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Abstract

span class="hljs-keyword">Me</span> <span class="hljs-keyword">in</span> response <span class="hljs-keyword">to</span> James<span class="hljs-comment">' article:</span></pre></div><div id="0c0c"><pre>My mindset <span class="hljs-keyword">behind</span> <span class="hljs-keyword">it</span> was <span class="hljs-keyword">that</span> a lot <span class="hljs-keyword">of</span> <span class="hljs-keyword">the</span> people <span class="hljs-keyword">that</span> I follow don’t publish frequently enough <span class="hljs-keyword">to</span> rank high <span class="hljs-keyword">on</span> <span class="hljs-keyword">my</span> feed, so I never got <span class="hljs-keyword">to</span> see them. I was stuck <span class="hljs-keyword">with</span> <span class="hljs-keyword">the</span> same content mill writers <span class="hljs-keyword">that</span> I was following <span class="hljs-keyword">but</span> <span class="hljs-keyword">not</span> interested <span class="hljs-keyword">in</span>. The reason I’ve been more active <span class="hljs-keyword">on</span> your stories <span class="hljs-keyword">is</span> <span class="hljs-keyword">that</span> I am seeing them more because I’ve cut <span class="hljs-keyword">the</span> clutter <span class="hljs-keyword">on</span> most <span class="hljs-keyword">of</span> <span class="hljs-keyword">my</span> followers.</pre></div><div id="e3a4"><pre>The reason I stuck <span class="hljs-keyword">with</span> following mostly publications <span class="hljs-keyword">is</span> because <span class="hljs-keyword">it</span> offers <span class="hljs-keyword">me</span> a wide range <span class="hljs-keyword">of</span> authors I don’t follow <span class="hljs-keyword">to</span> <span class="hljs-built_in">read</span>. Plus, most publications offer <span class="hljs-keyword">me</span> a curated reading experience within <span class="hljs-keyword">my</span> interests.</pre></div><div id="6d1f"><pre>My aim <span class="hljs-keyword">is</span> <span class="hljs-keyword">to</span> <span class="hljs-keyword">get</span> <span class="hljs-keyword">my</span> following <span class="hljs-built_in">count</span> down <span class="hljs-keyword">to</span> <span class="hljs-number">100</span> <span class="hljs-keyword">or</span> less. When I joined, I followed everyone who liked <span class="hljs-keyword">my</span> stories <span class="hljs-keyword">and</span> left comments, <span class="hljs-keyword">but</span> <span class="hljs-keyword">not</span> everyone who reacts <span class="hljs-keyword">to</span> stories <span class="hljs-keyword">is</span> a writer I want <span class="hljs-keyword">to</span> follow <span class="hljs-keyword">or</span> are active writers <span class="hljs-keyword">on</span> <span class="hljs-keyword">the</span> platform.</pre></div><p id="6a79">Personally, for me, it comes down to reading and operating <a href="https://readm

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edium.com/how-finding-my-niche-helped-me-up-my-earnings-a21c8a4fded4">within my niche</a>. Because when I initially came onto the Medium platform, my aim was to connect. So, I connected with everyone and ended up sitting at close to 4,000 following. Almost 2,000 of those followers are my readers because I like to follow those who follow me, but not all of them write on this platform.</p><p id="1000">There are some that I know from my professional life that only have an account on here to read articles and occasionally blog. Others are other folks who simply read on Medium.</p><p id="ed80">My following list was filled with either the readers or writers of various content that I’m not so interested in. Now, I’m whittling it down so that I have a curated list of writers and articles that are suggested to me from within my niche and communities.</p><p id="9564">This has led to more genuine interactions and finding writers in my following list that are putting out interesting content. I still have a ways to go when it comes to cutting my list, but each day I unburden myself of a new shelf of writers that I no longer have to wade through.</p><p id="ffbe">Like I said in <i>Practices for Beginning Writers</i>, networking and reading are key components to success. By trimming my following list down to ~100, I’ll be able to read more content that I actually want to read and find writers and readers on the platform to grow my writing community.</p><div id="8b35" class="link-block"> <a href="https://writingcooperative.com/7-practices-beginning-writers-can-do-to-ensure-success-bd26ce0d5040"> <div> <div> <h2>7 Practices Beginning Writers Can Do to Ensure Success</h2> <div><h3>Advice from a professional writer and editor with pieces published in Vice, Tordotcom, Rue Morgue, and more</h3></div> <div><p>writingcooperative.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*mIooYvG5fBGJsq51b7g8PA.png)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="ac98" type="7">I’m curious on if you, dear reader, have been implementing any new changes to the way you use Medium? If so, please share in the comments. I’d love to hear what you’re doing and the results that you’ve seen.</p><p id="3088"><a href="https://three-crows.square.site/"><i>Aigner Loren Wilson</i></a><i> is a queer Black Science Fiction and Fantasy Writer of America, Horror Writer of America, and Codex writer. Her work has appeared in Tordotcom, Fiyah, Vice, and she is a Hugo Award finalist for her editing. <a href="https://mailchi.mp/d2ebcd43b182/q7mv72xipe">Subscribe for access </a>to masterclass courses in writing, editing, and making a living as a creative.</i></p></article></body>

