plenty, including ones who have rejected me. All my rejects on fulls have been super nice--they're just not the right agent, but they're lovely folks. Hell, one who rejected me I'm now FB friends with.
 

popmuze

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The idea of becoming a Facebook friend or Twitter fan of an agent and not pitching them books is curious to me. Same as if I became friends with an agent in real life. It's like if you were dying of some disease and couldn't ask a doctor friend of yours what you had. Maybe it would be different if I had an agent or a current best seller. Following their posts for information is fine. Pitching them what they say they're looking for is probably fine as well. Pretending they don't hold the key to advancing my career is something else.
 

Titan Orion

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Some agents tweet how up-to-date they are with their queries, so if you are querying those particular people, it can be useful. I follow one agent, even though I already have an agent, just because she tweets interesting information about the publishing world.

Any chance of a namedrop?
 

RKLipman

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It's one thing to recognize that there's value in say, following or chatting with an agent because you learn from their company. It's another to milk a relationship the way you describe. And quite frankly, the inability to separate THEM as people from what they can do for YOU is way cynical, and not the generally accepted practice.

Also, the idea that wanting to publish a book is in any way like wanting to survive a terminal illness is off-putting, to say the least.
 

RKLipman

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Any chance of a namedrop?

Titan - I'm not the original poster there, but Sara Megibow, Ginger Clark, Jenn Laughran, Kate Testermann, and many others are all quite active on Twitter and tweet lots of interesting things about queries, the pub industry, etc. - especially this week, while many of them are in Bologna! (Ginger's "trendwatch" has been super interesting this week.)
 

Old Hack

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The idea of becoming a Facebook friend or Twitter fan of an agent and not pitching them books is curious to me. Same as if I became friends with an agent in real life. It's like if you were dying of some disease and couldn't ask a doctor friend of yours what you had. Maybe it would be different if I had an agent or a current best seller. Following their posts for information is fine. Pitching them what they say they're looking for is probably fine as well. Pretending they don't hold the key to advancing my career is something else.

My bold. I find that bit quite extraordinary.

We're friends because we like one another, and not because I think I can earn something else from the equation. We became friends because we have mutual interests and similar senses of humour. I'm not "pretending they don't hold the key to advancing my career": I'm being their friend, and recognising that they are human beings, not just someone I can get something out of.

I had a small operation last week. I have a Twitter-friend who is a doctor. I talked to her about it and she's asked me how I'm getting on: but I didn't ask her to do the operation for me, or to treat me in any way. It's the same with my agent friends: I talk to them about my writing, they talk to me about their agenting, and we all enjoy ourselves without there being any expectations.
 

popmuze

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I'm just an old "expectations" guy, that's why the Internet has been so frustrating to me. Like, I've got about 100 Facebook friends, any one of whose reviews might have gained me thousands of copies of sales of my last book. No, I didn't ask them to review it. And none of them did. But that doesn't make it any less frustrating, even though I always genially comment on their interesting comings and goings. Maybe they see through my ruse. But I don't see how someone with a book they're trying to make salable would create a friendship with an agent on Facebook or Twitter (or even should you meet one at a party or a charity fund raiser) and not want to get that agent's opinion on what's wrong with their book.
 

popmuze

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Titan - I'm not the original poster there, but Sara Megibow, Ginger Clark, Jenn Laughran, Kate Testermann, and many others are all quite active on Twitter and tweet lots of interesting things about queries, the pub industry, etc. - especially this week, while many of them are in Bologna! (Ginger's "trendwatch" has been super interesting this week.)



I have in the past followed these agents and others, singly and in groups. I just haven't become friends with any of them. I'm not even friends with my last agent.
 

Ctairo

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I'm just an old "expectations" guy, that's why the Internet has been so frustrating to me. Like, I've got about 100 Facebook friends, any one of whose reviews might have gained me thousands of copies of sales of my last book. No, I didn't ask them to review it. And none of them did. But that doesn't make it any less frustrating, even though I always genially comment on their interesting comings and goings.

Commenting on goings and comings isn't the same as taking the time to read and review a book. It's an absolutely unequal exchange. (Unless I'm misunderstanding you.)

Maybe they see through my ruse.
Possibly. Or maybe you haven't connected in a way that's meaningful enough for them to extend themselves.

But I don't see how someone with a book they're trying to make salable would create a friendship with an agent on Facebook or Twitter (or even should you meet one at a party or a charity fund raiser) and not want to get that agent's opinion on what's wrong with their book.
Any agent can only offer an individual opinion, and they admit, sometimes they're wrong. I don't see the value in seeking feedback on your work from agents from social networking sites. If you want feedback, there are contests and conventions and workshops where agents are prepared to offer feedback, and yes, more often than not, you have to pay.

