I'm not looking to become popular or gain followers. I only occasionally write, if I think I've come across something that would be really useful to others. When I do write, I put a lot of effort into it - if it's not clear and helpful, there's no point in writing in the first place.
The frustration in my rant (post) is about the same thing you just confirmed in this post: the fact that content does not subsist on it's own merit.
You have to actively curate your "brand", you have to strategically manipulate the "market" to get a word in.
I have zero interest in any of that. If my content was posted completely anonymously, but actually found the readers and helped them - if I never got any recognition for my work at all - I would be perfectly happy.
My only motivation and interest in writing is getting good ideas out there - my only hope is that maybe I can help make our line of work a little more enjoyable and interesting.
So, thanks, but I wasn't looking for a media strategy or a business plan.
Accessibility First DevRel. I focus on ensuring content created, events held and company assets are as accessible as possible, for as many people as possible.
I think I understood, I think perhaps I didn't express my agreement as much as I should of though.
Your key point "content does not subsist on it's own merit" is exactly the point I was trying to help people with. It would be amazing if that wasn't the case, but we don't control the game so we have to play along if we want the cream to rise to the top!
Your article was a catalyst for sharing my thoughts on how to grow, not whether that is appropriate for everyone (and that is a key point I really did express poorly / not explain well in the article).
It is a "you can't have your cake and eat it" type of scenario that I wish wasn't the case. Thousands of quality pieces do get buried under an avalanche of pandering listicles. I share all of your frustrations.
All my piece was meant to do (and I can see from the comments I failed in some ways) was highlight that we can't change the game on our own, neither can we place the blame on DEV for what people want to engage with, and give people a path to actually achieve growth for their work in a crowded place.
Instead we have to make a choice, play the game so we can get quality content in front of more eyeballs and put up with the fact that pandering is a part of growing to a point where we do have a voice and a way to get that quality content to "cut through the noise". Or we can just keep releasing things we believe have value and hope that we get lucky that someone who has played the game boosts our work.
Is it ideal? Nope! Would it be great if content was popular based on quality and merit? Absolutely!
Hopefully that clears up the bits that I did not make clear, at the end of the day the only outcome I really care about is that you continue to write the things you want to write about and if they don't get popular that it doesn't leave you frustrated to the point where you don't want to write anymore.
And from a personal perspective, your rant was useful for me, I may not have expressed myself well, but it is helping me formulate the points I made into a more succinct and well explained system that new writers can follow if they wish for growth and to build a platform for themselves.
So I consider that mission accomplished and am glad you shared the article, hopefully I continue to see your writing on the site and thank you for taking the time to come and comment, I hope we can have some engaging conversations about the topic...who knows we might come up with a solve for this seemingly impossible problem and finally "have our cake"! 😁
He/him, developer, builder of things both tangible and abstract, practitioner of yoga and ukulele... All-around complicated monkey.
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/tobyplaystheuke
This kind of makes me think of good old "Appleseed John," an American folk tale based in truth. In the early days of the American frontier, John Chapman started wandering along that frontier and beyond, finding areas where farms might be and planting apple seeds so folks might, when they finally got there, have fruits they knew waiting for them. He spent years doing that, and he's considered by many a folk hero for it.
But I've often wondered if he came back by years later, and saw his beloved apple trees being used for firewood.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to give to your fellow man, I applaud the intent and the sentiment. But if that is the case, if you're not "tending your garden," then is it a reasonable expectation that someone else should tend it for you?
My articles are nothing special, they're things of interest to me and to a very small group of like-minded nerds. But I am constantly working and reworking them, revisiting based on conversations, having follow-up articles based on those conversations, trying to "tend my garden". Not from a desire to build a brand, but because if I'm writing this stuff, I'm probably the one best able to curate the stuff. It isn't really reasonable to think that someone who doesn't have some sort of investment (even an intellectual or emotional one) will do that for me.
I get having zero interest in building a brand, I get not giving a rat's patootie about "strategically manipulating" anything. But from what I've seen, if I'm are interested in building awareness of the ideas I'm putting out there, I'm going to have to put in the work of consistently, regularly cultivating those ideas.
It bugs the crap out of me that I'm not getting more comments on my articles, but I do get feedback from folks who have read them elsewhere (notably, on a few discord groups). So I do have some idea of what's going on and how my ideas are hitting, but I do agree - I wish I could figure some way of increasing engagement and conversations, the way this thread has.
Accessibility First DevRel. I focus on ensuring content created, events held and company assets are as accessible as possible, for as many people as possible.
I love that story, it is a beautiful reminder to leave something for others in the future, to work towards bettering things long term (I like the short version which is "plant trees in whose shade you know you shall never sit").
Also the way you put the part about tending your garden and expectations that others should maintain it for you is a great analogy.
