Falling Short - The Failures of Writing

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Avatar for Pantera
3 years ago
Topics: Writing, Change, Choices, Stories, Books, ...

Being writers, we find unique and amazing topics and present them to the billions using the internet. We strive to make it work the best way possible. Putting in hours and some even days to create just five-minutes of reading time material. We polish our work, present the subject without missing valuable information, and try to make it interesting.

And yet, most times we cannot attract views or a new audience. We are no celebrities, and we don’t have thousands of followers on our social media that genuinely follow us for our content.

We all have written articles we felt proud of. These articles may contain valuable information, and we present them with the best approach possible. Still, we find them always buried below the millions of daily articles published by established media and high-profile authors.

We always wonder if we have what it takes. Maybe the title and the description we went with were not SEO compatible, or perhaps the right people didn’t read it. It gets depressing when our work is constantly underappreciated.

But it gets even worse when we find our ideas used with a slightly different approach by high-profile content creators.

We had a great idea, presented it to the world, and it failed. But the same idea, with a slightly different approach to our story, becomes great content for the established content creators.

This is when we failed twice.

Numbers Matter More

Source

Imagine writing in 2019 about the possibility of a virus pandemic spreading through the entire planet with nations entering prolonged lockdowns in panic.

That would be science fiction for 2019. And probably our article would attract a mere hundred views and a couple of likes. We are insignificant, and no matter the uniqueness and validity of our claims, this seems to be the only outcome.

Although, it can get worse. What if the same content was reproduced, in 2019 again, by a high-profile YouTuber with millions of subscribers?

That would cause concern then, since the internet doesn’t care for the content of someone with 200 followers but will respect the opinion of the social media influencers.

It is all that matters today, the numbers and not the quality. Not the originality of content, and not the information we bring.

A Popularity Contest Instead of Quality of Information

Source

The same topic failed when we presented it since nobody bothered to read it, but only our strong fanbase. We have a small follower base, but we cherish it and aim to increase it.

However, even if we produce top-quality work, the rewards will almost always be leftovers. There is simply no recognition, no matter the importance and uniqueness of our work.

We all have presented great thoughts and they may have reached a few hundred views at Medium or other blogs, but rarely make it past this point.

And one morning, we find the same unique idea we covered previously, being replicated by a popular author at Medium. Slightly altered but containing a similar value in the distributed information.

This is how the internet works. Our articles mostly achieve low attention, but the same concepts presented by a popular content creator will reach tens of thousands of reads and appreciative comments.

The internet is simply giving us a middle finger right in front of our screen.

Telling us we had something there, but it didn’t really matter; someone else established and famous will always make it sound and look better.

I know I can’t professionally compete with anyone. I’m not even fluent in English and use various word processors to correct my grammar and vocabulary mistakes.

What I focus on is the details of subjects that I completely understand. This is barely the case with popular content creators. They just did a couple of hours of research on a few topics and are more focused on the presentation itself rather than the content.

Dealing with Failure

Source

Probably many writers are having the same thoughts, so what are the options?

Realize we should quit.

Why should we keep writing anyway? We have been doing nothing but giving new ideas to the popular content creators. They will grab parts of what we write and become heroes by presenting their new, unique and amazing content to the internet. They will get all the glory and all we are becoming is a just another source for their next content.

Continue what we do and pray for something to change.

Hope that one day we will get recognition for our hundreds of articles and perhaps find a follower base we deserve. Maybe though, this is the top of our abilities. Maybe we lack the skills and the quality to grow beyond this point.

Keep creating content, but test new grounds.

Probably the best approach would be this one. Keep exploring new grounds, new ideas, focus on bringing the top content possible, and focus on creating the best experience for the reader.

In conclusion

Source

I am not going to bend and will never misinform my audience in my posts. While I am not creating video content I have still examined the approach of various video content creators and it is frequently dishonest towards the millions of their followers.

The interest shown by the most popular YouTubers towards educating their audience is superficial, and this becomes evident when we research the same topics in depth.

Even when we have already explored a topic and suddenly find a similar article or video by a popular personality, we will find a distorted view of the topic and too many valuable details will be omitted.

It becomes difficult to proceed and from what I've observed so far, the logic of exploiting Google's SEO algorithm has become more important than the content itself.

  • Originally published at Hive (Proof of Brain)


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3 years ago
Topics: Writing, Change, Choices, Stories, Books, ...

Comments

Celebrities are influencers, even if you are the one that has the original content they claim they wrote, no one might still believe cause the fans are blinded by the game of the celebrities and they believe everything they say/write

$ 0.05
3 years ago

Not nice thing to do, though. For example, when I find a great new idea, I will at least give links at the bottom as a source of inspiration. Ortherwise it looks like just vultures hunting for weak prey.