Why I’m Unfollowing 97% of the People I Follow

And the world of difference it makes to my feed and reading experience.

Writer James Calderon and I have been recently discussing our new approaches to the platform in hopes of fostering more of a connection with our readers and other writers. He started to unfollow publications.

When I came back to Medium[,] publications ruled my homepage, my suggestions, pretty much everything. I’m still working on building up my following and followed lists[,] and I thought that a good mix of people and publications would be the way to go [...]

Until I started to see a trend that all my article suggestions were overwhelmingly focused on showing publications. Considering that some people I found to follow already write for these publications, [what] I ended up with was a list that seemed to exclude the non-publication writers [...] Effectively hiding them from getting any real estate in my Medium experience.

How intriguing! With so many writers out there talking about how much they make, going viral, how to spread their reach through publications, here’s a writer talking about stepping away from those publications so that he can actually engage, write, and work on Medium.

Actions in line with purpose.

That inspired me to share my own new practice of unfollowing most of the people that I follow while sticking to only following publications and a few select writers that were getting drowned out by content mill writers. It’s allowed me to start connecting with people on the platform that I wasn’t able to see before.

In the past, I’d get nothing but the same 5–7 writers on my homepage who were publishing 3+ articles a day. Not all good, mind you. Nor all that I was interested in. There was a lot of repeat content and a general air of inauthenticity.

I missed out on writing by writers that I’ve come to form a working and personal bond with like Carla D. Wilson Laskey. And I get to see more stories by writers that were getting drowned out like James, Lover Boy in Space, and Nia Simone McLeod.

In conversation with James, I was able to dig at what my purpose and intent were—which if you know me, I’m all about moving and acting with intent.

Me in response to James' article:

My mindset behind it was that a lot of the people that I follow don’t publish frequently enough to rank high on my feed, so I never got to see them. I was stuck with the same content mill writers that I was following but not interested in. The reason I’ve been more active on your stories is that I am seeing them more because I’ve cut the clutter on most of my followers.

The reason I stuck with following mostly publications is because it offers me a wide range of authors I don’t follow to read. Plus, most publications offer me a curated reading experience within my interests.

My aim is to get my following count down to 100 or less. When I joined, I followed everyone who liked my stories and left comments, but not everyone who reacts to stories is a writer I want to follow or are active writers on the platform.

Personally, for me, it comes down to reading and operating within my niche. Because when I initially came onto the Medium platform, my aim was to connect. So, I connected with everyone and ended up sitting at close to 4,000 following. Almost 2,000 of those followers are my readers because I like to follow those who follow me, but not all of them write on this platform.

There are some that I know from my professional life that only have an account on here to read articles and occasionally blog. Others are other folks who simply read on Medium.

My following list was filled with either the readers or writers of various content that I’m not so interested in. Now, I’m whittling it down so that I have a curated list of writers and articles that are suggested to me from within my niche and communities.

This has led to more genuine interactions and finding writers in my following list that are putting out interesting content. I still have a ways to go when it comes to cutting my list, but each day I unburden myself of a new shelf of writers that I no longer have to wade through.

Like I said in Practices for Beginning Writers, networking and reading are key components to success. By trimming my following list down to ~100, I’ll be able to read more content that I actually want to read and find writers and readers on the platform to grow my writing community.

7 Practices Beginning Writers Can Do to Ensure Success

Advice from a professional writer and editor with pieces published in Vice, Tordotcom, Rue Morgue, and more

writingcooperative.com

I’m curious on if you, dear reader, have been implementing any new changes to the way you use Medium? If so, please share in the comments. I’d love to hear what you’re doing and the results that you’ve seen.

Aigner Loren Wilson is a queer Black Science Fiction and Fantasy Writer of America, Horror Writer of America, and Codex writer. Her work has appeared in Tordotcom, Fiyah, Vice, and she is a Hugo Award finalist for her editing. Subscribe for access to masterclass courses in writing, editing, and making a living as a creative.