You’re Welcome New Writers
Because we were all beginners once
“Medium? What’s that?” I asked one swanky evening during a work-related conference on a rooftop in downtown Denver.
Little did I know that meeting that one girl at that one bar and having this one random conversation would open up a whole new world for me about one year later when I finally took the plunge.
But then again — that’s life.
As we play more in this game called life, as we risk more and dare more and explore more and show up more — new things open up and life unfolds in the direction of our dreams.
And so began my journey with writing on Medium; with saying all the things I have for so long wanted to say, with giving my words wings, with leaping into greater vulnerability through being known, with stretching and strengthening my writing muscles through trying new things like microfiction or writing my first poem which launched me into a love affair with haiku, and of course — with my Medium sisters and greater Medium-family.
The more I put myself out into the world of writing, the more I get to truly be known and the more magic that unfolds. You don’t need to believe in signs or manifesting or the law of attraction, but the simple truth is that when we show up for what’s important to us, relentlessly and with focused attention, cultivating relationships, putting our name and our words out into the world, more things happen than when we do not — that’s just life.
You don’t have to have 10,000 followers on Medium and 17,000 on Twitter for little miracles to show up — but if you truly want to be known — you do need to get out there, have a presence, and connect.
I have been a Medium-writer for eight months. I have 1000ish followers here and just over 300 on Twitter (a platform I can’t quite get into), and these numbers pale in comparison to many others, but I continue to put myself out there — risking and trusting in the value of my words.
As I continue to risk, unattached to outcome, the world continues to respond.
In the last week alone, I had an invitation to speak on a radio show, an editor/publisher reached out on Twitter to ask if I was writing a book (a longtime dream now being nudged by my social media community), a fellow Medium-writer asked if I might contribute to his book, and a wellness website reached out to see if I might write or publicize with them! Wait, what? This week alone! I’ve already had one Television spot since I started writing on Medium to talk about Dating Myself and one zoom-talk with a group of 50 women out of state on self-care!
I put myself out there and I say yes to new opportunities — always yes first!
While I lived much of my thirties held back by fear, I have found my voice again through my writing — giving not just my words, but also myself, wings to fly and to soar into the life I imagine!
Today I am a Yes to life, with writing as the catalyst for the more I live my life full out — the more I have to write, and the more I write full out — the more I feel alive!
Writing and life go hand in hand, inviting us to challenge ourselves, to risk, to dare, and to share ourselves — to be known!
Below are 3 simple ways to increase your reach with your Medium-writing, to be known, and to give your words more wings.
Join Medium Facebook Groups
Most Medium Facebook groups are designed to share work but they can also be great hangouts for like-minded writers to support one another and connect!
There are many Medium-related groups and I do not recommend joining every single one for you will be exhausted and drained. I recommend starting with 3–5 groups and seeing which ones you like best. You will see that some groups are more participatory and community-like than others and you will have to trust your instincts and see where you best fit in.
Whichever groups you land in, remember that it’s a give and take, as is with any relationship.
You want more people to read your work? Read theirs too, and while you’re at it — highlight, comment, and clap a lot because you have endless claps at your disposal! My general rule is — if I like it and it’s written well — I clap 50 — because why not?!
Give of yourself, and you shall receive in return.
My favorite Medium Facebook groups that consistently offer daily sharing opportunities, and cultivate community, are Medium Writers Lounge, Womxn of Medium, and The POM: Together, we grow (for writers who publish in Poets on Medium). Other publications I write for that also have engaging Facebook groups include Invisible Illness, Age of Empathy, and P.S. I Love You.
Find the groups that are right for you — but definitely join some groups and amplify your reach.
Join Twitter
My friends consider me the social media queen, and while I do have Facebook and Instagram down and do my share of oversharing, I can’t seem to figure out Twitter. It just isn’t intuitive enough for me. Regardless, I’m on it, and I share my Medium-writing there, as well as my writers’ work.
I use Twitter to connect with other writers, both on and off Medium, as well as editors, publishers, and agents and I follow famous writers too.
My Twitter following is tiny (330), but organic. It helps drive more writers to my work and more readers = more followers = more engagement = more money sometimes = more being known!
It was on Twitter that I got a random message from a random editor/publisher who just wondered if I was writing a book. She has 168K followers! I have 330. We are Twitter friends! You never know.
Join Twitter and put the little blue bird on your Medium profile to connect with other Medium writers, to amplify other writers (through original posts or retweets, #RT), and to simply give your words bigger wings.
Support other writers
This is not a new concept, but the more you read and follow other writers, the more you invest, the more you will get out of the Medium community.
Medium is much more than merely a publishing platform, though it can be that if that is all you want. But if you want it to be more, simply be willing to put more in. The possibilities are endless.
Spend time not just posting in Facebook groups, or on Twitter, but also read others’ work that interests you. Don’t get sucked into the clap for clap mentality (you will see some of this on some Facebook groups), but rather read what interests you and clap abundantly for work that you enjoy. Leave encouraging comments for your fellow writers if you like their work, as they will do for you.
While there are mean people everywhere and I have been bullied on the platform in the past (thankfully Medium has a fabulous and supportive tech-support), overall the Medium community has felt like one big hug to me — a coming home where I get to be my true self, held by loving, supportive arms and fellow humans on our collective journey of becoming.
I have not only found a tribe of fellow writers that support and challenge me and nudge me towards my book-writing dreams, but I have also found friends here — real, human connections with others who are willing to be known — and for all of this — I am beyond grateful.
So give your words wings and then stretch them out big and wide, amplify their reach, and fly!
I wrote this piece with my new Being Known writers in mind who are brand new to the platform; Haikuster, Sтepн Tнoмpѕoɴ, Efron Koen, MFA, MA — your writing is stunning and deserves more eyes! And for those of you more seasoned writers, hope you’ll find a takeaway here too. Lastly, if you dare to write from the heart and want to be known with us — join us. We are taking new writers!