How to Lose Your Top Writer Status … FAST!

Summary

The article humorously outlines a strategy for quickly losing one's status as a top writer on Medium, emphasizing writing about unpopular topics, competing in December, and flying under the platform's radar.

Abstract

The author of the article, inspired by Jill from "Conquering Cognitions," who lost her top writer status in three days, sets out to beat her record. The article suggests that the best time to attempt this is during December when people are more stressed and competitive. It also recommends writing frequently on mundane topics that everyone has an opinion on, such as earning minimal amounts of money. The author satirically advises acquiring decades of wisdom in a niche area, like horseflies, to ensure a swift fall from any achieved expertise. Additionally, the article suggests that not getting noticed on Medium, despite having followers and engaging with other writers, is a surefire way to lose top writer status. The author also hints at the possibility of intentionally provoking Medium's algorithms to accelerate the loss of recognition.

Opinions

The author views the holiday season as a time when people are more likely to engage in competitive and less genuine behavior, which can be leveraged to lose top writer status quickly.
Writing about common experiences, such as earning negligible amounts, is seen as a way to incite a flurry of similar stories, potentially leading to a quicker loss of status.
The article sarcastically suggests that spending decades becoming an expert in an obscure field like horseflies is a path to rapid recognition and subsequent loss of top writer status.
The author believes that despite conventional wisdom, certain actions like getting "chosen for further distribution" or having many followers can actually contribute to a lack of notoriety on Medium.
There is an underlying opinion that Medium's algorithms can be manipulated or provoked to intentionally diminish a writer's visibility and status on the platform.
The author implies that writing in niche areas or topics not related to self-help or financial advice is less likely to gain popularity on Medium.
The satirical tone of the article suggests that the pursuit of top writer status and the strategies to lose it are both absurd and somewhat humorous aspects of the Medium platform's culture.

Compete in December

That’s generally when all the best human characteristics emerge, especially after two years of unending and unprecedented stress with more a-coming shortly.

For example, some are in such a rush to win at being the most full of it — and by “it” I mean holiday spirit and good cheer — that they will run you over in a Target parking lot.

And speaking of “targets” … well maybe I really shouldn’t here in the land of the #2, and by that I mean the 2nd amendment.

Regardless, when everyone is racing to put their best foot forward, or in your way so you’ll trip, that’s the time to lose, and quick!

Here’s an idea for you … publish something once an hour on a topic everyone gets dewy about — like the 17 cents you earned in 1492 — then others will jump in, and rapidamente, with more stories about the 19 cents they earned and you’ll be deposed, in short order.

If you’re lucky, you’ll go down in flames faster than Jill did and you can lord that over her.

Write about horseshit

I know plenty about this because that’s all I do.

Jill apparently does as well since she chose to write about the horseshit topic of “parenting.” Parenting Shmarenting, who cares how kids turn out? Besides she’s only raised five children, writes well and works in CBT. What could she possibly know about successfully sharing knowledge and experience?

Piggybacking off Jill’s expertise, I plan to spend decades acquiring wisdom in a subject area, say “horseflies”, publish extensively on the topic, and hope to be quickly toppled from the perch I’m sure to achieve, in record time

Fly under the Medium radar

This is a no-brainer for most of us, the fine art of not getting noticed by almost everyone on the platform.

Ways to do this:

write in an intriguing niche area — like “parenting” — that no one cares about

write about anything but “self-help from a non-expert perspective” and “helping yourself to more money”

get regularly “chosen for further distribution”, the veritable death knell for popularity on the platform

have lots of followers, who theoretically should get notified about your writerly output and occasionally care enough to read some of it

regularly engage meaningfully with other writers in the hopes that they’ll reciprocate such that your earnings pittance skyrockets to a new and exciting earnings pittance

There may be some other methods of either quickly removing yourself from any notoriety or never achieving any, but that’s all the helpful stuff I could invent for now.

Oh, pissing off the powers that be, or their algorithms, may also work.

As I’ve recently revealed, I currently hold creme-de-la-creme (AKA top writer) honors in: Canoodling, Monkey Pox and Philately. (If you don’t already know what “philately” is, it is not what you think.)

Given the intense competition and interest in those three fields, I’m sure I’ll be dethroned shortly. I’ve let you know how it goes. I’ve started my stopwatch and the race is on.

BIGGEST FASTEST LOSER

How to Lose Your Top Writer Status … FAST!

I Bet I Can Lose Top Writer Status Faster Than You

Finally, I have something to boast about on here.

Compete in December

Write about horseshit

Fly under the Medium radar

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