So I think what I have gathered from this thread is that there is a huge gap in the market for heavy duty agricultural equipment. Machines that mean we can tend to our fields with less effort and with greater yields.
We probably also need a farmers market so that we can sell our high quality produce without having to resort to adverts in the paper and signs by the side of the road.
OK, I think I have done the analogies to death there, but the core principles are there...there is a gap for quality content to be put in one place.
I suppose though, if you think about it from that perspective, the answer would be to build a site that is pure high quality content with a central marketing team and reputation.
We kind of have that with sites like CSS tricks, smashing magazine etc. so perhaps just an improved version of them that is half way between full editorial and a free to post what you like site is the answer.
So taking that to a (very long-winded) conclusion, perhaps the advice for people who want to write high quality pieces but not have tend their garden, for people who do not want to write regularly and aren't bothered about building a personal reputation that much, but instead sharing their valuable insights is to submit them to sites that pay for articles, or sites that curate high quality content and accept the trade-offs that entails?
I feel like I am just a couple of steps a way from a "how should you create and promote content" flowchart / decision tree at this stage 🤣
Loving all the ideas this article's comments section has within it, and the beautiful ways in which people have expressed themselves, such as in your comments Toby!
He/him, developer, builder of things both tangible and abstract, practitioner of yoga and ukulele... All-around complicated monkey.
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/tobyplaystheuke
In the not-too-distant past, I worked as a landscape crew foreman, ran a crew of guys handling care and maintenance. We had a number of folks who didn't want to have to work at their lawns and garden beds, but they wanted the pleasure of looking at them.
So it comes down to this, regardless of field: you will always invest something. You might invest your time and effort, or you might invest your money in other people's time and effort. If I want to get my word out there, I can keep promoting and hyping and selling myself, or I can affiliate or use someone else to do that for me.
I have tried to be fairly consistent and complete in the kind of writing I do, and I have to say that being accountable to my better half has helped tremendously. She helps keep me on task, writing new things, and helping spread the word. Just recently, on another article site to which I cross-post, a developer magazine asked if I'd consider listing my articles under their publication. Had to think about that one a bit.
But if I do, I still own my articles, my words are still my own, they are simply being affiliated with that ezine. Their editors review my stuff, correct typos, improve my SEO and help promote for me. I'm still working at it, I'm still doing the writing and responding thing, but I'm able to focus on the parts I want to do - because I remained constant and consistent in my message, and my delivery.
I don't like to market, I don't like to hype myself or talk about myself or being the center of attention like that. But I love teaching and sharing and writing. And by consistently regularly doing the things I love to do, I'm slowly starting to reap those rewards.
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I think maybe you've misunderstood me.
I'm not looking to become popular or gain followers. I only occasionally write, if I think I've come across something that would be really useful to others. When I do write, I put a lot of effort into it - if it's not clear and helpful, there's no point in writing in the first place.
The frustration in my rant (post) is about the same thing you just confirmed in this post: the fact that content does not subsist on it's own merit.
You have to actively curate your "brand", you have to strategically manipulate the "market" to get a word in.
I have zero interest in any of that. If my content was posted completely anonymously, but actually found the readers and helped them - if I never got any recognition for my work at all - I would be perfectly happy.
My only motivation and interest in writing is getting good ideas out there - my only hope is that maybe I can help make our line of work a little more enjoyable and interesting.
So, thanks, but I wasn't looking for a media strategy or a business plan.
I think I understood, I think perhaps I didn't express my agreement as much as I should of though.
Your key point "content does not subsist on it's own merit" is exactly the point I was trying to help people with. It would be amazing if that wasn't the case, but we don't control the game so we have to play along if we want the cream to rise to the top!
Your article was a catalyst for sharing my thoughts on how to grow, not whether that is appropriate for everyone (and that is a key point I really did express poorly / not explain well in the article).
It is a "you can't have your cake and eat it" type of scenario that I wish wasn't the case. Thousands of quality pieces do get buried under an avalanche of pandering listicles. I share all of your frustrations.
All my piece was meant to do (and I can see from the comments I failed in some ways) was highlight that we can't change the game on our own, neither can we place the blame on DEV for what people want to engage with, and give people a path to actually achieve growth for their work in a crowded place.
Instead we have to make a choice, play the game so we can get quality content in front of more eyeballs and put up with the fact that pandering is a part of growing to a point where we do have a voice and a way to get that quality content to "cut through the noise". Or we can just keep releasing things we believe have value and hope that we get lucky that someone who has played the game boosts our work.
Is it ideal? Nope! Would it be great if content was popular based on quality and merit? Absolutely!
Hopefully that clears up the bits that I did not make clear, at the end of the day the only outcome I really care about is that you continue to write the things you want to write about and if they don't get popular that it doesn't leave you frustrated to the point where you don't want to write anymore.
