There are a lot of people on Medium writing to make money.
Is that a bad thing?
Well, not for the writer.
But for the reader? Oftentimes, it is.
And here’s why:
Self-Interested Articles Often Reek of Desperation
Here’s what I mean by that.
When someone pumps out article after article hoping to strike gold, you can tell.
Words and ideas get slapped together without cohesion. Thoughts and sentences run on and get repeated. And, for better or worse (mostly worse), there’s a real lack of rhythm and flow.
It just feels desperate.
You know what I’m talking about.
The worst part?
When a reader senses that desperation, there’s a good chance they won’t be coming back for more.
You lost them. And you lost them for good.
ALWAYS keep this in mind.
Now, don’t get me wrong…
There’s a time and a place for self-interested writing. Personal blogs, journals, books, novels, you name it. But on a platform like Medium, the reader must always come first.
What are your reader’s pains?
What problems do they want to solve?
What keeps them up at night anxious and worrying?
When you start there — with your reader’s problems first — you become a ‘welcome guest’ in their world.
They want to read what you have to say. They want to devour everything you write. They want to become your fan and return for every single article you publish.
Why? Because you’re focusing on them and not on you.
THAT’S what makes all the difference.
So the next time you sit down to write an article, ask yourself:
“Am I writing this to serve me, or the people who read it?”
If it’s only for you, then I think it’s time to readjust.
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And when you’re ready 