Blogging undoubtedly opened up bountiful opportunities for professional writers, aspirant writers and other literary professionals andstudents.With Twitter as microblogging’s bright blue headliner, the platform provided even more potential. No matter one’s bookish bent, the 140-character phenomenon connects writers, agents, librarians, publishers, editors and others eager to spread written word love. This list, for the sake of variety, includes a little bit of all these professions, with focus mainly on authors from across different media and genres.
Please keep in mind that entrants are not ranked in any order, so there’s no need to freak out over the numbering. Or even over exclusions or inclusions. After all…literature is very subjective. And so are internet listings. Just calm down, grab a soothing drink and hopefully learn something from one or more of these notable Twitter feeds.
Please keep in mind that entrants are not ranked in any order, so there’s no need to freak out over the numbering. Or even over exclusions or inclusions. After all…literature is very subjective. And so are internet listings. Just calm down, grab a soothing drink and hopefully learn something from one or more of these notable Twitter feeds.
Mat Johnson: University of Houston professor and author of the acclaimedPym tweets sophisticated, whip-smart and witty observations on everything from writing to politics to daily phenomena.
Christopher Moore: Irreverent writer Christopher Moore, known for his Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal humorous takes on the horror genre, keeps a very funny feed.
Maya Angelou: She may not update much (or have a verification seal), but this sterling former Poet Laureate and powerful activist, memoirist and educatory still commands a right fair amount of social media respect.
Saul Williams: Saul Williams masterfully blends poetry and music (usually hip-hop) for amazing slam performances; his published works still contain the same punch. Follow his Twitter for writing snippets and information on upcoming projects.
William Gibson: Of course one of cyberpunk’s progenitors would make his way to Twitter! William Gibson is generous with retweets and replies, but he does talk about his own work as well as things piquing his interest.
James Lileks: The former journalist and front man of the Institute of Official Cheer delivers his signature mix of gleeful, campy kitsch and pop culture commentary in 140 characters or less.
Chuck Palahniuk: Watch the acclaimed Fight Club author’s Twitter for the latest updates on appearances and projects, as well as some thoughts and fan interaction.
Warren Ellis: Even tweeps who’ve never once scanned a Warren Ellis book, comic, essay, article or blog post still follow his feed; he’s just that hilariously absurd, intelligent and profane.
Neil Gaiman: Neil Gaiman’s willingness to write for kids, young adults and adults alike nets him a massive fanbase; his prodigious talents keep them hanging on to his every tweet — and he certainly keeps an incredibly active space!
Doug Coupland: Most of the Generation X and Hey, Nostradamus! writer’s feed is occupied with brief thoughts and the occasional link.
Stephen Fry: Although known mainly as a comedic actor, Stephen Fry also happens to be an acclaimed author and mental health awareness activist — one with a beautifully funny, provocative Twitter.
Hugo Schwyzer: The Pasadena City College professor of gender studies and history is a prolific feminist and sociological commentator with an amazing oeuvre. His feed makes articles and insights quickly accessible for changemakers on the go.
Mignon Fogarty: Grammar Girl herself keeps a Twitter, carrying over the informative content found on her blog and in her podcast and books.
Paulo Coelho: With tweets in both Brazilian Portuguese and English, the celebrated, prolific Paulo Coelho uses his social media skills to touch a broad range of fans.
Arianna Huffington: Understandably, most of the publishing and media giantess’ tweets mostly have to do with politics and culture rather than writing and reading.
Susan Orlean: Literary Renaissance woman Susan Orlean’s bio pretty much says it all — "Writer. Writer. Writer. Oh, I also write." She stays exceptionally active on her microblog, interacting well with peers and covering a wide spectrum of subjects.
Augusten Burroughs: Twitter allows fans to step into the life of this popular memoirist, learning more about his projects and personal thoughts.
Chris Anderson: As the editor-in-chief of Wired, the incredibly popular Chris Anderson stands at the forefront of new media, science and technology journalism — a fact reflected right there in his feed.
Margaret Atwood: Critically-lauded, award-winning The Handmaid’s Taleauthor Margaret Atwood loves herself some retweets, but she also manages to slip talks about her own views, projects and events as well.
Amy Tan: Despite being one of the least active Twitters listed here, it still remains a nice little peek into the life of beloved The Joy Luck Club scribe.
Anne Rice: Individuals digging on the vampire genre know Anne Rice very well, and her feed mostly consists of links to political, religious and literary reads.
Jessica Valenti: Whether she writes books, articles, essays or even social media blurbs, this fierce activist brings feminism and women’s rights issues to the forefront of daily discussion.
