What you’re holding in your hands is a set of guidelines. A collection of protocols which describe an approach to another protocol, something we call Twitter.

The amazing thing about this particular protocol is that it’s being defined daily. By you. Twitter was inspired by the concepts of immediacy, transparency, and approachability, and created by the guiding principles of simplicity, constraint, and craftsmanship. We started small. We built something out of love and a desire to see it flourish throughout the world. We defined a mere 1 percent of what Twitter is today. The remaining 99 percent has been, and will continue to be, created by the millions of people who make this medium their own, tweet by tweet.

I leave you now in the capable hands of a documentarian, storyteller, and practitioner of a new protocol of communication. Listen, learn, and most importantly, define it for yourself.

-Jack Dorsey Creator, Co-founder, and Chairman of Twitter, Inc.
San Francisco

Foreword to the book 140 Characters: A style guide for the short form (2009, Wiley). Available wherever books are sold, and on iTunes App Store.

The following is an excerpt from 140 Characters, page 9.

There’s the story you wanna tell, and the story a reporter wants to hear, and somewhere in between is the story that gets told.

-@realizing

Real reporting can take place within social networks. There are two key principles to remember.

First: Public Twitter and Facebook updates are a part of the permanent record, and all searchable content is fair game for journalists.

Second: A direct relationship with your social sphere is fundamental; keep it independent of the media outlet that employs you.

Keep your professional identity as a reporter independent and portable because jobs can come and go. You will want to retain your readers during times of change.

Additional caveats apply to journalism. This list is not comprehensive, but is rooted in experience with corporate blogging and investigative reporting.

Ten tips, in order of importance:

1. Own your smartphone and a great set of mobile apps.
2. Determine your employer’s social networking policy. If they don’t have one, write up a policy of your own and submit it.
3. Check sources and attribute-[shakes fist] check sources!
4. Think twice before posting: once for your source and once for your editor.
5. One drunken, angry tweet could ruin you.
   

   some things can’t be said in under 140 characters. especially after some champagne.

   -@jack

6. Jokes can almost always be taken the wrong way; expect this.
7. Never discuss a story before its time, or tweet about something before it happens.
8. Be as clear as possible with your sources about when you expect your story to post so they know when and how to promote it.
9. Avoid writing about colleagues or the workplace.
10. Follow other journalists: @jennydeluxe, @michaelbfarrell, @mat, and the rest.

“Oh look, I sent you a link.” “Oh, I sent you a link, too.” “That’s great, we’re journalists!”

-@mantia

You think you want to be a Twitter journalist? You’ll need to check your facts, provide a truly unique perspective, and most of all lead with action. Do this with fairness, accuracy, and more than a single source, and you will always have a job.

Excerpt from 140 Characters: A Style Guide for the Short Form, page 18.

How many microscopic adjustments are made to a sculpture before it is complete? How many stitches go into a fine garment? This is the level of awareness you must achieve: down to the individual character.

!
-case

Judge your simplicity by skimming your words.

Your readers will skim it. They will misunderstand it. They will even repost it, having skimmed it and misunderstood it. Expect this, plan for it, optimize for it.

Get ready to say it once. Or, get ready to say it wrong, delete and repost really quickly. If you’re lucky, no one will notice your mistake except the search engine. Limit yourself even further than the constraint requires, and then having the extra freedom will seem like a luxury.

Yahoo! was generous enough to donate their venue for last Summer’s iPhone Developer Camp. During the event, I was finishing the last chapters of 140 Characters.

To follow up on that experience, Yahoo! visited my office for a Developer Spotlight on the history of iPhoneDevCamp, Twitter, my book, and the iPhone App.

I met Tracy Sheridan at Lunch For Good, where she bought a copy of 140 Characters using Square. It was still in private Alpha then, so when it launched I met her again. This time at Sightglass Coffee & Roastery.

Here’s a clip of us using Square to sell Tracy her second copy of 140 Characters:

We also talked about the beginnings of Twitter, the genesis of the book 140 Characters, and the book iPhone App. Also included are some thoughts on being a Square merchant.

Thanks Tracy for capturing this.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Co-creator of Twitter Dom Sagolla releases 140 Characters for iPhone and iPod touch, a new form of hypertext book continuously updated with fresh content.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA: 140 Characters, A Style Guide for the Short Form has been released worldwide via the iTunes App Store. Distinctly different from the Kindle edition, the text has been updated and expanded with an additional chapter and exclusive multimedia features.

• Regular updates to the Hypertext Book, with In-App Browser.
• Read-only Twitter client with hooks into the mobile version of Twitter.com.
• Comments and Copy/Paste throughout.

Read the work as it was originally intended, as a companion to the text edition published by John Wiley & Sons.

See a brief demonstration of the App.

140 Characters demo from Dom Sagolla on Vimeo.

Press Resources for the App

press@140characters.com
415-287-7775
http://140characters.com

In 140 Characters or less, the App:

The Full Mention
@Dom’s @BookApp 140 Characters for iPhone & iPod touch, a hypertext book continuously updated with fresh content. http://j.mp/140-t

The Big Mention
@Dom’s @BookApp 140 Characters for iPhone & iPod touch. http://j.mp/140-t

The Short Mention
@BookApp 140 Characters for iPhone. http://j.mp/140-t

The Tiny Mention
@Dom’s @BookApp http://j.mp/140-t

The Nano Mention
@BookApp http://j.mp/140-t

The Landing Page
http://dom.net/1

Facts.

Shipped: November 18, 2009.
Publisher: DollarApp
Rating: 9+

The App icon code.

