avatarMichael Burg, MD (Satire Sommelier) 😬

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Abstract

s that helped these two stories succeed.</p><ul><li><b>Careful editing</b></li></ul><p id="20b1">I really took pains to ensure that each word and sentence transmitted exactly the message I intended. Even now, I’ll return to the stories and edit.</p><ul><li><b>Personal investment</b></li></ul><p id="585e">I cared, and still care, about the topics discussed, deeply.</p><p id="d657">In the case of the “writing advice” story I used my natural satiric bent to gently skewer the onslaught of purportedly-real writing advice one sees scattered about. Readers seemed to relate, and continue to do so as they discover this piece.</p><p id="0738">The “racism” story is deeply self revelatory and concerns a time in my life that I failed. Many have called me on my failing, and I understand and concur. I’ve progressed since. My willingness to reveal personal failure resonates with readers, even those who dislike my past behaviors. Bottom line — fearless is good.</p><ul><li><b>A bit of shameless self promotion</b></li></ul><p id="3a08">Links to Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin are provided. I used, and continue to use, them.</p><p id="76e4">Particularly in the case of the “racism” story, I’ve linked other racism-related stories I’ve written to it.</p><p id="6f5c">Again, particularly in the case of the “racism” story, I reached out to other writers on the subject and offered to include a link to their story in my racism-related stories. All happily accepted, and reciprocated.</p><p id="965e">I intermittently “pin” these stories to my profile. Each time I do, I see a spike in readership.</p><ul><li><b>Titles, subtitles, kicker</b></li></ul><p id="d6d6">Catchy enough. Not click bait. Deliver as promised. Properly formatted, as far as I can tell.</p><ul><li><b>Lead images</b></li></ul><p id="ccbd">Attention grabbing without being sensationalist. Story-related. Properly sized per guidelines.</p><ul><li><b>Formatting</b></li></ul><p id="e847">The “racism” story uses white space, line breaks and a single subtitle-case heading, late in the story, to pull readers through the material and keep them engaged. No one likes seemingly-unending sheets of text. I try to be sensitive to that fact.</p><p id="eb58">NB: Even a story on a topic as important as racism only generated a 51% read ratio. It’s difficult to know why. My musings run to: formatting issues, disgust with my behavior, too personal and not relevant to readers’ lives, issue fatigue, other/all. Bottom line, IDK.</p><p id="753b">The “advice” story uses white space, line breaks and multiple subtitle-case headings to engage readers and keep them reading. It also uses a list — mocking listicles — and hyperlinks, an end image and highlights/offsets. All are Medium-provided tools that even this techno-tool can use, easily.</p><ul><li><b>Mor

Options

e promotion</b></li></ul><p id="e180">The “racism” story benefits from the fact that the <a href="https://medium.com/equality-includes-you">Equality Includes You</a> pub also posts many of their stories on the <a href="https://goodmenproject.com/author/michael-burg/">Good Men Project</a>. This is very broadly read.</p><p id="071c">The Haven also routinely tweets.</p><p id="d039">Friends who read your stories can also be nudged to tweet links to your work.</p><ul><li><b>“The F’s” — Friends, Followers and Following</b></li></ul><p id="6cda">You have to mean it, and I do. (Clapping without reading is one of the seven deadly sins.)</p><p id="30fd">I’ve noted elsewhere, repeatedly, that I write for joy, response and community. I’ve done everything I can, and continue to do so, to build community here. I would humbly urge you to do the same. For more on this subject please check out …</p><div id="9a62" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/earning-the-bonus-a-how-to-guide-focus-on-the-3-rs-real-relational-reciprocity-b1e3f2f1a6ba"> <div> <div> <h2>Earning the Bonus, a How-To Guide. Focus on the 3 R’s — Real, Relational, Reciprocity</h2> <div><h3>Will attention to the 3 R’s lead to a 4th R? Read on to find out.</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*QD6mp3b787NP0MrZiaz__g.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="526d">If you click on the link above, you will notice that the story contains links to the work of two other, truly excellent, writers on the same subject, that is, community building on this platform.</p><p id="4226" type="7">I have to believe that community building pays dividends, and not simply financial ones.</p><p id="672a">It is entirely possible that there are other factors that have helped my two stories do well.</p><p id="c245">Notice that I didn’t write “… helped my two stories go viral.” That’s because they haven’t gone viral and probably won’t. I’m happy though. They’re my best performing stories to date.</p><p id="c205">If you have other ideas about all of this to share, please do the “relational” thing and share those ideas.</p><p id="d23a" type="7">I hope you can use the information provided to leverage your success.</p><h2 id="048b">Finally — summarizing sucks! 😉</h2><p id="b997">The main points are neatly arrayed above for your viewing pleasure. Please feel free to scroll back up and feast your eyes if you found any of this useful.</p><h2 id="28d4">But seriously</h2><p id="caa4">Thank you for reading. I’d love to hear/see your thoughts. 😘</p></article></body>

My Experience Will Help You — A Tale of Two Tales With 2K Reads Each

Warning! No earnings information will be disgorged.

