You Need A Read Buddy To Make Money

A read-for-read community is like a rainbow that beautifies the horizon.

The Gold Rush

The first question is, why are you here? The motive must define pursuit. For most, it's how to make a livelihood of doing what they love most —writing. An income stream from a passion oriented goal is as good as it gets.

In August 2021, Medium could do no wrong by announcing a staggering 60,000 US dollars for Medium Writers' Challenge winner. This initiative caused a worldwide stir, and the dividends were apparent. The influx of new members agog with the possibility of a lifetime jackpot further reinvigorated the brand.

I'm one of the many inclusions. But, after turning the page on an unsuccessful outing at the Medium Writers' Challenge, I set my sights on improving my trade. Instead, by reading multiple posts, I discovered pitfalls in my writing. There are so many super writers to learn from, and I got to business sharpening my skills.

Though I'm not eligible on the MPP, my consideration is to get better, build an audience, have fun for now. So, as an onlooker, more or less, I can stand from an eagle's eye view to knock some common sense into aspiring writers. There's no shortcut to the algorithm if you want to make money here.

These are a few of my recommendations:

Select Your Team

Your team is not necessarily those who follow you. And I don't mean you necessarily need a large following. There might be a significant number that followed you of different interests. These writers have their passion stocked up somewhere at variance with yours. For example, a person who writes about relationships may not be predisposed to reading content about technology or passionate.

Irrespective of the fact that people have multiple interests, usually there is a preference. So, you might have a following of 1000, but less than 200 read your posts. They just followed you for the following sake.

Amidst controversy, I strongly advocate for following back because courtesy demands it. So if someone follows me, I will follow back to reciprocate the kind gesture. If, in the long run, we find out there is a lack of mutuality, the relationship remains on the fringes regarding engagement, but we are still open to sharing ideas and potential reads.

It's essential to select writers with shared interests and build your team. Then, your read-buddies will subscribe to you, look for your posts and engage enthusiastically.

Quality and Quantity

It's common knowledge that Medium promotes the writing of their top writers to a larger audience; that's why their articles go viral internally and externally. They recommend you to follow them because they're top-rated. These writers are vested with content and have proven themselves over time.

So, stop kidding yourself; until you get there, you must find an alternative strategy to build numbers and reap. Write as much as you can. But remember, your writing must be attractive. Build up your brand through qualitative posts. Once your script is top-notch, people will be attracted and look out for the next post.

There's no shortcut to stardom. You have to write and write and write. Have you noticed the top writes churn out multiple posts per week? They have their sights on the algorithm too. If they can work hard, we should be ready twice as hard.

Don't Assume a Superstar Writer Status.

Just because one or two of your articles went viral and Medium tagged a top writer doesn't make you one in the true sense. A leading writer, by my definition, is one with a consistent, substantial income.

People might love your posts, and you get traffic from hundreds of readers. But, that's not enough to sit back and feel you've arrived. As much as they love your writing, everyone who signed up on Medium to write wants their work read. My candid advice if someone engages in your essay, you should return the favour. When you read back, you build a relationship that will stand the test of time.

If you sit back and wait for them to come to you only, you'll stifle your growth. But, by reading posts, highlighting, clapping, and responding to them, you'll encourage your audience to deepen their support. So, if you're humble enough to engage with them, you will become their lifelong read buddies.

It's a Game of Reads

The more, the merrier. A reading buddy will ensure you a substantial amount of reads. It's all about sharing love and concern for one another in the spirit of camaraderie.

If we support one another by seeking each other's welfare, reading each other's posts, acknowledging credible writing, clapping and following one another, we will beat the algorithm. United we earn handsomely, isolated we languish in petty cash struggles.

Having a cross-section of reading pals will guarantee access to a pavilion of trustworthiness. In addition, you can depend on a regular income stream through your reading buddy channels.

Celebrate Your Read-Buddy

There are different ways to honour your reading buddy, but the most fundamental is responding with comments. It's alright to clap and highlight, but statements give a deeper level of interaction. Well-thought-out comments substantiate the value you've placed on your reading buddy. It diagnoses inner reflections and ascribes meaning to the content.

Acknowledge your read-buddy wherever the opportunity. It gladdens the heart to be recognised by a comrade. After all, we're in it together in this rat race. We know a relevant post comes with sacrificial hours of attention, revised drafts until the final product. We toil on our passion regardless of busy schedules, which pals should respect.

A shoutout is the icing on the cake. It sweetens the relationship and has a palatable appeal. It's a commitment to advertise each other in a fair, honest appraisal of achievements. When you tow this path, inadvertently, you're the most significant benefactor, getting recognition for recognising others.

Your reading buddy will remain indebted for this show of gratitude and will support you relentlessly.

So, if you want me as your reading buddy, please let me know. I'll be glad to follow you, read your articles and boost your algorithm.

Hi, I'm Uwem Daniels! I'm an educator and writer from Nigeria. I share my experiences on Medium, and I'm reaching out to the less privileged. Unfortunately, the Medium Partner Program is unavailable in my country. I'd appreciate it if you could buy me a coffee as a token of support! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/uwemdaniels