A Note of Appreciation to the Twitter Writing Community

I discovered the Twitter author community in the middle of last year. I was trying to figure out how the whole “query” process works, with the goal of publishing a manuscript. I had no idea such a vast segment of the publishing community was connected via Twitter. A “Query 101” blog directed me to #MSWL (Manuscript Wish List). From there, I discovered to the most supportive community I have ever known.

Publishing is a competitive business. I’ve read that many agents receive ~27 queries a day and will sign 0.05% of authors. I’ve see statistics saying the success rate of a query to book deal is ~1/4000. While the exact number are uncertain, one thing is clear: the odds are stacked against us authors.

That means every writer is competing against each other for a few, precious slots. And yet on Twitter, thousands of authors readily encourage and support each other’s writing.

We all test lines from our #WIP (work in progress) in hashtag games (#MuseMon, #2bitTues, #1linewed, to name a few). We help each other practice pitches. (Seriously, pitching your novel in <140 characters is not easy!). We support each other through #amwriting, #ampublishing and #writerslife. We learn about new works from #newauthor and #bookblogger. We sip virtual lemonade #ontheporch. We hone our craft with help from industry professionals through contests. We exchange beta reads, vent, laugh, and share successes and frustration.

Thank you to everyone on Twitter who keeps me encouraged. You are the ones who know how difficult this journey can be. You are all amazing. I hope along the way, I have given encouragement back to a few of you too!