Photo by Clark Tibbs on Unsplash

Here are the two.

The quick and dirty:

The “Writing Advice” story

  • Published in The Haven 12/29/20
  • 2.9K views, 2K reads, 69% read ratio, 459 fans, 8.8K claps, 70 comments
  • Tags: writing, humor, satire, advice, ideas
  • 2 minute read time listed; 2 minute 35 second read time actual
  • Not curated or chosen for further distribution

The “Racist Prick” story

  • Published in Equality Includes You 12/27/20
  • 3.8K views, 1.97K reads, 51% read ratio, 259 fans, 4.2K claps, 54 comments
  • Tags: racism, this happened to me, white privilege, black lives matter, life
  • 3 minute read time listed; 2 minute 5 second read time actual
  • Not curated or chosen for further distribution

What worked for these stories?

It’s hard, if not frankly impossible, to accurately self analyze one’s writing. But, the list below seems to include all the factors that helped these two stories succeed.

  • Careful editing

I really took pains to ensure that each word and sentence transmitted exactly the message I intended. Even now, I’ll return to the stories and edit.

  • Personal investment

I cared, and still care, about the topics discussed, deeply.

In the case of the “writing advice” story I used my natural satiric bent to gently skewer the onslaught of purportedly-real writing advice one sees scattered about. Readers seemed to relate, and continue to do so as they discover this piece.

The “racism” story is deeply self revelatory and concerns a time in my life that I failed. Many have called me on my failing, and I understand and concur. I’ve progressed since. My willingness to reveal personal failure resonates with readers, even those who dislike my past behaviors. Bottom line — fearless is good.

  • A bit of shameless self promotion

Links to Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin are provided. I used, and continue to use, them.

Particularly in the case of the “racism” story, I’ve linked other racism-related stories I’ve written to it.

Again, particularly in the case of the “racism” story, I reached out to other writers on the subject and offered to include a link to their story in my racism-related stories. All happily accepted, and reciprocated.

I intermittently “pin” these stories to my profile. Each time I do, I see a spike in readership.

  • Titles, subtitles, kicker

Catchy enough. Not click bait. Deliver as promised. Properly formatted, as far as I can tell.

  • Lead images

Attention grabbing without being sensationalist. Story-related. Properly sized per guidelines.

  • Formatting

The “racism” story uses white space, line breaks and a single subtitle-case heading, late in the story, to pull readers through the material and keep them engaged. No one likes seemingly-unending sheets of text. I try to be sensitive to that fact.

NB: Even a story on a topic as important as racism only generated a 51% read ratio. It’s difficult to know why. My musings run to: formatting issues, disgust with my behavior, too personal and not relevant to readers’ lives, issue fatigue, other/all. Bottom line, IDK.

The “advice” story uses white space, line breaks and multiple subtitle-case headings to engage readers and keep them reading. It also uses a list — mocking listicles — and hyperlinks, an end image and highlights/offsets. All are Medium-provided tools that even this techno-tool can use, easily.

  • More promotion

The “racism” story benefits from the fact that the Equality Includes You pub also posts many of their stories on the Good Men Project. This is very broadly read.

The Haven also routinely tweets.

Friends who read your stories can also be nudged to tweet links to your work.

  • “The F’s” — Friends, Followers and Following

You have to mean it, and I do. (Clapping without reading is one of the seven deadly sins.)

I’ve noted elsewhere, repeatedly, that I write for joy, response and community. I’ve done everything I can, and continue to do so, to build community here. I would humbly urge you to do the same. For more on this subject please check out …

If you click on the link above, you will notice that the story contains links to the work of two other, truly excellent, writers on the same subject, that is, community building on this platform.

I have to believe that community building pays dividends, and not simply financial ones.

It is entirely possible that there are other factors that have helped my two stories do well.

Notice that I didn’t write “… helped my two stories go viral.” That’s because they haven’t gone viral and probably won’t. I’m happy though. They’re my best performing stories to date.

If you have other ideas about all of this to share, please do the “relational” thing and share those ideas.

I hope you can use the information provided to leverage your success.

Finally — summarizing sucks! 😉

The main points are neatly arrayed above for your viewing pleasure. Please feel free to scroll back up and feast your eyes if you found any of this useful.

But seriously

Thank you for reading. I’d love to hear/see your thoughts. 😘

Writing
Writing Tips
Ideas
Writing Life
Success
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