MathiasCavanaugh.com

Every day I get new followers on Twitter.  I do follow back most (>50%), but I don’t follow back many for various reasons.  Here are the 10 most likely reasons you didn’t get a follow back.

10. You’re a political hack who likes to spout off your ignorant, unresearched, unfounded thoughts on a regular basis.  Note: I’m not on Twitter to listen to such things.
9. You’re obviously just collecting Twitter followers as some sort of meaningless trophy to boost your ego (I.e. you follow 100K people and have 100K followers)
8. A look at your recent history shows you only talk about yourself, don’t RT, or converse with others.
7. Your tweets or profile make it clear you think that Christians are evil, brainwashed people.
6. You tweet 300x an hour, 20 hours a day.
5. The only thing you tweet about is SEO.
4. Your twitter icon is essentially porn.
3. Not only did you follow me, but you immediately sent me a DM making sure I know it and asking when I am going to “return the favor”.
2. Every tweet you make is “Buy my [book/product]”
1. NOTHING you say interests me.

Face it. There are certain authors that are THOSE kind of authors. The question is, are you one of THOSE kinds of authors.

In case you are wonder what I mean when I say THOSE kind of authors are, I’ll explain. THOSE kind of authors are authors who fawn over every kind bit of praise they get. They blog, tweet, and facebook every glowing “5 Star Review”. But THOSE kind of authors also do something else. They feel the need to attack anyone who doesn’t like their work, even if it is a legitimate opinion. Just like they blog, tweet, and facebook with pride about how much people loved what they wrote, THOSE kinds of authors also blog, tweet, and facebook attacks on people who don’t like their work and dare to not give it glowing praise.

Read more…

I spent some time in advertising.  I also have spent a lot of time selling my own products.  Over the course of those many years I have learned one thing, brute force publicity rarely works.

What do I mean by “brute force publicity”?  Simple.  I mean beating your potential clients over the head repeatedly with your message to the point where it becomes annoying.

Yes, it is true that one of the rules of selling is to ingrain your message in the heads of potential customers.  But, doing so to the point where they tune you out is bad. Read more…

Ah, yes, Twitter.  140 characters to say whatever it is that is on your mind.  But are you guilty of any of these five major Twitter fails?  Maybe it is time to rethink your life.

1. Demanding someone follow you in order for you to follow them.

Really?  You have so little that is interesting to say that you have to bribe people to follow you?  Shame.

2. Following someone, waiting for them to follow you, and then unfollowing them.

Can’t drum up followers any other way huh? Read more…

Ok, let’s get a few things straight shall we?

I do not exist on Twitter to please you

There seems to be a common misconception among some, perhaps many, on Twitter that other people exist to please and serve them.  This is simply not true when it comes to me.  I am not on Twitter to specifically help you out.  This does not mean that I won’t help you out mind you.  It simply means that it is not my primary duty.

The best way to get me to retweet one of your tweets is to tweet something interesting

Look, I know you want to promote your book(s).  Some of you REALLY promote the heck out of them.  Kudos!  But if every Tweet you make is just another schleping of your book then I’m not really going to be all that enthused to hit the little retweet button.

Constantly begging for a retweet does not make me more interested in retweeting something

I get it!  You want a retweet!  Retweets mean mentions and mentions means more popularity.  We all want that.  But honestly?  Constantly opening your Tweets with requests for retweets makes you look desperate.  And I still only retweet when I find something interesting so the begging doesn’t help.

Just because you follow me does not mean I will follow you back

There is a sizable community on Twitter who feel, with all their heart, that just because they follow someone, said someone must follow them back.  I have heard these sorts of people refer to those who don’t automatically follow them back as “Twitter snobs”, implying that these sorts think they are too good for other people.  I find this however as simply an excuse they make for not being popular enough to warrent tons of people following them without reciprication.  These people are upset that they just cannot come up with something interesting to say to make people want to follow them.  Look, I do follow back a lot of people who follow me, especially if you are fellow author.

Yes, I MIGHT actually be interested in reading your latest book

If you write High/Epic Fantasy it is possible that I might be interested in reading your latest book.  Sci-fi too.  But, here’s the thing, I’m an author myself who also works a day job and has a family.  Plus I already read quite a lot.  Ok, now you understand why I probably can’t?  Want to know the best way to get me to read your book?  Have an audio version of it available.  I know most people don’t, but with 2 hours to kill every day during a commute that is my time to read and audio books make it much, much easier on me.

If you ask for a review, I will only give honest reviews

Warning!  Warning!  If you ask me to read your book, short story, or whatever and review it, I will give an honest review.  I don’t like people who blow smoke up my ass and I don’t blow smoke up other people’s asses either.  Over the years, people have commented to me how much better my writing has gotten.  You know how it got better?  It got better because when something was wrong and sucked people told  If you don’t want an honest book review don’t ask for one at all.

I don’t follow Twitter spammers

If you make 100 Tweets a day and each one of them is for the purpose of telling me how great your latest e-book is or a plea to buy it, I probably won’t follow you back.  But I do look at your recent tweets and see if you are saying anything other than “BUY MY BOOK!” in them before I click that follow button.

I’m sorry if you get offended by something I Tweet

But let’s get one thing straight.  I am not sorry I Tweeted it.  I am just sorry for you that you were offended by it.  Just click unfollow and go on your merry way.