Jimmy Fallon, Twitter and book recommendations (and some Twitter tips for authors and publishers)

Earlier this week, late night talk show host Jimmy Fallon posted the following on Twitter:

A few minutes later:

Note the smart use of a hashtag, enabling others to browse book suggestions as well. Then he posted his updated list:

I love this. 😀 And I’ve added a few books to my wish list as a result.

Then Michael Ian Black (author of I’M BORED, the picture book I illustrated last year for Simon & Schuster BFYR) and some of his Twitter followers suggested to Jimmy that he should buy Michael’s book, YOU’RE NOT DOING IT RIGHT. If I had been online at that point, I would have been tweeting as well — I *love* that book.

Anyway, it worked:

Jimmy Fallon may not be the first talk show host you think of when looking for book recommendations, but the exchange above -and especially the books he ended up choosing- made me more curious about the books that he’s written himself (including a picture book!) as well as admire his Twitter savvy, including:

— He knows how to engage his audience.

— He used a unique hashtag to make it easier for his followers to see the rest of the conversation.

— He uses images in his tweets to add visual interest and variety.

Even if you’re not a famous talk show host, there’s a lot that publishers and authors can learn from the exchange above. For more tips on using Twitter, see my Writer’s Guide To Twitter.