Is this why nobody is replying/following me tweets?

[Mona Realm]

A week ago I created a private twitter account, followed a few people and replied to their tweets. I don't have a single follower or mention! Is it because my profile is private?

[Karla]

No. You can still get a mention from other people even if your account is private. Maybe they just didn't reply to your tweet. If your account is private, and people wanted to follow you, you will receive a confirmation notification saying that there is someone who wants to follow you and it's up to you if you want them to see your private tweets.