I could probably have 30,000 Twitter followers right now. Instead I have about 2,600.  Why? Because I tend to actually look at a person's Tweets before following them back, in some attempt to decide if they are a bot, a spammer, or someone who hates bacon. Okay, the last is negotiable, as long as they don't hate people who love bacon.

I follow about 2,200 people. Can I read every Tweet by every person? No. But by using lists and tools such at Tweetdeck (my preference), Hootsuite, or others, it become manageable to at least get a sampling of what a large number of people are Tweeting. And following someone back also allows them to send you a direct message, which many of my followers have--and vice versa.

But let me get to the heart of this post. I have a pretty strong belief that if you are a writer, and you want to use Twitter to expand your exposure to potential readers, the absolute worst thing you can do is continually try to sell your product--books, stories, whatever. An occasional Tweet about your books is fine, and I don't have any idea what a ratio of promo to other content should be. I personally don't care. Because my main focus on Twitter is this: having fun.

Yes. I use Social Media to have a good time.

I mention my books on occasion, and those of others I've enjoyed, but the vast majority of my Tweets are just plain conversing. Making jokes. Congratulating someone on an accomplishment. Retweeting something I think others should know. Being goofy. Bugging @LarryEnright about boating in his front yard. Feigning shock when @elliesoderstrom implies I am old. Mocking lutefisk with @dougdorow. Teasing @lmstull about her ability to cram 40 hours of activity into a 24 hour day.

These are a few of the people I interact with on Twitter. They're not prospective customers. I consider them friends. I'd love to meet them in person someday and share stories over a plate of bacon donuts. And the funny thing is, they're among my biggest supporters. They want to see me succeed, just as I want to see them succeed.

Twitter isn't a billboard--it's a cocktail party. Countless conversations bubbling on no matter which way you turn. And just like a cocktail party, how would you feel if, in the middle of sharing a story with a friend, someone walked up and said, 'Oh, that's so funny. Did you know my book 'Negative Zero' is on sale right now?' And then you watch them walk away and do the same to the next group of people conversing. And the next. There's nothing 'social' about that.

So what's my point? No different than the same point made by others before me. If you think of Twitter as a tool only to sell, maybe you'll succeed. For a while. I'd rather build relationships with people who are encouraging, funny, and, above all else, real.