By Stephany Reihing | Leave A Comment
Twitter has quickly become one of the best social media platforms in this century. With over 190 million users, it’s a place to connect with people all over the world. As a writer, Twitter can become a useful tool in building an audience, generating debate and showcasing your work. But building that background can be difficult and frustrating when you seem to be giving this platform all your time and getting nothing in return.
One of the best ways to gain followers and build a stronger social media presence online is through Twitter chats. Every day, there are numerous Twitter chat happening, everything from writing chats to fitness chats to business chats. In these chats, a moderator guides a discussion on one or a variety of topics related to the chat. Users respond to the questions, respond to what others are saying, retweet users or ask questions as the chat goes on. Chats use hashtags, which is the number sign (#) followed by the chat name, to assimilate between regular Twitter updates. You can even jump onto websites like TweetChat.com, which auto-updates and has features for highlight users, retweeting, and slowing the information feed.
The list of writing Twitter chats is numerous with one happening almost every single day. I’ve compiled a list of the best I’ve seen to help you get started.
When: Sundays from 3-6pm EST
Moderator: @WritingSpirit
Type of chat: This is a chat centered around writing and giving writers support and advice. At the beginning of the chat, a topic is posed and then users respond to the topic by either tweeting about it themselves or offering help for other users.
Sample tweet: “Be ready to ask for what you need, and answer someone else’s need. This is Writing Support Sunday! #writechat.” -@WritingSpirit#journchat
When: Monday from 6-9pm EST
Moderator: @PRsarahevans
Type of chat: An open dialogue between journalists, bloggers, and public relation specialists. Users are free to post questions and answers, and criticism is accepted. Follow @journchat for information during the week, and leading up to the chat.
Sample tweet: “@journchat PR is still about relationships with media and SM is one of the best ways to help us develop those relationships.” – @CMPR
#kidlitchat
When: Tuesdays from 9-10pm EST
Moderator: @kidlitchat, @gregpincus, @BonnieAdamson
Type of chat: This chat focuses on children’s literature, as the hashtag suggests. The range is wide, from board books for toddlers to YA fiction. One topic is introduced at the beginning of the chat, which is then debated by all participants.
Sample tweet: “TOPIC: What online sites/communities are working for you professionally? For marketing? For fun? #kidlitchat.” – @gregpincus
#litchat
When: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 2-3pm EST
Moderator: @litchat
Type of chat: A chat for both writers and book lovers alike! This chat takes place three times a week for one hour where a variety of topics are introduced, all centered around a sincere love for books.
Sample tweet: “Welcome to Monday’s #litchat. This week we’re discussing LAD LIT. Think, young, sexy, single men in humorous romantic settings.” -@litchat
#bookmarket
When: Thursdays from 4-5pm EST
Moderator: @BookMarketChat
Type of chat: This chat gets to the heart of the matter that many aspiring authors are wondering about: marketing your book. Every week, a variety of topics are approached about writing pitches and selling your book to publishers. This is not a chat where users can self-promote their books, but rather get advice and feedback on marketing their book.
Sample tweet: “Whoo hooo!! Today we get to learn about creating pitches from the pitch MASTER @readysetpitch. Join the cool kids at 4 p.m. ET today!”
ABOUT Stephany Reihing
Stephany is a journalism student, living in Florida. She plans on graduating in May 2011 and opening{read more}
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Amazing post, Stephany! I didn’t realize how big the Twitter Chats were, nor did I necessarily know what they meant. Thanks for explaining it, and giving us some chats to look into. This is a really neat venture.