When you're attempting to sell--be it a book, a sandwich, or a widget--the onus is on you to do everything you can to get your product to market, not the other way around. So yeah, I'm with Old Hack. The agents don't hold the key to advancing your career. You do.
 

thothguard51

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I'm still not sold that Twitter is good? While I follow some writers, sports and a few others, I only have a handful of followers. Now this is more than likely my fault as I do not post all that much on twitter.

But what I have found is that even those who have followed, often un-follow me because I am mostly inactive on a daily basis.

Like anything else, you only get out of it what you put into it.

Though there are members like GRR Martin who has thousands of followers and yet, he follows no one and rarely if ever post. Says he does not have the time...
 

LaneHeymont

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I'm just an old "expectations" guy, that's why the Internet has been so frustrating to me. Like, I've got about 100 Facebook friends, any one of whose reviews might have gained me thousands of copies of sales of my last book. No, I didn't ask them to review it. And none of them did. But that doesn't make it any less frustrating, even though I always genially comment on their interesting comings and goings. Maybe they see through my ruse. But I don't see how someone with a book they're trying to make salable would create a friendship with an agent on Facebook or Twitter (or even should you meet one at a party or a charity fund raiser) and not want to get that agent's opinion on what's wrong with their book.

I'm the OP, and to be honest I didn't think of following agents for any reason (foolish on my part I guess) until a friend mentioned. I was just curious about the etiquette. I follow Angela James, though I've not submitted to Carina, but she tweets great/interesting info. We've had some enlightening tweets back and forth.

I think following an agent in order to "gain" something is unreasonable and quite frankly disrespectful (not saying that's you, but just in general.) Like others have said, agents are just people who happen to be agents.

In any relationship you need to be able to distinguish between personal and business. JUst like you may be friends with someone who has opposite political views. You're friends, but understand and accept that's something you shouldn't get so deep into.

It's here, so I'm turning in for the night. Just my thoughts.
 

Polenth

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The idea of becoming a Facebook friend or Twitter fan of an agent and not pitching them books is curious to me. Same as if I became friends with an agent in real life. It's like if you were dying of some disease and couldn't ask a doctor friend of yours what you had. Maybe it would be different if I had an agent or a current best seller. Following their posts for information is fine. Pitching them what they say they're looking for is probably fine as well. Pretending they don't hold the key to advancing my career is something else.

I don't follow people on Twitter with expectations. I like to keep up-to-date with what's going on, and following agents and editors is good for that. But I don't expect them to become friends, want to see my manuscript or anything else. Even if they did become friends, I'd still query via a query letter, as requested.

If you go into Twitter expecting it to be the door that'll open and get you published, you will be disappointed.
 

kathleea

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I follow any agent I find on Twitter, other writers, editors, singers, actors, whoever strikes my fancy. I've met some interesting people this way. If anyone wants to follow me I'm @kathleea
The more the merrier I say!
 

Titan Orion

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Titan - I'm not the original poster there, but Sara Megibow, Ginger Clark, Jenn Laughran, Kate Testermann, and many others are all quite active on Twitter and tweet lots of interesting things about queries, the pub industry, etc. - especially this week, while many of them are in Bologna! (Ginger's "trendwatch" has been super interesting this week.)

Thanks! I've never really paid much attention to that side of it to be honest seeing as I'm nowhere near publishable, but it cant help to learn a thing or three. Nice one :D
 

Araenvo

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If you go into Twitter expecting it to be the door that'll open and get you published, you will be disappointed.

^^ This. It's the same as meeting people at social events in the physical world. If you're interested in talking because they're a cool, interesting person, they'll open up and you can all jive, cool cat style. If you're talking to someone only because you know you can gain something from it, people pick up on that.

I spend some time finding and following unpublished YA / MG writers, because that's what I am, and people going through similar things often tweet cool links or helpful articles. It's great!
 

JSSchley

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I'm following quite a few agents on Twitter, even the ones that already rejected me. Mainly for updates on the publishing world or because they could be useful for future projects, as to not forget their names.

I love the ones that have already rejected me. I'm generally too shy to tweet pre-query...afraid it will seem self-effacing. (Though I know some have used this to great effect.) But once they've rejected my ms. or my query? I @reply with abandon, whenever anyone says something I think is cool. I like to talk about the book industry, and many agents have cool things to converse about.