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.

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.

Location: Tweet House

Friday, January 22nd

Reception

I’ll be signing copies of 140 Characters: A Style Guide for the Short Form, and demonstrating Square, the revolutionary new payments system from the inventor of Twitter, Jack Dorsey.

Saturday, January 23rd

Celebrity Tweetup for Haiti

I’ll be taking donations straight to Haiti via Square.

Sunday, January 24th

Twitter: Past, Present, and Future

To visualize the future of Twitter, one need only examine the lessons of history. A part of its inception, Dom Sagolla tells the story of Twitter’s humble beginnings and the lessons learned along the way.

A compelling vision for the future of short messaging concludes this talk, influenced by experience traveling across the US and abroad in recent months in support of Dom’s book “140 Characters: A Style Guide for the Short Form.”

Monday, January 24th

Snowboarding

Hitting the slopes of Park City with the folks from Tweet House. You’re welcome to join us!

Tweet your first impressions by replying to @bookapp and have your writing appear in the App all week. As new readers emerge, we make a special effort to follow, retweet, and list them on Twitter.

In addition, you may comment from within the App by tapping at the bottom of each Chapter. Here’s a great quote from one of our readers, @SteveElder:

Thinking that the simple/small act of choosing this as my first read of 2010 was a great choice, and will shape the remainder my year.

Thanks, Apple! Stay tuned for an update to the Book text.

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.

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.

I enjoyed speaking with Henry Tenenbaum on Sunday morning.

I see the future following the model of the past, which is: we started out with this SMS application.

Thank you, @HenryTen and @KRON4News for a great experience!

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.

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!

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.