And from a personal perspective, your rant was useful for me, I may not have expressed myself well, but it is helping me formulate the points I made into a more succinct and well explained system that new writers can follow if they wish for growth and to build a platform for themselves.
So I consider that mission accomplished and am glad you shared the article, hopefully I continue to see your writing on the site and thank you for taking the time to come and comment, I hope we can have some engaging conversations about the topic...who knows we might come up with a solve for this seemingly impossible problem and finally "have our cake"! 😁
This kind of makes me think of good old "Appleseed John," an American folk tale based in truth. In the early days of the American frontier, John Chapman started wandering along that frontier and beyond, finding areas where farms might be and planting apple seeds so folks might, when they finally got there, have fruits they knew waiting for them. He spent years doing that, and he's considered by many a folk hero for it.
But I've often wondered if he came back by years later, and saw his beloved apple trees being used for firewood.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to give to your fellow man, I applaud the intent and the sentiment. But if that is the case, if you're not "tending your garden," then is it a reasonable expectation that someone else should tend it for you?
My articles are nothing special, they're things of interest to me and to a very small group of like-minded nerds. But I am constantly working and reworking them, revisiting based on conversations, having follow-up articles based on those conversations, trying to "tend my garden". Not from a desire to build a brand, but because if I'm writing this stuff, I'm probably the one best able to curate the stuff. It isn't really reasonable to think that someone who doesn't have some sort of investment (even an intellectual or emotional one) will do that for me.
I get having zero interest in building a brand, I get not giving a rat's patootie about "strategically manipulating" anything. But from what I've seen, if I'm are interested in building awareness of the ideas I'm putting out there, I'm going to have to put in the work of consistently, regularly cultivating those ideas.
It bugs the crap out of me that I'm not getting more comments on my articles, but I do get feedback from folks who have read them elsewhere (notably, on a few discord groups). So I do have some idea of what's going on and how my ideas are hitting, but I do agree - I wish I could figure some way of increasing engagement and conversations, the way this thread has.
I love that story, it is a beautiful reminder to leave something for others in the future, to work towards bettering things long term (I like the short version which is "plant trees in whose shade you know you shall never sit").
Also the way you put the part about tending your garden and expectations that others should maintain it for you is a great analogy.
So I think what I have gathered from this thread is that there is a huge gap in the market for heavy duty agricultural equipment. Machines that mean we can tend to our fields with less effort and with greater yields.
We probably also need a farmers market so that we can sell our high quality produce without having to resort to adverts in the paper and signs by the side of the road.
OK, I think I have done the analogies to death there, but the core principles are there...there is a gap for quality content to be put in one place.
I suppose though, if you think about it from that perspective, the answer would be to build a site that is pure high quality content with a central marketing team and reputation.
We kind of have that with sites like CSS tricks, smashing magazine etc. so perhaps just an improved version of them that is half way between full editorial and a free to post what you like site is the answer.
So taking that to a (very long-winded) conclusion, perhaps the advice for people who want to write high quality pieces but not have tend their garden, for people who do not want to write regularly and aren't bothered about building a personal reputation that much, but instead sharing their valuable insights is to submit them to sites that pay for articles, or sites that curate high quality content and accept the trade-offs that entails?
I feel like I am just a couple of steps a way from a "how should you create and promote content" flowchart / decision tree at this stage 🤣
Loving all the ideas this article's comments section has within it, and the beautiful ways in which people have expressed themselves, such as in your comments Toby!
In the not-too-distant past, I worked as a landscape crew foreman, ran a crew of guys handling care and maintenance. We had a number of folks who didn't want to have to work at their lawns and garden beds, but they wanted the pleasure of looking at them.
So it comes down to this, regardless of field: you will always invest something. You might invest your time and effort, or you might invest your money in other people's time and effort. If I want to get my word out there, I can keep promoting and hyping and selling myself, or I can affiliate or use someone else to do that for me.
I have tried to be fairly consistent and complete in the kind of writing I do, and I have to say that being accountable to my better half has helped tremendously. She helps keep me on task, writing new things, and helping spread the word. Just recently, on another article site to which I cross-post, a developer magazine asked if I'd consider listing my articles under their publication. Had to think about that one a bit.
But if I do, I still own my articles, my words are still my own, they are simply being affiliated with that ezine. Their editors review my stuff, correct typos, improve my SEO and help promote for me. I'm still working at it, I'm still doing the writing and responding thing, but I'm able to focus on the parts I want to do - because I remained constant and consistent in my message, and my delivery.
I don't like to market, I don't like to hype myself or talk about myself or being the center of attention like that. But I love teaching and sharing and writing. And by consistently regularly doing the things I love to do, I'm slowly starting to reap those rewards.