Essential Twitter Hashtags for Authors, Readers and Publishing Industry Professionals

Posted on July 5, 2012 by Joe Moore

Twitter can feel like screaming into the void until you get a feel for the Twitterverse. If you tweet using a link to your blog post or website to draw traffic, you can check your blog or website stats to track the traffic from that link. Using Twitter in the right way can enhance your promo, but if you aren’t maximizing your tweets with hashtags, you’re not being as effective as you can be. That’s a waste of your precious time that you can’t afford. Here’s why:

It can take time to build Twitter followers. You can have 100 followers, but if you understand the use of hashtags, you can get beyond your followers to a much larger online community. By using the Hashtag symbol #, you can connect with readers, tap into people following a particular topic, search for the latest in a book genre, look for industry advice or read about book recommendations. Even if you have many followers, by using the right hashtag, you can target your post to a specific audience that’s looking for what you have to tweet about.

Hashtags can also be used to promote a certain product brand, like #Kindle or #Nook. It can also be used to tap you into certain experts, like #AskAgent or #AskEditor. A fun way hashtags are used is punctuation to a joke or use of sarcasm, like tweeting ‘Snooki did another beach face plant #awkward.’

To keep up with the latest in hashtags or look up ones you don’t understand, go to #TagDef. Below is a really good list to start with hashtags geared for authors, readers, and industry topics.

Target Other Authors

#AmWriting

#AmEditing

#BookMarket (Every Thursday, 4 PM, ET)

#IndieAuthors

#LitChat (Every M/W/F)

#MemoirChat (Bi-weekly Wednesday, 8 PM, ET)

#WordCount

#WritersLife

#WriteChat

#WriteTip

#WriterWednesday (or #WW)

#WritingParty

#WritingTip

#YALitChat

Target Book Genres

#RomanceWriter

#SciFiChat

#KidLitChat

#RWA (Romance Writers of America)

#ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers)

#MGLit (Middle Grade Lit)

#SCBWI (Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators)

#MemoirChat

Identify Industry Information

#AskAgent

#AskAuthor

#AskEditor

#GetPublished

#PromoTip

#SelfPublishing

#Publishing

#EBooks

#IndiePub (or #IndiePublishing)

#BookMarketing

Goals Setting Specifics

#WritingPrompt

#StoryStarter

#WordAThon

#Creativity

#WIP (work in progress)

#1K1H (write one thousand words in one hour)

Target Readers

#FridayReads

#BookGiveaway

#Giveaway

#Kindle

#MustRead

#Nook

#Ebook

#LitChat

#StoryFriday

#MustRead

After this TKZ Twitter Tutorial, I thought it might be fun to launch a Twitter FollowFest. If you are interested in building your Twitter Followers, use the LINKY TOOL below and enter your twitter account for others to follow. Anyone wanting to participate can enter their Twitter link and auto-follow those on the list we’ll create. This link will only be open for a limited time.

Support your fellow TKZers.

Here is the Linky Tool:

36 thoughts on “Essential Twitter Hashtags for Authors, Readers and Publishing Industry Professionals”

Alan Orloff on July 5, 2012 at 4:44 pm said:

Thanks, Jordan. I never really use hashtags, and I know I should but… maybe now I will!
Jordan Dane on July 5, 2012 at 4:46 pm said:

Hey Alan–They are really essential for some many things if you use Twitter. The cool thing is if you link it to your blog, you can watch thet raffic coming from those links. It’s tangible.

Plus you can hold contests & giveaways on Twitter where people enter and follow the tag you set up. Lots of applications.
Jordan Dane on July 5, 2012 at 4:47 pm said:

Sorry for the late post today, TKZers. I forgot to hit PUBLISH with my last tweak.
Julie Korzenko on July 5, 2012 at 4:51 pm said:

Thanks, JD! This is exactly what I needed. I’m horrible at hashtags.
Jordan Dane on July 5, 2012 at 4:57 pm said:

Hey Julie–I include them with every post to maximize my efforts. That tag def link is a good way to keep up with any definitions you may not know.
John on July 5, 2012 at 7:04 pm said:

Do the hash tags count as part of the 14-character limit? If so, by the time you put in a link and a hast tag, there’s not much room left for the message, right?

John Gilstrap
http://www.johngilstrap.com
Jordan Dane on July 5, 2012 at 7:45 pm said:

Thats right, John, but the hashtags get you to a broader audience, beyond your followers. I hate the 140-char limit. It can be a challenge to word your tweet in an intriguing fashion, but I always make room for at least one hashtag.

Ezine magazines pick up on certain hashtags like #writing #amwriting & #publishing. That means all those ezine subscribers will see your link cross-posted too. There are many benefits, even beyond twitter.

Sometimes the hashtags can be the whole point like for #giveaways or to target a specific audience like your #thriller #mustread books.

I liked your facebook page. Hope others will too. Thanks for commenting, John.
Nancy J. Cohen on July 5, 2012 at 8:28 pm said:

Wow, this is a fabulously useful post. I’m going to add these tags to my files. If I want to check up on one, I’ll just put it in the Twitter search box and see how many posts pop up. #amwriting is the one I use the most.

Don’t forget niche marketing, too. For Shear Murder, besides using #mysteries and #Florida, I tried #weddings #brides #Jewish #salon and #hairstylist.
- Jordan Dane on July 5, 2012 at 8:32 pm said:
  
  Very true, Nancy. Another great benefit.
Basil Sands on July 5, 2012 at 8:29 pm said:

I have seen that when the right hash-tags are used it can make a huge difference, especially when doing a promotion or giveaway. Its amazing how many times something of value can be retweeted once it starts going around.

check out the new Facebook face for the narration side of my creative inner me … Sandman Production Studios of Alaska – Facebook page.

