21K Views and Stuck at 200 Followers
A milestone in disguise or a one-hit-wonder?
Much of Medium consists of people talking about their views and followings, and although the snobbish side of me wants to dismiss these articles as clickbaity and lazy, who am I to deny the demand of the masses? Furthermore, I also have experiences with “crazy” views and frustrating article performances, so now it’s my turn to join the bandwagon and write about the time I got 21K views alongside a lifetime of frustration and dead ends.
The Story
Writing about History can be tough. I need to keep a balance between academic and easily digestible, and it is difficult to build a following due to the difficulty of finding a unique and individual writing style, as covering history requires an objective form to a certain degree which can hamper even the most individualistic writers.
As a result, the subject matter is key, as the most successful articles of mine have been about relatively obscure topics with a unique perspective and engaging hook. None is a greater example than my article back in October of 2021, How did the Byzantines view the Ancient Romans.
Published in my own publication, The History Inquiry, the article immediately began skyrocketing in views and reads. The first day, already passed 1k views. Everything was crazy, and I began dreaming of all the possibilities that were within reach…until reality came flooding in once again. External views.
Frustration
The article had 1.7K internal views with the other 19.8K being external. This was before referred memberships existed, which limited the amount of long-term growth I would get from this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Not to understate the boost I did receive. My other articles around that time gained some much-needed views and read, and it was in October that I gained my first ever referred membership, despite not having a link at the bottom of the story. The article was also one of my highest paying ones, surpassing 50 dollars which is a rarity for me.
However, I did not receive many followers, and my loyal following remained small. Furthermore, my publication, which I had spent hours and countless articles to build up seemingly climaxed with this one story, and my motivation slowly began dwindling afterwards.
So…what now?
For all of my complaining, I am grateful for what I have achieved. I passed 200 followers, and my publication, although struggling, has recently surpassed 100 followers, which was a big milestone for me! The lesson is, to not let views and success dictate your writing.
When an article flops, or if a story doesn’t automatically propel you into stardom and vogue, don’t call it quits, as consistency is everything.
