Do You Appreciate All the Feedback on Medium?
Thank you fellow readers and writers for all you do for me
One of the reasons I write is for reader reaction. That may well be true for you as well. It just feels good when other people read your work and are moved to react.
For me, even “bad” reader reactions feel good. My words moved someone to pause, take time, and react by writing me. Even if it’s to disagree or criticize, they’re providing valuable feedback.
I’ll take praise as well. That’s easy enough to accept. But it’s the “bad” stuff of the good/bad/ugly continuum that really helps me grow and challenges me to think more about my work.
I was recently taken to task for this piece.
The response writer rightly called me out on the fact that I was touting short pieces as a way to improve one’s reader/viewer ratio. He correctly wrote that not all work lends itself to short read times. He also noted that if a large number of people “view” a long article and even a small percentage of those continue on and are counted as “reads,” he’s not only pleased but he’s paid, often quite handsomely.
I understood his points and told him so, adding in a bit more detail. Further collegial communication ensued (I’m not being facetious here, although I’m known for that sort of thing.). We ended up parting (for now), continuing to “follow” one another and committed to reading and responding to one another’s work. That’s a win-win. All springing from a difference of opinion and viewpoint. I was challenged for something I’d “put out there,” and grew as a result. The only thing I can say is, “thank you so much!”
On the flip side, “Brilliant, thanks for sharing” was the very first response I received on Medium. Where else are you gonna get that kind of love from people you don’t even know and likely never will? It’s hard to get that kind of pithy praise at home (JK, JK … mostly).
As a fledgling writer, struggling with every aspect of the Medium experience, I felt instantly welcomed and supported. The fear of being naked, revealed, exposed through my writing melted away. I was powerfully encouraged to continue. Again, a stranger reached out and responded, and I grew. Again, the only thing I can say is “thank you so much!”
I’m pretty good with “reads” and “claps.” My gratitude game via responses could stand some serious improvement. Reader responses mean so much to me. I need to pay that gratitude forward.