Like the page and be entered to win a free bouquet of four dozen virtual roses,a virtual box of premium Belgian Chocolate, and three virtual pounds of that really fancy and very expensive coffee that’s picked out of Indonesian Monkey Poop. Prizes valued at $1000 if they were real! Winner will be notified via psychic message and virtual prize will be same day imagined directly your real life doorstep.
Jordan Dane on July 5, 2012 at 8:30 pm said:

Hey Basil. I hit your linky image but didnt get your Twitter. You may want to add another link, include your twitter http, and name it as your twitter acct. I think I already follow you, but others will need it.
Basil Sands on July 5, 2012 at 8:39 pm said:

Got it…and fixed it
Joe Hartlaub on July 6, 2012 at 2:11 am said:

Good evening, Jordan!

This is great. All the stuff my fourteen year old doesn’t have the patience to teach her senile father. I even think I understand some of it. Disclaimer: if Twitter crashes in an hour, it’s not my fault.

Thanks!
Jordan Dane on July 6, 2012 at 2:17 am said:

Hey Joe. I’ve looked for your twitter acct so I could follow you, but didn’t find it. If twitter crashes, I’m totally blaming you, Mr. Hashtag.
Joe Hartlaub on July 6, 2012 at 2:55 am said:

Jordan — and anyone else — it’s @josephhartlaub. Let the crashing begin!
Jordan Dane on July 6, 2012 at 10:42 am said:

Woot! Joe is no longer a Twitter virgin. Will wonders never cease?!!
Jordan Dane on July 6, 2012 at 11:27 am said:

Btw, Joe. You should consider changing your twitter image. That egg thing is used by spammers & porn mongers.
Joe Hartlaub on July 6, 2012 at 11:55 am said:

Uh, your point, Jordan?
Jordan Dane on July 6, 2012 at 12:33 pm said:

*sigh*
Kathryn Lilley on July 6, 2012 at 12:57 pm said:

Phew! Took me seven tries, but I finally got the Linky thingee to add me.
Jim in Missoula on July 6, 2012 at 4:50 pm said:

GADZOOKS, JD! Somebody hep me.
Jordan Dane on July 6, 2012 at 5:27 pm said:

You might need help, Jim, but hashtags won’t fix it. HA!
Jordan Dane on July 6, 2012 at 5:34 pm said:

Sorry to hear you had trouble with Linky, Kathryn. Woodpress doesnt need anything like Linky to do a followfest, but Blogger does with its spam filter.

Another reason I’m only leaving this linky tool open for a week is due to spammers who will eventually find a way to abuse the feature.

Glad you stuck with it. Have a great weekend, my fine friend.
Brenda Maxfield on July 6, 2012 at 7:12 pm said:

This is all new to me, but I figure I better get a-learnin’! Thanks for this opportunity!
Julie Korzenko on July 6, 2012 at 7:46 pm said:

But wait, JD, you mean that wasn’t Inspector Clouseau who wanted to talk to us about his massages?
Jordan Dane on July 6, 2012 at 8:46 pm said:

I’ll send you the link if you want it, Julie. 😉
Mike Dennis on July 7, 2012 at 2:50 pm said:

Jordan, what’s a hashtag?
Jordan Dane on July 7, 2012 at 4:32 pm said:

Mike–A hashtag is part of a tweet message that begins with the symbol #. Twitter recognizes that symbol as significant. It sorts & groups all “similar” messages so anyone following that message can find it & follow the subject rather than the individual message sender. It allows you to reach a broader audience or subject matter, beyond the limitation of your twitter followers. Many applications are described above. I hope this explanation helps. Twitter has an excellent tutorial on the way Twitter can work.
janmarie on July 8, 2012 at 2:31 am said:

Thank you 🙂 – I am just learning about these so very timely.
Jordan Dane on July 8, 2012 at 2:42 am said:

JanMarie–I’ve seen some very creative uses for hashtags (ie promo giveaways to gain followers, or a means to network with other authors & readers, or a way to ask questions of industry professionals). It’s worth considering. Thanks for stopping by.
Mike Dennis on July 8, 2012 at 7:02 pm said:

Thanks for the explanation, Jordan. It was very clear and to the point.
- Jordan Dane on July 8, 2012 at 9:11 pm said:
  
  Thanks, Mike. Whew!
cleemckenzie on July 8, 2012 at 9:06 pm said:

Appreciated the information. I’ll be adding a link to this post on A to Z Road Trip this month. I’m doing a short piece on Twitter. Thanks so much.
- Jordan Dane on July 8, 2012 at 9:10 pm said:
  
  Thanks for the feature. Glad you found this helpful.
Deborah-Diane on July 22, 2012 at 5:50 pm said:

I just discovered your blog, and it is full of useful information. I have four books published on the Kindle, but I am just learning how to promote them. I just put your blog on my Favorites List. Thanks!

I see that I read this too late to use your Twitter link. However, if anyone is interested, I’m at Twitter at: @DeborahDian
Jordan Dane on July 22, 2012 at 8:47 pm said:

Hey Deborah–Thanks for finding us. We are a diverse group here and just started our blog in 2012. Some of us have thought of self-pubbing or have dabbled. Glad you found this post helpful. Hashtags make twitter use more effective.

On twitter, we’re at @ADR3NALIN3BOOKS and I’m at @JordanDane. I’m pretty good about following back.

Thanks again.

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