All types of people hang out on Twitter. You can observe personalities and behaviors that range from embarrassing and narcissistic to generous and sublime. It’s like eavesdropping on a thousand conversations at once. And it’s easy to discern temperament from a few simple tweets, because true character shines through. Think about that next time you compose a 140-character sound bite.

Unfortunately, self-published authors are notorious for aggressive book sale tactics on the platform. I get at least one @mention a week from someone who isn’t following me, yet insists I buy their book and RT the message. In fact, as I was writing this post, I received the perfect example of what not to do. Here’s an edited version:

@mollygreene #mystery What do religion, deep sea diving, and pesticides have in common? Find out http://amzn.link Please RT

You do realize this is spam, right? Twitter is not a direct-sale platform, and Twitter rules call foul “If you send large numbers of unsolicited @replies or @mentions in an aggressive attempt to bring attention to a service or link.” That means repeatedly tweeting or DMing a high-pressure request to visit your blog (instead of simply providing valuable content), like your Facebook page, or buy your book (with link) is not only deeply annoying, it can get your Twitter account suspended.

What’s the answer? Be a resource. Tweet value. Add to the conversation. Share excellent content. Shine the light on others. Give. Give. Give. Be a giver, not a taker.

Why? Because spamming with hashtags, tweeting about who has unfollowed you, begging for retweets, bragging about your social authority, demanding follows, insisting people pay attention to your blog content – all these behaviors will just irritate folks or get you blocked.

Here are examples of tweets you should never send:

Thanks for the follow @joesmith! Visit my Facebook page (or blog) and like me (subscribe) there, too: www.bloglink (and buy my book!) Looking for a great read @joesmith? Buy my book: http://amzn.link Free today! #Free #Kindle #eBook #Giveaway #YoullLoveIt #BestNovelEver #MustRead #RT Nice blog post @joesmith, now here’s mine – read and retweet: www.bloglink Why did you block me @joesmith? @joesmith just unfollowed me. I just followed you – follow me back now. Wow! I just got my 10,000th follower. How cool am I? (I tweeted about my followers when I reached 1,000 and someone told me to shut up – harsh but point well taken, lol!) Klout just told me I’m a trendsetter. Just so you all know (insert smily face) Yaaaaay, me! Your recent list of fabulous blogs should include mine: www.bloglink

Note from Molly: Check out my novels on Amazon, join my Reader’s Club for freebies and book news, and follow me on Twitter. This original content is copyright protected. Thank you so much. Mwah!