Today those who follow J.K. Rowling on Twitter saw the author send out a tweet which was very similar to the 7 previous.
Honestly, her Twitter account is boring. In fact, it’s the most boring Twitter account of any author on the planet. That’s unacceptable when you’re the writer of the greatest series of all time. As Hypable reader Francisco said to me on Facebook, “I find it so odd that a literary genius like Jo cannot came up with more creative tweets.”
Right on. So here are 7 ways she could easily make it magical.
1) ‘Harry Potter’ Quote of the Week
Simply give us one of your favorite quotes out of your own writing. Fans will reminisce and it’ll probably inspire them to read your books again.
2) Plug a part of your Harry Potter fandom
While you’re working on your next project, plug the fans who are tirelessly keeping the Harry Potter fandom alive and well. Plug online outlets like COS Forums, MuggleCast, or LeakyCon. Tweet photos of fan art that comes in the mail. Share a story of meeting a fan.
3) Reveal one new Potter fact a month
If you shared one new piece of information from the Harry Potter world on a regular basis, fans would go nuts. They’d eat it up. These could even be small tidbits (since you only have 140 characters). All you have to do is make sure we’ve never heard it before.
4) Host a fan Q&A
Ask fans to @ you with questions they may have about Potter, your interests, etc. Yes, you’ll get a ton of questions. But it’s easy to sort through them and reply to the ones you want.
5) Live tweet a Potter film
This is the most time consuming one, but fans would love it. While one of the films is airing on one of those great UK television channels, tweet comments and behind-the-scenes info about the film as you’re watching it. Fans in the UK can follow along. Fans elsewhere can figure out where you are in the story based on what you’re talking about.
6) Tweet what book, artist, or film you’re currently obsessed with
These are simple tweets to send out. If you tweet about what book you’re currently reading, not only will you help boost book sales at struggling stores but you’ll also get people of all ages reading again. Your recommendation is a huge motivator.
7) Offer more specific teases of what you’re working on
What’s the harm in telling us if one of your projects is a new book or something based on Potter? Or is it just Pottermore that you’re working on? Small hints would be welcomed and get fans excited. Anything other than “pen and paper are my priority.” It was clever the first time, but not anymore.
With the exception of items 4 and 5, all of these would take very little time and not interfere with Rowling’s writing time. What other ways could Rowling use her Twitter to make it magical?