Lifestyle/Reading/Community Engagement

What Is Your Reading Like On Medium Platform?

We all know that reciprocity works best on the platform, do you believe it?

It is interesting to have just stumbled on Elizabeth Emerald’s article while reading her post. The title was ‘’IF YOU READ MINE, I WILL READ YOURS.’’ I actually do not know how long she’s had that pinned on her profile, but I was seeing it for the first time. I thought about that for a while and wondered how many of us do that.

Medium Is A Highly Engaging Platform

We all know that once you relax with your engagement on the platform, your readership and support dwindled. And if you know you are not going to be inactive for a while, you will have to take permission from Medium, otherwise, your account will be suspended. This simply indicates that Medium itself prefers active engagement.

I personally was first reading on the platform, and when my free reading was withdrawn, I decided to subscribe, and continue reading for a long time before I decided to be writing too. I love my Niche topics because I enjoy the vast research involved in Niche writing, so it is like one is learning twice.

Personally, I still read more than write and would continue to read more and more than write. Reading about the vast array of topics has obviously brought us some friends on the platform. We tend to support each other, and you know a bit about them, from what they write of course and look forward to reading more from the ones you enjoy their writings.

Rip Parker believes one learns more by reading on the platform than by writing.

So, obviously reading more on the platform has its benefits, wealth of knowledge. How do you choose whose writers to read? I will like to know. Do you read from those who support you, or do you just pick from the topics or how? We all know that supporting writers by reading their scripts also benefits them financially.

Ev Williams, the platform owner once said most writers on the Platform are paid coffee money. This means the payments on the platform are trivial, although some have actually been paid thousands in the past when Medium was generous. Nevertheless, most still depend on it and look forward to it. So our engagement and support of writers are crucial to their success on the platform.

Will You Continue To Read, If Ignored?

If readers’ engagement is crucial to writers’ success, will you still continue to support such writers who continuously ignore your own scripts? Some writers place emphasis on writing, completely ignoring reading from others, how will you handle such a scenario? I am just curious.😮

I have noticed a lot going on on the platform, and it is getting interesting. Writers getting sensitive and offensive from readers’ comments, some going as far as blocking you off. Anyway, a writer must have enemies. especially if you are keen to say the truth and the truth they say is bitter.

Someone wise said, “hatred does more damage to the vessel in which it is stored, than to the object on which it is poured.

Love Over Money

Today’s society unfortunately places too much emphasis on money. Making money online has become the order of the day, and ignoring everything else otherwise. Also, social media has become a platform for hate and misogynist for people to express their hatred whenever they feel like it. Some do it unknowingly, while others want to use it to gain cheap popularity and followership.

Life in itself is strange. You come with nothing and fight for everything. And in the end, you leave everything and go with nothing.

So when will humanity grow to just enjoying things for its pleasure other than making money from them? Food for thought here. Read, enjoy the creative styles of writers here, think about their topics and learn from them. The simple pleasure I will say. If you love writers’ personal stories, there are few to learn from, say for instance, Yana Bostongirl stories. They teach how vulnerable we all are and how closely we have to guide our emotions and of course mental health. We are all fragile, so to speak. We sometimes believe we are strong until we are tested, and fail woefully revealing our frailty.

I love Shirley Willett's stories a lot too. She walked away from her lucrative Fashion Design business to protect her mental health when the agitation of her workers became unbearable. Shirley is close to 90 years today, strong and enjoying living in peace. I am sure Shirley’s health would have suffered had she insisted on carrying on under such a stressful atmosphere.

I will always read James Frank Sanders, a 97-year-old writer, who I admire tremendously. He made me laugh when he scolded his 102-year-old sister, for not being careful in taking care of herself. The sister, I learnt eventually died.

There are of course loads of other writers I read and benefit from their articles. So what is your reading like on the platform? Please let me know.

Another related post by the same author:

The Takeaways

• “What is the essence of the art of writing? Part One: Have something to say. Part Two: Say it well.” Edward Abbey.
• “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.” ~ Stephen King
• “The real story is not the plot, but how the characters unfold by it. ” Vanna Bonta.

DISCLAIMER

Although great research has gone into this post to give the true and genuine substance to it, nevertheless it does not still represent professional advice in any way. It is therefore given for readers’ interest and entertainment only. Thank you.😑

💔If you are inspired and looking to start writing on Medium, why not jumpstart your writing journey by using this link? If you love what you read, you can personally support me here. Thank you.💔