<a href=”http://j.mp/140-web” title=”140 Characters App Icon by Sagolla, on Flickr”><img src=”http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2638/3988595268_ea3b582f88_t.jpg” width=”100″ height=”100″ alt=”140 Characters App Icon” /></a>

Press Resources for the Book

Same as for the App, except:

The Full Mention
@thebook by @Dom Sagolla. 140 Characters: A Style Guide for the Short Form. http://j.mp/140-chars

The Big Mention
@thebook by @Dom Sagolla. 140 Characters http://j.mp/140-chars

The Short Mention
@thebook 140 Characters by @Dom http://j.mp/140-chars

The Tiny Mention
@thebook by @Dom http://j.mp/140-chars

The Nano Mention
@thebook http://j.mp/140-chars

The Amazon
http://j.mp/140-chars

The Borders
http://j.mp/140-chbo

The B&N
http://j.mp/140-chbn

The List
http://j.mp/140-list

Facts.

Ship Date: October 12, 2009.
Publisher: Wiley
ISBN: 0470556137

The book jacket code.

<a href=”http://j.mp/140-chars” title=”140 Characters in 3D by Sagolla, on Flickr”><img src=”http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2440/4009911664_f49ae378a1_m.jpg” width=”175″ height=”240″ alt=”140 Characters in 3D” /></a>

Thanks for blogging, linking, tweeting, emailing, and generally promoting this work.

The Hypertext Edition of “140 Characters” is a new book format that is constantly updated with fresh content.

Twitter Co-creator Dom Sagolla covers all the basics of great short- form writing, including the importance of communicating with simplicity, honesty, and humor.

This is the first writing guide specifically dedicated to communicating with the succinctness and clarity that the Internet age requires.

“A code of honor for the new way of doing business.”
-@24kLogos

• The equivalent of Strunk and White’s Elements of Style for today’s social media & marketing messages
• Inspiring quotations from comedy to poetry from some of the best writers
• The authoritative approach to Twitter, written by its creators to include other social networks like pure text messaging

“The book is awesome, but the app is sexy.”
-@atebits

140 Characters is a much-needed guide to the kind of communication that can make or break a reputation online.

“This is game-changing.”
-@schwa

Features:
1. Built-in Web browser, with Bookmark

2. Regular updates to the text
3. Integrated Twitter streams of all 140 “characters” to follow

4. Additional Video and Photo content

The text is also supports Copy/Paste throughout.

Even if you have the Kindle edition, this condensed and updated text will provide the freshest reading experience. Tune in to the @bookapp Twitter account for the latest developments.

Keywords: Twitter, Facebook, social, networking, writing, book, links, lead, value, master, evolve, accelerate.

Now Available in the iTunes App Store.

As co-founder of iPhone Developer’s Camp, I maintain contact with developer communities all over the world. One very passionate group has formed in the Netherlands, and has invited me to help organize and speak during two great events. The first is a daylong hackathon:

iPhoneDevCamp Amsterdam

November 25th, 2009

11am-4pm (with lunch break)

Westergasfabriek

Attendance Max: 200 people

Sponsored by One More Thing and PayPal

The second is a two-day conference:

iCE Amsterdam

November 26-27, 2009

Westergasfabriek
Session entitled “The Dollar App” on the 26th

Session entitled “Market Your App Through Social Media” on the 27th

We’ll have books on site for purchase and I’ll be signing them throughout the week. In addition, we are reaching out to the larger iPhoneDevCamp Netherlands community—especially students—with a special offer:

All students or iPhoneDevCamp.nl alumni who join us at iPhoneDevCamp Amsterdam on the 25th may attend iCE Amsterdam for 75.00€, incl. VAT (a discount of 470.00€). In addition, all qualifying registrants will receive a free copy of 140 Characters: A Style Guide for the Short Form with their purchase. Simply comment here or email the organizers to identify yourself.

I’m very excited to visit Amsterdam for the first time with my wife Meredith, and Hypertext Edition coders Jonathan Wight & Mike Lee, among other excellent presenters. We do hope to broadcast a portion of the proceedings so stay tuned for more information as the date approaches.

Update: Check out this video of me explaining the book 140 Characters, entertaining because I confuse a metonym with a charactonym.

Dom Sagolla, a Co-creator of Twitter Shares His Style Guide for the Short Form
Special Event with author of 140 Characters.

Hosted by Lara Feltin & Warren Etheredge

Where: Seattle, Washington

When: Tuesday, December 1 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM

Event description

The Biznik Innovators Series connects independent business people with some of the most premier innovative thought leaders published today in a swank downtown venue (with complimentary wine). When the authors visit Seattle, we find innovative ways to celebrate their books, while providing you with a unique networking opportunity.

The engaging Warren Etheredge, of The Warren Report, will lead an intimate and entertaining on-stage conversation with the author that takes the entire event up a notch.

In addition…

Before and after networking with the author and other guests in an intimate setting at the elegant Pan Pacific Hotel.

• Sip complimentary award-winning wines from Erath Wineries & Chateau Ste. Michelle (yep, FREE)
• Enjoy savory nibbles prepared by Seastar Restaurant & Raw Bar on the house
• AND in addition to the wine & appetizers, a copy of the book, signed for you by the author after the interview, is included in the ticket cost.

VIEW VIDEO (1:33) about the Innovators Series.

Special thanks to Kim Ricketts for her organizational powers. I’ll see you in Seattle!

Review copies have shipped, and now 140 Characters: A Style Guide for the Short Form will be appearing in stores across the US and Canada.

Look for it, snap a picture, and post it here! Once you’ve read it, please post a review to Amazon, Borders, or Barnes & Noble.

Don’t forget: in one week I’ll be speaking in San Francisco and signing books.

• Tuesday October 20, 2009
• 7:00pm
• BookShop West Portal
• 80 West Portal Ave.
• San Francisco, CA 94127
• Get Directions

Meanwhile, enjoy a wonderful review of the book from Tucker Bradford.