$ 0.00
3 years ago

Yeah. It's always good to give credit to the source, most people don't know that when you give credit to the source, you are giving them reasons to keep on grinding more.

Feedbacks is really help

$ 0.00
3 years ago

It has always been this way, even long before the Internet. And I suspect it will continue to be this way. The ONLY consolation is that now we have the opportunity to have an audience at all these days. Back in the day it was someone high atop a corporate publishing house who got to make all the decisions about who got heard and who didn't. And that meant most people were NOT heard at all, unless someone got lucky enough to get something in the "Letters to the Editor" section of some magazine or local newspaper.

BUT, as you mentioned, it DOES also present other problems now that anyone can publish anything—and that's that anyone can publish anything. And some folks will use bits and pieces of something not as polished, tweak it, and run with it as their own. Some will take MORE than that, and use it to reach an entirely different audience than the one who follows you.

I will only say this. So long as I can write, and so long as I can reach a few sets of eyes, and even make a few bucks in the process, this is enough to satisfy me. I am aware of all of the problems the Internet poses, and that someone may claim my work and even potentially make a lot more money from it than I ever will.

In a way I consider this the trade-off, and since I cannot necessarily personally police it or do anything about it, I just go on about my business doing what I do and forget about the rest. To me it is not worth losing sleep over.

$ 0.00
3 years ago

Your article came from the heart and that is why it sits in the heart of every reader, you told the facts and unfortunately this injustice can be seen in all fields in the life, the same story about stronger and weaker, I wish you success Because your ability in writing and telling the facts is commendable...

$ 0.05
3 years ago

Hey! Thanks for this. I am not entirely sure I transmit the information the best way possible. I'm trying though.

$ 0.00
3 years ago

The constant pursuit of excellence and perseverance are the foundations for success in any discipline. In the case of writers, it requires looking for your passion (your niche), keeping yourself researching on related topics. Have a contents plan. And discipline yourself in the exercise of writing about what you are passionate about. Thanks for writing

$ 0.05
3 years ago

Thanks for the tips. It is as you put it without too much thinking. Research is important to stay ahead of all developements and be ready to explain everything to others.

$ 0.00
3 years ago

Hey, you sound a bit down and depressed. Are you alright man? is there something I can do for you? The article is great by the way, and it all couldn't be more true. Except for one little thing, in my case. You said " It gets depressing when our work is constantly underappreciated." which isn't true for me. What I post is always something I would have written in any case, even if there'd be no readcash. So if something gets underappreciated, I actually would open up my huge warehouse for f****s to give and then reveil the warehouse to be completely empty. I'd do the same thing as when I would suddenly get 1000 subs and views. Write another article when I get I inspired to do so. It works for me, but your mileage may vary.

$ 0.20
3 years ago

Hey! I'm fine! Don't you worry! It is just some thoughts and some situations I notice, mostly outside of read.cash. It is related to top websites and how they behave differently today than in the previous years. Thanks for being supportive, I agree with your position on how to handle things.

$ 0.00
3 years ago

I didn't even know you weren't fluent in English! Your writing is excellent and I love to read your content.

I feel like you are right though. A lot of times it does turn into a popularity contest. I think for me, my choice will be to keep on at it though. I love doing it and I absolutely love having an outlet to drop my randomness. The earning is a wonderful motivation for me 🤪 thanks for sharing this 🌻

$ 0.05
3 years ago

Well, I'm not bad at English. I love the language and tried to learn it at a higher level. I hold an EU "C2 proficiency degree" in English which I passed with high scores. Still, I'm not that good when I speak the language. I will often get stuck trying to remember the word. I haven't exercised speaking at all, I'm just getting better at writing. I use tools like Grammarly to reduce mistakes. Although, I always try to review the draft and make more corrections before I publish it. Often I will make corrections after publishing since it can always be better.

$ 0.00
3 years ago

There was a time I came across an article about the death of Don Meon some years ago but he wasn't dead.

Lots of so bloggers published it and went on saying shit, the man eventually came online to share his picture and the truth was revealed but within that short period, bloggers got the attention and got subscribed despite misleading the public. People wouldn't have believed it if it was just a common writer who wrote that.

I really don't blame those writers who do shit with their writeup just to gain attention, the audience that is following blindly and ignoring quality from someone else is also empowering them.

$ 0.00
3 years ago

I refrain from You Tube as much as possible. It caters to the elite and worst of all, it is rife with censorship. Here on read.cash there are people who lack proper grammatical abilities who take ideas from good writers and reuse their ideas. In a twist of fate, these people, who are essentially plagiarizing, earn more money and rarely tip.

As for You Tube, I dismiss it and rather go to other alt media video sites that do not censor: Odysee, Banned Video and the like.

