Have you ever had the experience of diving into something you don’t fully understand and had almost no idea how to use?
Well that’s been my experience with Twitter.
Come to think of it, that’s been my experience with most forms of social media: Facebook, MySpace, Library Thing, Good Reads, 43 Things and others.
I would read some authority on blogging tell me to open an account on this social media site or that one, to promote your blog.
So I’d faithfully open an account on the site, try to use it, get confused and frustrated only to eventually give up or lose the password.
I’ve recently come to realize that I’ve been going about it all wrong — starting with my intentions.
My goal in opening up a Twitter account was to promote my blog. Now don’t get me wrong, I love it when you come to the website and read …With Intent to Commit Horror. However, my reason for spending so much time working on that site isn’t to get readers. That’s a side benefit — a way to keep score.
I do this to bring more readers to the horror fiction that’s out there. So many people who enjoy Stephen King and Peter Straub don’t know about Gary Braunbeck, Brian Keene, Mary SanGiovanni, Brian Knight, Nate Kenyon, J. F. Gonzalez, Wrath James White, Deborah Leblanc, and so many more.
I want …With Intent to Commit Horror to get people to discover more horror fiction, to read and support their favorite authors. And to try new ones all the time.
That is the attitude I should have had when I opened up Twitter and the like.
Instead I followed so many spammers indiscriminately that my account became full and real people who wanted to read horror could follow — but I couldn’t follow them back.
So I’m cleaning house, starting with Twitter. It’s not the number of people following me, it’s the quality. And I want to follow horror lovers right back.
I’ve cleared out 400 people so far with a lot more to go.
If you enjoy reading horror and you follow me on Twitter (I’m on Twitter as Undeadrat). Please send me a direct message or start a tweet beginning with @Undeadrat and tell me who your favorite horror author is or what your favorite horror book is. I’ll make sure I follow you back.
I’m trying to unfollow only the spammers and commercials, but if I unfollow you by accident, send me a tweet with your favorite horror author or book and I’ll friend you back.
And then, I’m going to make following me worthwhile. I’ll provide more quality information about horror fiction and more of myself than ever before.
Finally, I’ll be able to say “I get Twitter.”
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