Medium Is All About the Relationships
Building your community one comment at a time
“Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much” — Helen Keller
Writing is a solitary activity and sometimes it can get very lonely.
You put your thoughts and ideas out into the digital ether and wait for a response. And wait. And wait.
You think:
Is anyone reading what I wrote?
Sometimes it’s just a little too quiet out there.
But one day you discover Medium, with a vibrant community that is all about writing — full of supportive, interesting and quirky people who really get you. They love to read and write just as much as you do — you’ve found your people :)
Medium gives writers a place where they can be themselves and build relationships and a community that provides support for their writing journey.
A lot of people don’t get this and think that all this relationship stuff is a waste of time. Or they are too busy complaining about what Medium is not doing to see what it really does well.
But this relationship stuff is worthwhile if you are willing to give it a chance.
You begin building relationships on Medium through commenting on stories. Start sharing your thoughts with other writers about their work and then continue commenting to keep the conversation flowing.
I stumbled on this idea by accident before I even started writing on Medium. I was surprised by how encouraging and insightful the comments were and how much more enjoyment it added to my reading experience. And now as a writer, comments motivate me to keep on writing.
The fun part is you don’t have to stop there. There are lots of ways you can engage on Medium to build relationships.
Here’s some ideas to get you started:
1. Start commenting on stories written by authors that inspire you.
Don’t just be a consumer — reading articles and never leaving any comments. You can use comments to ask questions, highlight passages that inspire you and also provide positive feedback to writers. Once you start doing this you will find that people will start following and interacting with you too.
2. Join a cohort writing course.
I was lucky to participate in an extraordinary writing course run by Kristina God. As a member of her Medium Kick Start Boot Camp, Cohort #2, I was inspired and supported by an amazing group of 15 women and men who started out as strangers and ended up as supportive friends who built a strong community.
Being in a group that is learning together at the same time and also reading, sharing and commenting on each other’s work is a powerful motivator.
3. Start or join a Writer’s Circle.
There are many free and paid writer’s circles available. Some are on Zoom, or WhatsApp or Slack, others can be in person. Just the act of putting time aside to write together is a powerful way to commit to your writing and support other writers as well.
If you can’t find a writer’s circle you like, start your own.
4. Become an editor for a publication.
If you like to edit and support other writers, becoming an editor for a publication may be something for you to try. You’ll learn so much and start connecting with all kinds of writers from beginners to experts.
These are just some of the ways that you can build relationships and a community both on and off Medium.
Experiment and see what works best for you.
Key Message: Begin by building your own community one comment at a time.
Linda Locke is a writer and mentor/teacher. She lives in Southern California in Ventura County by the coast with her husband and lots and lots of books.
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