How to Stand Out From the Masses

Give Your Readers Reasons to Care About You

If They Care About You as a Person, They’ll Read Your Writing

Many Medium writers struggle with the idea of people not giving a damn about their writing. It’s a hard reality to accept that perhaps the reason you’re not getting very many views or gaining new followers is because you’re so similar to most writers on our platform.

“Why didn’t my piece get read more?”

“How come nobody comments on my articles?”

“Why do I still only have 34 followers?”

I’ll tell you why: Because you’re not unique. You’re not being interesting enough. You don’t stand out, you blend in.

Don’t take it personally, it’s a logistics thing. Because we have so many choices as Americans, or even people from other countries, it’s difficult to stand out. Your writing has to be bold, authentic, and in-your-face to stand out amongst the crowd of other writers.

And even then, sometimes that’s not enough.

I’ve found that even though my writing is pretty interesting, humorous, and in-your-face, it still doesn’t get as much attention for each piece as I’d like. So I take extra steps to help further my cause. I haven’t gotten well known on Medium just by posting once or twice a week and waiting for big results.

I have to go out and make those results happen. I have to do the extra things that most Medium writers won’t do, or don’t have enough time to do. I make it a priority to make people notice me and my writing.

How does one go about accomplishing this? It’s simple, really. You have to do the work. You have to think of extra steps to take in your Writer’s Journey that other writers aren’t doing. It’s not difficult to do, but it IS time-consuming.

How many hours a day would you guess I spend on my laptop writing, proofreading, editing, or interacting with other writers on Medium?

A. 1–2 hours

B. 5 hours

C. 10 hours

D. More than 12 hours

If you guessed D, you’re correct.

“But Professor! I don’t have that kind of time! I work full time or have side hustles I have to do in order to get by. Surely there must be something I can do with the limited time I have?”

Of course there is. You can put those other things ahead of your writing. You can use the little time you have available to build your following in a slower, less-noticeable way. Today’s lesson probably doesn’t apply to you.

I’m directing this session at the ones who DO have the time. The writers who can make the time by eliminating some of the distractions that get in the way of our writing. TV is a prime example.

Writing on Medium is a lot like turning on your smart TV. You have Netflix, Prime, HBO Max, Peacock, Paramount, and tons of other options for your viewing pleasure. But with all of those options, what REALLY stands out?

The stuff that does.

I have all of those channels at home. Do I watch three or four series on each of them, every day? Hell no. My TV doesn’t come on until I’ve posted at least two or three new articles in a day. It’s too distracting to have on while I’m trying to write something that stands out and gets noticed.

Medium writing is a similar thing. Are you going to spend your time reading all sorts of basic, similar, rerun types of writing pieces? Or are you going to seek out a few that really ARE excellent and stand out?

I want to read and support the writers who are great. I’m looking for the Seinfelds, the Sopranos, the Breaking Bads of Medium. I don’t want to spend my time reading stuff that’s so similar, I can’t tell which author I’m even tuned into. That’s boring, just like watching reruns on TV.

If you want to be among the elite writers on Medium, you have to do it better than most. You have to stand out. You have to have an excellent character for your audience to connect with. I’ve accomplished this by playing up certain aspects of my life in my writing.

I love Italian mob movies and TV series. The Godfather, Goodfellas and The Sopranos are all revered by me. So I play up the whole mafia angle in my writing.

I was nicknamed The Godfather of Medium by a friend I mentored when she was new. And it stuck. I love it, because she’s wonderful and it aligns with my interest in those movies and shows I enjoy so much. Ditto with my Professor character, when I’m teaching here.

I also am bold with my writing. I write about controversial topics and have no problem peppering it with cursing. I don’t curse in my writing for just any reason, but my writing reflects my true personality in real life.

I don’t give a good goddamn who reads my writing and is offended by it. If my parents read it, great. If they want to complain my about the harsh language or off-color jokes I sometimes use, tough shit. I’m not here to please them or anyone else who doesn’t like it.

I’m here to appeal to my fans. The people who can relate to a writer who reminds them of themselves. Most of us don’t take issue with cursing, crass jokes, or speaking out against controversial things. I come real with it 100% when I write.

You’ll stand out and get noticed far more easily as a Renegade Writer. Instead of being a writer who is censoring themselves to comfort those who easily get offended, you should be catering to the real ones who will appreciate you being authentic.

My favorite writers on Medium have no problem saying whatever the hell they feel like at any given moment. They don’t care what negative people think. They want to appeal to their fans. And it shows in their writing.

I can count on one hand how many writers on Medium whose pages I visit daily to see if they’ve posted something new. They are the ones who are going to make it in big as writers. I pride myself in being able to discover and predict who those people are.

There aren’t many of them. This is a competitive arena that we participate in. Think about the things I’ve said today and decide if you have what it takes to be the next big deal. If not, blend in with the masses and accept that.

It’s not the worst thing in the world to be average. But I’ll choose to put the time and effort into being exceptional in my writing, every day of the week. I hope you do, too! &:^)

© 2024 Jason Provencio. All rights reserved.