You want to make a good impression and be relatable as a person wherever it is you happen to write. Any monetary profit should be a secondary consideration. And like you said, make sure it connects to the kind of things you usually write or make or do.
One of the next most common laments I see is "why is no one reading my work?" and you've nailed the answer here; people come online to either be informed or entertained. If you can do both you're 90% of the way home. If you cannot, you're dead in the water. And if you're known for X, but often write about Y, you're in that same boat.
My Substack covers music from a fan perspective, but my career is in aviation. If I started writing about planes, I think I'd lose most readers.
A shot in the arm for me. I should be writing more about why I love writing thrillers/psychological thrillers and how to write them, instead of writing about other topics. Thank you!
Ten stories and 100 registered followers. It took me less than two weeks to qualify. The good bit is that you get paid whether the followers are registered or not as long as they click on your story. The bad bit is that until you're approved for monetization, you don't earn anything and it's not retroactive.
They weight stories differently as to how much you earn. Local stories make more money than evergreen stuff. Subject matter and engagement also impact how much you get paid. So far, I have 36 stories, 58,000 reads (they call them views). What Medium calls views they call impressions. I have 954,000 of those. So, at least a lot of people are seeing my stuff and getting an opportunity to read it, unlike Medium.
Hey Linda, I love the vivid examples you shared! Yeah they would have to write about things relevant to the thing we want to sell, and I like the daisy venn diagram analogy.
Can we make a case for nicheless bloggers, though? For instance, a very popular nicheless writer on Medium I follow, is Sally Prag. She has tons of engagement on pretty much everything she writes. While she writes mostly personal essays, they're on many different topics. I'm not necessarily interested in all of those topics, but I know she writes very well. She can tell a story that's touching, funny, informative, or all of the above. (She's also one of my favorite humorists.)
While she is an amazing writer, I believe a big reason why many of us are loyal readers of her work, is because we love her warm, compassionate, as well as playful and rebellious personality that shines through in her writing. I'm trying to emulate that, where readers like me for my voice and writing style, rather than for specific topics only. But I'm still a beginner trying out these waters, haha. Do you have tips and advice for the nicheless bloggers?
Attention is the currency to exchange knowledge. Our discipline to focus on others’ problems is the outlet for our personal experiences to share solutions and resources.
I get lot more reads, that’s for sure. I qualified for monetization about four weeks ago but I haven’t been approved yet. Until then I won’t know if what I’m writing is profitable. I thought maybe since Medium is favoring publications again that my problem was self-publishing so I started submitting to them. It makes no difference. I suspect the algorithm favors writers newer to the platform. It’s like the drug dealer who gives you a taste for free until you’re hooked and then makes you pay. I’m barely covering my subscription these days.
There's an indie author whose fiction I don't like (I tried two of her novels, both were DNFs) but I stay subscribed to her email newsletter for the historical anecdotes she shares (her fiction genre is historical fantasy).
Spot on! In marketing, it's called creating your 'ideal customer avatar'. You literally make up a person with a name, interests, a life story, and write as if you're talking to them.
There's also a course from August Birch I'm taking called Content Quickstart. It's a how-to, but it's also lists and templates! He's the Book Mechanic!
Hello! I just rejoined Medium. Since I deactivated my account when I left, I lost all my followers, but that's okay. I hope to reach 100 soon so I can join the Partner Program. Until then, I'll be writing often, sharing stories from my 43 years as a writer/author, and things I find fascinating. Please find me on Medium and follow me! Thanks, Linda
You make a very valid point. I've written several novels but have done practically zero marketing. This article comes at just the right time at the beginning of my own Substack. Thank you.
You want to make a good impression and be relatable as a person wherever it is you happen to write. Any monetary profit should be a secondary consideration. And like you said, make sure it connects to the kind of things you usually write or make or do.
One of the next most common laments I see is "why is no one reading my work?" and you've nailed the answer here; people come online to either be informed or entertained. If you can do both you're 90% of the way home. If you cannot, you're dead in the water. And if you're known for X, but often write about Y, you're in that same boat.
My Substack covers music from a fan perspective, but my career is in aviation. If I started writing about planes, I think I'd lose most readers.
A shot in the arm for me. I should be writing more about why I love writing thrillers/psychological thrillers and how to write them, instead of writing about other topics. Thank you!
Ten stories and 100 registered followers. It took me less than two weeks to qualify. The good bit is that you get paid whether the followers are registered or not as long as they click on your story. The bad bit is that until you're approved for monetization, you don't earn anything and it's not retroactive.
They weight stories differently as to how much you earn. Local stories make more money than evergreen stuff. Subject matter and engagement also impact how much you get paid. So far, I have 36 stories, 58,000 reads (they call them views). What Medium calls views they call impressions. I have 954,000 of those. So, at least a lot of people are seeing my stuff and getting an opportunity to read it, unlike Medium.
Hey Linda, I love the vivid examples you shared! Yeah they would have to write about things relevant to the thing we want to sell, and I like the daisy venn diagram analogy.
Can we make a case for nicheless bloggers, though? For instance, a very popular nicheless writer on Medium I follow, is Sally Prag. She has tons of engagement on pretty much everything she writes. While she writes mostly personal essays, they're on many different topics. I'm not necessarily interested in all of those topics, but I know she writes very well. She can tell a story that's touching, funny, informative, or all of the above. (She's also one of my favorite humorists.)
While she is an amazing writer, I believe a big reason why many of us are loyal readers of her work, is because we love her warm, compassionate, as well as playful and rebellious personality that shines through in her writing. I'm trying to emulate that, where readers like me for my voice and writing style, rather than for specific topics only. But I'm still a beginner trying out these waters, haha. Do you have tips and advice for the nicheless bloggers?
Interesting article. Thank you for sharing your thoughts Linda.
Amazing, Linda. I love the Venn Diagram! My mind constructed one about my newest novel, and the next one, too! Incredible way to attract readers!
It works for SS newsletter topics, too. Mind whirling, filling the petals with aspects of my new newsletter, coming April 1st.
You're astonishing! Thanks!
Linda
Attention is the currency to exchange knowledge. Our discipline to focus on others’ problems is the outlet for our personal experiences to share solutions and resources.
Great insights. Thanks
I get lot more reads, that’s for sure. I qualified for monetization about four weeks ago but I haven’t been approved yet. Until then I won’t know if what I’m writing is profitable. I thought maybe since Medium is favoring publications again that my problem was self-publishing so I started submitting to them. It makes no difference. I suspect the algorithm favors writers newer to the platform. It’s like the drug dealer who gives you a taste for free until you’re hooked and then makes you pay. I’m barely covering my subscription these days.
I’m doomed.
There's an indie author whose fiction I don't like (I tried two of her novels, both were DNFs) but I stay subscribed to her email newsletter for the historical anecdotes she shares (her fiction genre is historical fantasy).
Spot on! In marketing, it's called creating your 'ideal customer avatar'. You literally make up a person with a name, interests, a life story, and write as if you're talking to them.
That's your daisy ven diagram.
There's also a course from August Birch I'm taking called Content Quickstart. It's a how-to, but it's also lists and templates! He's the Book Mechanic!
Hello! I just rejoined Medium. Since I deactivated my account when I left, I lost all my followers, but that's okay. I hope to reach 100 soon so I can join the Partner Program. Until then, I'll be writing often, sharing stories from my 43 years as a writer/author, and things I find fascinating. Please find me on Medium and follow me! Thanks, Linda
You make a very valid point. I've written several novels but have done practically zero marketing. This article comes at just the right time at the beginning of my own Substack. Thank you.