$ 0.00
3 years ago

You are right that writing style should not change... we are all unique and appreciated for what we offer in a post

$ 0.10
3 years ago

Well No doubt it requires energy and handwork. But you don't have to be depressed. It's OK dear. You look a bit upset. Just chill and don't let such thought like quiting or exiting near you. Just keep going.

$ 0.00
3 years ago

Lol! No, I'm not upset, this is just thoughts about what I observed from top publication and video websites. Which part did you notice being upsetting? By the way, who are you? Have we interacted previously? Lol. Sorry, I don't quite remember meeting you before.

$ 0.00
3 years ago

Not an easy task to please everyone with our writing. Everyone has their own interests. But as mentioned when our hard work is being utilized by someone else in a different form and when it receives more recognition, it really hurts. Cos in most social platforms identity takes over than quality. May be one day we all will have a chance to win. Let's hope for the best.

$ 0.08
3 years ago

How those amazing points came into your mind? Every points are so important and valuable. Dealings with failure, numbers matter more i mean it's one word " Impeccable ".

$ 0.06
3 years ago

We spent hours in writing a single article and sometimes we are even short of ideas to write , but still we managed to write one per day. But how hurt it feels when we are unable to attract the audience, who only go for high profiles users. I hope this perspective could change soon.

$ 0.05
3 years ago

Take for example your experience at social media. Some idiot with followers will write Bitcoin to the moon and get 15 thousand upvotes. If someone random with 100 organic followers writes it, he will get 5 upvotes maximum and Twitter will not even show the post to his/her friends. The same is at Medium. You write an article, get 100 views in a couple of days. Maybe if the article trends at Google you get 1000. Yet, the top writers whatever bullshit they come up with will attract tens of thousands of views. It is just about networking, having the most connections, and nothing else. Nobody cares about the content. People are not thinking. Maybe, I should completely dumb down my posts to the point of apes being able to understand them. This would certainly attract the normies.

$ 0.00
3 years ago

I agree with you, this all because of connections, no body cares for quality.

$ 0.00
3 years ago

Estoy en total conecto contigo bello amigo hoy día importa mas la fama y seguidores asi no sea bueno el contenido mientras que otros con muy buena calidad en sus contenidos incluso instructivos ni los miran. Es increíble y doloroso. Inclusive muchos llegan a frustrarse. Linda mañana de sábado te deseo. Mis saludos desde Cuba. Y mi fuerte beso.

$ 0.00
3 years ago

Greetings my friend. I really like to write. I like to tell my experiences and give as tips for the reader. I do it everywhere. On some platforms they read more than others. But in the end I don't get much attention from those who read without understanding the subject. But I still keep writing because I like it.

$ 0.05
3 years ago

I also like it, in fact I love it. But I'm very often thinking that maybe it is not worth it anymore. Maybe I should just work 12 hours daily again. Since, the internet, works just to bait us into hoping that one day something will change, but this hope seems to be very distant dream.

$ 0.00
3 years ago

But I think we should do things for the passion we feel when we do them. It doesn't matter if someone is interested in what you wrote. Let me explain. We like to write, we get things off our chest. If someone finds what you wrote interesting, then thank you. But if nobody likes you, at least you are satisfying your need to write. I like what I do. I am rewarded for it. Some people like it and many don't even bat an eye. I keep doing what I love.

$ 0.10
3 years ago

It isnt easy writing and seeing no appreciation, thats why I dont blame people who quit. We do research, we clarify if the information is true then we spend hours creating a story for our audience. But no one cares how much effort you put. Your work can be copied and changed and you will see it somewhere else with more audience. It is truly sad but thats the reality.

$ 0.05
3 years ago

I've encountered what I wrote above in a few occassions. Some are looking in medium and other publications for new content and when they find something unique with very low viewers they just take the topic (with too many details already there for them) and just put it on display to their million followers. Not even considering mentioning their source, though. They just don't want too much competition.

$ 0.00
3 years ago

Yeah, but thats just society in a nutshell, stealing ideas from the poor and making your pockets richer!

$ 0.00
3 years ago

Yeah, but when we quit because of that they will just find junk to share.

$ 0.00
3 years ago

It sadden me the fact that established and famous content creator gets all the credit because of their huge fan base and not of the quality of their content. But hopefully this would not kill the fire in me to continue at least what I have started to this platform.

$ 0.05
3 years ago

I guess the individual's ideas are being subdued on a daily basis with the media's rather too hostile idea. As that is the case, then permit me to say thank you to @read.cash for hey have given the opportunity to exhibit our writing skills

$ 0.00
3 years ago

Indeed there are alot of things to consider when writing articles to attract more viewers and readers

$ 0.00
3 years ago