There’s a blogger/writer I love to read, named Rachel Thompson. She’s now also blogging for the Huffington Post, and she was one of the very first people I followed when I signed up for Twitter.

She is a firm advocate for writers using social media WISELY.

What is social media about, at the end of the day? It’s about relationships.

When I can’t sleep past 3:00 a.m., I can always find a fellow poet online so she and I can chat while she’s heading towards bed in Australia. What was once impersonal – news reports, individual journeys and triumphs and tragedies – becomes a picture of connection. We are not here as salespeople, putting a foot in the proverbial door and trying to force someone to buy our books. We are here to connect.

Those connections become relationships, friendships, or springboards for thinking. It’s all there for those willing to invest something that is necessary for every relationship: time and communication. Consistently plugging your own book isn’t the way to influence people. Instead, allow yourself to be influenced, learn about the people you follow, and please – if nothing else – allow yourself to experience new writers and new stories through this amazing platform.

I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: were it not for Twitter and bloggers, I would have missed so many incredible writers while I was waiting for them to hit the “mainstream” and pop up onto my radar.

For those of us who love the written word, social media is an incredible gift. Treat it with gratitude, and have a conversation with someone new. That’s the most important part of the journey.

Blessings to you all…