#131 — DEAD OR ALIVE
What Is the Protocol When Someone Adds One of Your Stories to Their List
I think it is probably the greatest praise of your work that they can offer, but I am unsure how to respond.
Medium created an opportunity for writers to create lists of their work. It is something I probably should get around to doing, as I write about a few subjects/genres and probably confuse some readers. Putting them in lists by genre would probably be a good thing.
I am just not sure how to achieve this goal and haven’t yet “found the time” to read up on it. Which is jargon for “I can’t be asked.”
It is one of the reasons I am not sure going viral or being ‘distributed’ or ‘boosted’ is a positive thing, on this platform. Being “boosted” brings new readers to your page for a specific story. In my case, let’s say food. But they are not my regular readers or followers, so they have an expectation based on the “boosted” article.
However, my next story could be a childish rant about practically nothing, it’s a bit risqué and derogatory. It’s all about extracting humour. And there is no place or subject matter a good comedy writer/stand-up won’t venture, for a laugh.
And my reader goes, where did this one come from? I was not expecting this. And they could be turned off.
Crossing that line, only becomes that line, when the public majority deems that you have crossed it. And then you have a choice to make, either apologise, retract, and continue. Or you say “I do not care”. Anything less creates lousy comedy.
And real comedy is the one thing, that will get you through this, or that, or that other thing.
I recently wrote a pretty religious/pious piece, and as a result, a clearly religious lady commented she would follow me, in her comment response. I actively discouraged her. She said she was a big girl and would chance it. She soon left.
One cross does not a place of worship make
uvebruce, 2023
However, they mostly do not unfollow, (to her credit, she did), they just do not read your stuff, which as a “followed” is quite demoralising.
One of the greatest compliments I’ve received is a comment by Christopher Robin to a fellow editor, who was questioning my style, for an article in The Memoirist publication. And he noted in a private note (that I was privileged to read), to that editor, “It’s his style of writing, it’s OK, publish it,” …
And it made me think, Christopher thinks I have a style. I’ve arrived.
If you read this story I wrote, about dementia:
And then this one, about very little:
you could be mistaken for thinking it is two different writers. So in a way, I prefer my slow and steady growth of writers who read my stuff regularly, because they want to, not because it has been boosted. And they begin to understand my writing style.
I do like the increased revenue from the boost though. And clearly, it works.
But if someone takes a piece of yours and puts it into a list, it is the greatest compliment on Medium. I have put a few pieces into my list, and not one writer has commented on that. And I too, have not commented or responded to any pieces of mine being added to any list. A recent piece of mine was added 8 x to various reader lists. And I did nothing.
That cannot be right.
Acknowledgment is good manners.
If I read a piece I enjoy, I know what to do. I clap and if I have something to say, I comment. I try to encourage as much as possible.
If you clap and comment for me, I know what to do, I respond with a thanks, and perhaps a reply, and if I have not, it is an oversight. It’s not intentional. I assure you.
I really do value more than anything on Medium, the interaction and immediate response of the reading community. And let’s face it, this is a community.
But I have no idea how to respond to a list. And so I remain silent. And despite what they say, silence is NEVER golden. It just changes the destiny of the problem.
Here’s a tongue-in-cheek look at lists by the “saucy”, evergreen Grandma Smillew.
What it really says, is, most of us are not using the list option very effectively on Medium. My excuse is I’m not sure how to set it up. Yeah, it’s a weak excuse but it’s all I’ve got.
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