Are You Writing for Stats or to Add Value?

A gentle challenge to my fellow Medium writers

In the last few days I’ve seen an uptick in the number of articles that focus on reader eyeballs “How my stats have improved,” etc.

I don’t argue the importance. But please, if I may.

One of the aspects of being part of Illumination, and the Medium community at large, is the chance to have a voice. That, in and of itself, is an extraordinary opportunity, and it also, to my mind, carries a sacred duty.

I’ve been writing for Medium for two years now. I’ve watched my stats rise, then tumble precipitously, in the last few months, as have many of us. That’s especially true if you’re a travel writer. That’s one of my main topics. However, we’re all in the same boat in so many more ways than this.

For a growing number of us, Illumination has become not only a safe haven but also a super-supportive place where we read, tag and support each other. I love, just love to leapfrog off others’ excellent material. In fact that’s where I get a lot of my inspiration. I am reading and tagging as many as I possibly can.

If I may, just a thought here.

I don’t know what anyone else is doing at home, but I am now writing for a client, and that is going to take up more of my time. That work will appear on Medium, which is going to take away from some of the tagging I’ve been able to do.

My workout routine’s been rebooted in earnest. Not just because of the too many handfuls of chocolate almonds I consumed in the last few weeks to amuse myself, but because I crave hard exercise. A lot of it. My aging body can and did put on a bit of weight that I did NOT want back. I’m circumspect about it, but it’s time to get serious. I’ve lost a little tone I can’t afford to lose. One of these days we’re going to be on the other side of this thing and I intend to be in my best physical shape so that I can leap right back into a fast-moving River of Life. That takes work, time and dedication.

I like to work out two to three hours a day. Hours that I can’t spend reading, commenting on, tagging and highlighting other writers. I’ve got to MOVE. I can only speak for myself here. My back hurts from too much sitting. That’s feedback. We are not designed to sit so much, and as a top writer on fitness, I have to “workout my talk,” not sit it.

On top of my clients’ needs, I have a list of thirty draft articles to produce. Most of them are inspired by my fellow Medium writers here on Illumination. There are other Medium writers I follow regularly. Reading I need to do. People I call and support. Time I need to think. Take care of my growing yard. Simply be in the pure, sweet quiet of my mind. You get the drift. At some point I have to regulate my time in the most productive way. As much as I’d love to read, tag, highlight and support all my other Illumination writers, there aren’t enough hours in the day.

Recently I got bitterly barked at by another Illumination writer for not reading her stuff, after that person sent me an insulting comment about an article I wrote. That person didn’t read any of my other nearly four thousand articles either. She doesn’t owe me that. You don’t owe me that. Nobody does. Even when I tried to calmly reason with this person, they spat back that I HAD to read their articles first before I respond. Nope. I don’t.

There is no have to. There is what we choose to. And what we have time to do. Many of you have spouses and partners and kids and animals and parents at home. You also brought your work home with you, and you still have to earn a living, just as I do. There are other critical priorities (mine right now is a kickboxing DVD that is waiting for me to get off my spreading butt and get after it).

Nor might any of us demand that anyone read our material. That smacks of neediness and an unfortunate self-righteousness that with respect, may not belong in this community. It may well also speak the stress we’re all feeling, but kindly, let’s not take that out on each other. Each of us picks and chooses those authors whose work resonates with us. We read, comment, tag and highlight such as time permits. It is downright remarkable how busy some of us have become during a time of isolation. Frankly, I love it- but I have to manage my energy and my time in the best possible way. I hope we all do.

I would respectfully caution against writing material specifically designed to get our Illumination editors to tag or highlight us any more than is already being done.

They too have lives and other responsibilities. Let’s write for valuable content, not stats. Let’s write such good material that people really want to uplift our work. And while it is indeed rewarding to get eyeballs on our writing, to my mind, it’s far more important to produce quality content which appeals to our specific lane. It’s not about numbers per se, it’s more about the right readers who become raving fans because we really are meeting their needs. I believe that when we commit to quality first, then quantity, the stats will take care of themselves.

But that’s just me.

There are multiple publications that I write for (and IMHO there are now WAY too many of them clamoring to be THE place for the best writers). I have noticed over time that pubs that used to be in the business lane are now publishing material that has no business in that publication (love, relationships, the like) if indeed, their focus is business. That has watered down their purpose. My opinion only. I’ve seen that in a number of what I might call the flagship publications. The trend seems to be an effort to be all things to all people/writers, when they had begun with a clear value proposition. I’ve largely abandoned those pubs because I want to be affiliated with a clear purpose.

Illumination’s value proposition IS clear. My respectful invitation to my fellow writers is to continue to provide solid, superb content to add value to our readers. Not to write for stats. That way lies click-bait headlines, and a general devaluation of quality content. If you’ve been on Medium for a while you’ve seen it just as I have.

I very much appreciate being tagged in your articles. I will do my best to return the favor as I can. But I respectfully submit that we don’t do this just to get tagged back as a way to get reader eyeballs. Develop your circle of dedicated readers. Reach out in private and get to know those people more deeply. I now have a community of Medium people that I call. That is an order of magnitude of connection that changes the conversation. They’re not eyeballs. They are now my friends. I can’t manage hundreds or thousands. Just a few. And that also goes for the folks I can take the time to read deeply, follow and tag.

I would also ask that we have both respect and understanding of the level of workload that Dr Mehmet Yildiz now carries with many, many more of us writers, many of us producing multiple articles a day. We have editors, for which I am very grateful. However the more writers we draw to Illumination, the more difficult the task to read, highlight and share what we write. The world “overwhelm” comes to mind. I’m having to curate far more carefully.

I believe that we can produce quality and quantity. My output is going to be moderated by a re-commitment to those priorities which are my guiding principles. I’m an athlete. I need to eat and work out like one. Otherwise I can’t do the work I love, I can’t write about it, or do the adventure travel I love if and when that life reappears. Even if it doesn’t, I owe the world a vibrantly healthy body to do what work may be required of me in whatever New Normal presents itself.

I’m a writer. A good one. In my world, a good writer writes to add value, not to chase eyeballs. And while I will absolutely do my best to write better titles so that more people are drawn to my work, ultimately I am going to be judged as to whether or what I write makes a difference. Inspires, causes laughter, gives an idea for improving quality of life, whatever. Again, with respect to everyone, I am only speaking for myself.

Now I have to go sweat in my living room. I can’t afford to sweat whether or not I get curated. Whether or not someone tags and supports me. Medium is utterly overwhelmed right now. It seems so many of us are craving and demanding eyeballs, claps, attention. For my part, if you like my stuff, you’ll read it. If I like your stuff, I’ll read it, when I can make the time for it. If I don’t, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have value. It may well mean that I’ve had to get on with the business of staying in my lane.

If anyone reads this, I am thankful. If nobody does, so be it.

Sunrise. Time to get to work in beautiful springtime Colorado.