Twitter Guide For Authors & Illustrators > Twitter Etiquette > Is it ok for me to send an editor/art director/agent a DM?
Index of topics: Main Twitter Guide For Writers & Illustrators page. To go back to my blog for kidlit/YA writers and illustrators, see Inkygirl. You can find me on Twitter at @inkyelbows (focus: writing and illustrating children's books) and @DebbieOhi (livetweets, chat, photos, personal ramblings). Also see my list of Other Useful Twitter Guides For Authors And Illustrators and Twitter Lists of: agents who represent kidlit/YA, kidlit/YA editors, children's book art/creative directors and K-12/teen librarians on Twitter.
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Q. Is it ok for me to send an editor/art director/agent a DM?
If this is your first contact, I'd advise against it.
Why?
Because:
1) Chances are good they won't see it.
2) Even if they do see it, it's HIGHLY unlikely they will click any links (like your portfolio) since that's a tactic spammers use.
3) Depending on the person on the receiving end, using a Twitter DM for first contact may come across as unprofessional.
Exceptions:
If the person explicitly tells you send them a DM. I very rarely see invites of this sort, however, mainly because anyone who follows and is followed by a fair number of people is likely to have an inbox overflowing with auto-DMs.
Overall, Twitter is NOT the place for pitching to publishers, editors, agents or art directors unless they say it's ok. Even then, it's usually a "For the next 30 minutes, I'll read your one-tweet pitch" limited-time offer.
Last updated on February 26, 2014 by Debbie Ridpath Ohi