R.S. Guthrie Discusses Twitter and Being Part of the Writers’ Community

R.S. Guthrie

I am pleased to feature a fellow writer and the author of Black Beast: A Clan of MacAulay Novel.  I had the pleasure of meeting Rob in the group of authors brought together by Melissa Foster for her Come Back to Me book launch party.  Rob graciously accepted my offer to write a guest post.  Here he is discussing Twitter and his followers: writers.  Don’t forget to comment and show Rob some love.

 

When I first signed up for Twitter a couple months ago, I had no idea how to gain followers and who those tweeps might be. I suppose in the mind of Famous Author—he’s one of the multiple bards who occupy my skull at any given point of the creative and/or marketing process—it would eventually turn out to include legions of doting fans, eager for my next major release.

Imagine my surprise when I discovered that a HUGE follower base for writers is, well, other writers. 

(I have to be honest: when I informed Famous Author of this new development, he coughed terribly and spewed burnt tobacco from his pipe in a plume, ruining that nasty tweed jacket he wears—you know, the one with the patches on the elbow.)

It was pretty shocking to me, too. I remember thinking “isn’t this a little like Burger King following McDonalds? The hens following the fox? Enron following…

Ah, never mind. You get it. I was perplexed. How the heck was I to gain any traction in the world of writing by hanging out with a bunch of writers?

In answer to my own question, I’ve got one very special word for you:

Camaraderie.

See, you can’t think “fox and hens”—more like foxholes. Because the relationships are better compared to those between soldiers at war. Yes, the three helmet-heads hunkered down in the trench might be fierce competitors back home. In the face of a common enemy, however, they are brothers and sisters.

They protect. They have each others’ backs.

Particularly indie authors, who you find a lot of in the Twitterverse.

We’re all eating the same soup sandwiches.

As Bill Murray’s character said in Stripes: “We’re the wretched refuse.”

And we are.

The chosen authors, with their sleek, satin book covers, huge multi-novel contracts, movie deals, and product trailers starring Willem Dafoe or Zooey Deschanel, well, they gaze down on us from atop towers constructed of blue steel, mirrored glass, and the perfume of success.

Honestly, so many of the authors I have met (and follow) are hard-working, talented writers who have yet to see their big break. And that, dear readers, is what draws us together into a tribe. We aren’t exactly the Island of Misfit Toys, but we’ve seen our share of black eyes from agents, editors, publishers, and even successful bloggers.

Our fans may love us, but for many, the mainstream has yet to learn our names.

So we help each other. Authors for authors. Writers for the tribe. And guess what?

IT WORKS.

I think most of us (at least those who have guzzled the Kool-Aid) believe there are enough readers out there to support all the good writers (and, judging by some of the slop I’ve read recently, even a large number of bad ones). And that understanding gives us a common goal that transcends competition:

We all need exposure.

We need Amazon algorithms. We need Likes. We need Followers. We need Friends. We need widespread tweeting and retweets that spread like wild fires. We need to be VIRAL.

And so, we need each other.

It is for this reason, as well as the wondrous hearts, spirited souls, and reams of talent I’ve found in this virtual social strata, that I have come to feel my writer community is more than just a collection, a clique, or even a tribe.

We’re family.

Or at least a platoon.

And yes, we most certainly have each others’ backs.

More about R.S. Guthrie:

R.S. Guthrie grew up in Northeastern Iowa and Northwestern Wyoming. Growing up in the Heartland and the Rocky Mountains, and alongside the good people who populate these beautiful areas of the United States, the author learned (among other things) one core principle of a great culture: people helping each other.

“Read a Book, Make a Difference”  is the author’s vision. After losing their two month-old son, Brody, to SIDS in 2008, Guthrie and his wife began supporting the local SIDS non-profit.  When the author released his first book, “Black Beast: A Clan of MacAulay Novel”, in 2011, he knew he wanted to do something special with part of the proceeds.

Thus, “Read a Book, Make a Difference” was born.

“Black Beast” is the first in a series of “Clan of MacAulay” books featuring Denver Detective Bobby Macaulay.

The author currently lives in Colorado with his beautiful wife, three young Australian Shepherds, and a rambunctious Chihuahua who thinks she is a 40 pound Aussie!

Follow him:

Author Website: http://www.rsguthrie.com
Author Blog: http://robonwriting.com
Author RABMAD Page: http://RABMAD.com
Author FB page: http://www.facebook.com/rsguthriebooks
Author Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/rsguthrie

Join Rob and 35 other authors for the 99 Cent Book Event, in celebration of the release of award winning, bestselling author Melissa Foster’s COME BACK TO ME, Tues., Nov. 1 – Thurs., Nov 3. ALL BOOKS 99 CENTS, ebook giveaways, and more! www.womensliterarycafe.com