Two kinds of writers on Medium
Hi again,
Ever look around and wonder if you’re on the wrong planet?
There’s a weird trend going on at Medium lately. Writers blaming their “followers” for the lousy results they’re getting.
It started with some guy complaining he has thousands of followers, and what good are they if they’re not reading his stories? He complained that his pay has dropped at good 50%, and he puts that “squarely” on his followers shoulders.
Wow. I kind of laughed.
But then I saw another one. A writer asking followers to step up, already.
She said she hasn’t broken the $100 mark, and puts that on her followers shoulders. Because she “should” be making more based on her follower count.
Again. Wow.
This time, I didn’t laugh. I’ve seen about a half dozen of those since.
That’s not really how it works. Sorry.
People read what interests them…
I’ve had a library card since I could read. I am an avid reader. I don’t go to the library to support other writers. I go to the library to find books that interest me.
The internet works the same way.
I’ve had to explain the same thing to clients for years. No one is reading your blog because the posts don’t interest them. They don’t need to be told how to clean their handbag, how to make coffee, how to mow their lawn, wash their socks, etc.
People read what interests them.
Sometimes that’s me. Sometimes that’s you. Sometimes it’s not.
On Medium, all those people are making the same mistake...
Every time I see one of those posts complaining about followers not being supportive, not stepping up, not “supporting” the writer I go look at their page.
I always see the same thing. Horrible titles. Seriously bad titles.
The Article. The Storm. The Tree. My Joyful Morning.
Maybe some of those stories are worth a read. You’d never know it from the title. Maybe Margaret Atwood can get away with that. You and me can’t.
A good title has one job. Tell me why I should read it.
I don’t know why that’s so hard to understand. I really don’t.
Hard to do, yes. Hard to understand? No.
Also? Medium doesn’t exist in a vacuum…
I’ve been on Medium for a few years. I see patterns. February is always my worst month. Not sure if it works that way for everyone, but sure does for me.
I blame winter doldrums. By February I’m so sick of winter I’m sick of everything. Could hardly fault other people if they feel the same.
Plus, Medium doesn’t exist in a vacuum.
Big news stories tend to reduce views. When the pandemic first hit, views were down. If people are storming the white house, or bombs are dropping in another country, views are likely to be down.
Those ebbs and flows exist, for sure, but they don’t change our basic perspective.
Two kinds of writers…
Seems to me writers could be divided into two groups. The ones who think readers are there for “them” — to support them and read whatever they write, even if the titles are boring and the stories are self focused.
They feel hurt and offended when their readers aren’t “supporting” them.
The other kind of writer believes it works the other way around. They are there to give readers something entertaining to read. Or insightful. To entertain or inform or help them see through new eyes.
One perspective says the reader need to “step up”
The other says it’s the writer’s job to step up.
To me, only one of those feels hopeful.
Have you been seeing the same thing? I’d love to know if you’re seeing those, and what you think. Whose job is it to step up, the reader, or the writer?
More reading… (Links to read free)
P.S. If you are reading this in email, you can click the title to see the online version, where you can leave comments, just like on Medium.
xo,
Linda
I saw some of those posts too. I see the 'Net as a loud market, and writers are all shouting to get a readers attention. Some who write for cash seem to yell a little louder, and some of those have a desperate gleam in their eyes.
I agree with Nicolas Cole, we should be building a library. A library of useful thoughts or solutions. There's enough noise. Once the "shoppers" (readers) find out the ones yelling the loudest are hawking junk, they'll find their way to those of us who are offering something worth reading. We just need to write something of value that won't be a waste of time. (Ours or the reader's) Then advertise without screaming that we have something worth looking at.
Be as consistent as we can, within reason. Then be patient.
Linda, Linda, Linda! All I can say is "bulls-eye." As a reader, I stay clear away from the complainers. I see no value in their content. I agree that writers need to take stock of their mistakes and get better at producing exciting titles and good writing. It's all on them. Totally. And blaming others for their crappy articles is just too much.