How To Set Up a Twitter Account

I’m going to discuss using Twitter to promote your book, but first, if you don’t have a Twitter account yet, you can set one up for free in just minutes.  Here’s how:

• Go to www.twitter.com.  Click the “Sign Up” button.  Here’s what you will see:

• Enter your full name.
• The “username” is what follows the www.twitter.com and what people will use to refer to your profile on Twitter.  For example, Outskirts Press is referred to as @OutskirtsPress and can be found at www.twitter.com/outskirtspress.  You want this to be something easy for others to find and related to you and/or your book.  Type in your desired username and the screen will show you if it is available.   You may have to try several different ideas to find one that is available and that works for what you want.
• Enter your password and your contact email address.
• Read the terms of service and click “Create my account.”

Once your account is set up, there are some quick things you should do to enhance your profile:

• Go to your account settings (click the drop down menu in the top right corner once you are logged in).  Then click “Profile.”  Here you can upload your photo, add a URL for your website or blog and enter a short bio.
• Click “Design.” Here you can select one of Twitter’s standard designs for your profile, or (my preference) click “Check out Themeleon” on the right side.  In about five minutes you can create a unique background and color scheme for your Twitter page to make you look like a Twitter PRO.

Once you have your account set up, you’re ready to begin using it in your book promotion efforts!  We’ll talk about how to do that next.