Medium Has A New Platform For Writers, But This Jury Is Still Out...

I am trying out Medium's new platform. If you haven't heard, they are taking a different approach to pay-for-performance writing. Creatives can either post articles for the general public in exchange for building a following or post content exclusively for Medium's paid members and earn based on your article's popularity.

It's too soon for me to tell how lucrative it might be, but I have been able to import evergreen articles from my portfolio. This platform seems to be a pretty cool way to hone your skills, test out your content, and build your following.

Yesterday I posted a long-form personal essay that wasn't "quite the right fit" for the publication I pitched entitled, "Milroy was here: The story of how my cankles drove me to otherwise become an overachiever." Thought I would share an excerpt of it here.

If it catches your fancy, consider reading the entire post on Medium. If you don't want to join Medium, let me know in the comments below. If I get 25 or more requests, I'll post the essay in its entirety here. Either way, I appreciate your continued support!

Keep your pen to the paper! Remember, inspiration is everywhere...

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"Out of nowhere, when I was 10 years old, my left foot ballooned. It wasn’t the result of an allergy attack or a sports injury and I didn’t have a known chronic ailment as a precursor. For reasons unknown, I had developed this swollen foot and calf and nobody could tell me why.

"This would be the beginning of a journey into endless prodding, needle pricks, and blood tests which yielded very little in the way of a reason why it happened. What I did know was that on top of being the tallest and thinnest Black girl in my class, I was now also the weirdest.

"Being deformed all of a sudden immediately began to shape my self-worth. There was something wrong with me and maybe I wouldn’t be accepted for who I was when people found out. Dressing the way normal people do in shorts, dresses, sandals, and flats put my feet on front street. I had to find a way to compensate for my flaw.

"I was well into my adult years before I could give my condition a name. Doctors scratched their heads trying to figure out how I could be on the planet for over 10 years before it manifested itself. They called it lymphedema, which is just swelling due to a blockage in my lymphatic system.

"Trying to explain my diagnosis to the average person, especially fifth and sixth-graders, only caused me more angst and frustration. Now I know that what I have is called Milroy’s disease. It is a congenital defect and if anyone wants to know more, I can just tell them to Google it..."

How My Article On Terry Crews Became A Top News Story

Our success as writers is rooted in creating strong content. But how good is a story if nobody reads it?

In the digital world, if Google or Bing doesn't pick up your story then your readership will be significantly lower. And let's face it--we live in a world where news has to be delivered quickly and concisely.

After all, the news cycle waits for no one. If writers can't boast authorship of a couple of viral clips, then the chances of getting more work are reduced significantly.

I recently completed a writer's internship at the Inquisitr and became a regular contributor. Compensation for freelance contributors is based solely on article performance. In other words, the more folks read and share your work, the more you get paid.

The good news is that there are residual earnings for every news story you write. So as long as you are active on the site and a minimum number of people click through and read your stories, you can make money.

I was excited today to do a quick Google search on Terry Crews just to see if there were any updates to the story I wrote on March 12 entitled, "The Criminal Complaint Terry Crews Filed Against Adam Venit Has Been Tossed By The LA County District Attorney." To my surprise, my article appeared in the search engine results as a top story.

Giving credit where credit is due, the Inquisitr does a really good job of teaching its writers SEO strategies and social media promotion that will help give articles more reach. It makes me feel pretty good to see my efforts paying off.

A few tips to try include strong use of keywords in titles, subtitles, and article text; appropriate tags; a great lead image that is properly sourced and captioned; appropriate article length for your targeted audience; and, as always, writing a great story.

Once you publish the story and editing is complete, start sharing to your social sites and groups wherever appropriate.

Know that this kind of writing platform is a marathon, not a sprint. If you are looking for a get-rich-quick scheme, this ain't it. However, the Inquisitr has been a great place to hone my skills as a news writer and learn some best practices on promoting my work. I'll let you know how it goes. :)

In the meantime, feel free to get caught up on my musings over there by following this link to my author page. If you see something that interests you, give it a read. If you have a friend or two who might want to read it, feel free to share. Thanks in advance!

Keep your pen to the paper! Remember, inspiration is everywhere...

Can You Really Make a Living from Writing?

This is a question that lovers of the pen ask all of the time. For many writers, being able to express themselves using the written word is as necessary as breathing. I sincerely believe that all knowledge and experience is meant to be shared and writing is an effective outlet for doing so. But, how can we take what we love to do and get paid to do it?

Let me say first of all that the most consistent piece of advice I have ever heard about making a living from writing is: Don't quit your day job. And if you don't have one, then get one. If possible, choose a profession that will feed your writing. Non-fiction writers probably have an easier time achieving this scenario because their education and careers are their platforms. They write about their areas of expertise. A fiction writer, however, may draw inspiration in more indirect ways. Consider a defense attorney who is a budding children's writer. She might coach a little league team, be a scout den mother, or volunteer at her children's school. Maybe the stories she writes have underlying lessons about the importance of making good decisions and deciding to do the right thing in the face of adversity. The key is to use everyday life experiences to generate story ideas.

Once you can pay your bills, diversify your sources of income using your writing skills. If you have a great eye for detail, consider freelance editing, proofreading, or copy editing. Contribute to other blog sites by selling web content. Consider self-publishing an e-book on subjects related to your author platform. (For example, a romance writer might write a niche book on dating after divorce or the loss of a spouse.) Most importantly continue to work on your own projects. All of your side jobs will build your author platform, but eventually you will have to produce a finished manuscript for publication to somebody.

Who knows? You might become the next big thing in the publishing world. But until that time arrives, resist the urge to place all of your eggs in one basket. Create a balanced plan, be consistent, be patient, and keep writing!

Keep your pen to the paper! Remember, inspiration is everywhere...

Publishing Is Tough, but Are You Going to Quit NOW?

No matter how difficult your circumstances become, life goes on.  The fact that the housing market has reached all-time lows doesn't mean that people no longer need a place to live. And while it is getting more difficult to find jobs and earn a living, we all still have to find ways to meet our basic needs. And for those of us who seek to reach some level of success in the publishing industry, it is too easy to focus on all of the current challenges. People do still read, (believe it or not) and they are looking for new voices, great stories, and helpful information. The world still needs writers. In order to meet the needs of the readers, we must find ways to adapt--that is what the most successful people do.

Realtors, brokers, and home builders all agree that it is tougher to sell homes due to the economy, unemployment rates, and the subsequent flood of lower-priced inventory available. One thing they know is that when everything is all said and done, people still need a roof over their heads. So to survive, they adapt. They find new ways to market properties and make them stand out from the rest (polish your manuscript). They become more knowledgeable about financing to help qualify their clients (study the industry and step up your game). They use modern technology and social networking (build your platform). Many cater to a niche market (identify and connect with potential readers). They are creative, aggressive, innovative, and they stay in the game (emulate all of these things). Success in publishing is no different.

I believe that now is an exciting time to be a writer. There are so many avenues to publish your work from blogging, to freelance writing, to self-publishing, and, of course, traditional publishing. Writers can have the best of both worlds. Rejected manuscripts no longer have to sit in a desk drawer or be archived on a computer hard drive. Writers can generate interest in their work, publish it, and promote it with the possibility of still landing that elusive book deal. If you have a great product, a vision for it, a clear plan, and you are willing to roll up your sleeves, it is possible to be successful in the face of adversity. But, you have to believe it and you have to keep your shoulder to the plow.

Check out literary agent Rachelle Gardner's post, "Is the Sky Falling?", where she advises us all to "pull on our grown-up pants and deal with it". There will always be challenges. Life is full of them. 
Are you going to quit now?