R.L. Stein: Readers beware, you’re in for a scare…y amount of discussion from a super popular young adult horror author, as the Goosebumps guru posts quite a bit of interesting things up on Twitter.
Bruce Sterling: Considering the bevy of bots, spammers and "social media experts" plaguing Twitter, cyberpunk master Bruce Sterling understandably keeps his postings protected — but he’s certainly generous about who can read them, with well over 15,200 followers.
Maria Schneider: Once the editor-in-chief of Writer’s Digest, busy Maria Schneider now dedicates most of her time to social media and its intersections with literature and information.
Wil Wheaton: Geek culture upholds Wil Wheaton up as a god of Whedonian proportions, embracing his writings on sexy, sexy nerdery.
John Cleese: Not only did John Cleese revolutionize sketch comedy, he also happens to fire off some gut-busting essays, talks and absolutely essential tweets.
Bill Simmons: ESPN.com’s Sports Guy utterly proves that even niche writers can still heavily contribute to the literary and journalism scene — and obviously not just on the preeminent microblog site, either!
Nathan Rabin: Nathan Rabin is one of America’s sharpest pop culture analysts and critics, a sentiment he conveys on The A.V. Club, in his books and via Twitter.
Oliver de la Paz: This award-winning poet and educator has 3 poetry books to his credit thus far and promotes writing programs and Asian-American literature. Follow his feed for regular coverage on all these subjects and more!
Jeffrey Koterba: A real creative jack-of-all-trades, Jeffrey Koterba’s work encompasses memoir and cartooning alike, both of which he talks about on his microblog, among other topics.
Phil Plait: Science writing aficionados flock to the Bad Astronomer’s Discover Magazine blog, Twitter and talks for accessible insight into how the world works.
LeVar Burton: LeVar Burton’s venerable Reading Rainbow series inspired an entire generation of children to explore subjects they love and "take a look." While not a literary figure in the same sense as some of the others listed here, his impressive efforts and activism remain essential to the cause.
Christian Bok: Follow this Twitter feed for quips and insights into experimental poetry, the arts and other related subject matter.
Chuck Klosterman: Most of Chuck Klosterman’s bibliography consists of books and essays about American pop culture, and his microblog unsurprisingly follows suit.
P.F. Anderson: Librarians are essential to literary success, and following popular ones like this active, intelligent emerging technology specialist shed considerable insight into their work.
Debra Snider: A novelist, business writer, speaker and former lawyer and executive offers up some recognized fiction and nonfiction works for consideration — although her tweets run the gamut from photography to movies and plenty of other topics.
Caroline Smailes: Caroline Smailes’ Twitter feed doesn’t always cover writing and editing — her two areas of expertise — but it still makes for an informative, well-rounded read.
Tao Lin: Prolific poet, essayist and Vice columnist and cartoonist Tao Lin tweets some interesting observations and links to various works.
Mo Willems: Fans of The Pigeon and Knuffle Bunny big and small will certainly find their creator’s Twitter a delightful way to stay on top of his latest happenings.
Jason Allen Ashlock: Readers nursing a love of new media and literature alike will love the Moveable Type Literary Group, fronted by the man who shares his knowledge on this feed.
Pete Beatty and Peter Ginna: Two Bloomsbury Press employees (an editor and publisher, respectively) open up about their latest offerings and grant brief insight into their corner of the literary world.
Hamish MacDonald: Hamish MacDonald hosts the DIY Book podcast, most of his entire internet presence to talking writing, publishing, binding and plenty more.
Judy O’Connell: This eclectic Twitter covers a nice spectrum of literary topics, from writing to libraries to new media to education — and all that sits between them.
Samiya Bashir: Follow Samiya Bashir for some neat peeks into her poetry, prose and own personal take on life and writing.
Anne Mazer: With 44 (and counting!) young adult and children’s books, Anne Mazer certainly has plenty of things to say about writing and publishing — even with the 140 character limit.
Julie Crisp: A crime, science fiction and fantasy editor at Tor UK keeps readers posted about the latest publications, answering questions and promoting all 3 genres.
Laurie Abkemeier: Agent Obvious keeps her Twitter feed packed with information about working as a literary agent and other news from the book world’s business end.
Beverly J. Raffaele: Working in both of the titular professions, Bevery J. Raffaele heads up the internet-based Artist’s and Writer’s Magazine.
Eve Ensler: Passionate author of The Vagina Monologues Eve Ensler focuses largely on women’s and human rights issues here, reflecting a common thematic thread in her works.
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Story by Emma Taylor
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