Making Minutes On Medium Matter
Booster Club Begins
Today marks my 59th turn around the sun. My mom defines old as, “Ten years older than the age you are.” The greatest gift associated with this age is the path it’s paved to wisdom. Plus, I feel fortunate to have found my footing on Medium.
If this is the first post you’ve ever read from me, know that my desire is to be a source of support. I’ve been here since 2019 and learned a lot about what constitutes organic connection.
Medium is my latest pivot and fearless flex. I’m positive success will find me, because I’m not going it alone. Life has taught me that you score the biggest wins when you play with a team.
Although a significant portion of my income was derived from freelance writing, before finding Medium, I only identified as an artist. Creating art is easy. Writing falls on the opposite end of the spectrum. Words don’t just flow from my fingertips.
I’m an extrovert, who prefers talking. Hence the moniker, “Toni the Talker.”
I inherited a love of reading from my mother, who’s a retired professor. I recently convinced her to join Medium… as a reader. Like her, I have a voracious appetite for books and a love of libraries.
I hosted a bookclub, at my local library for 20 years, until Covid killed in-person meetings. I opted out of the virtual option. Medium has proved how seamless connecting online can be. I miss hosting a club.
Right now, Devette Lindsay, Toya Qualls-Barnette, and I are exploring our options to host a club, with a twist. Our picks would be confined to short fiction writers on Medium.
For the Record: Reading shuts me up, and locks me down. I can sit in one space immersed in reading. It’s what I most enjoy about Medium. Each day, I discover new voices. As a result my mind and heart ❤️ expand.
I marvel at the way talented writers like, Rebecca Romanelli, Carmellita, Pseu Pending (Seu), and Michelle Scorziello wrangle words.
Note: Those are just a few of the names that were on the tip of my tongue. There are scores more, whose words rouse the deepest recesses of my brain.
Full disclosure, my style was shaped in the trenches, courtesy of stringing for the Chicago Sun Times Newsgroup. I can’t front. In the beginning, working with editors was painful. Red marks were the worst. I couldn’t stand seeing them on the word salad submissions, I’d spent hours mixing them up. They were the visual equivalent of being yelled at.
However, they paled in comparison to rampant criticism, peppered with sarcasm. It stung like someone spit in my eye. Sadly, I’m super sensitive. My insides are mostly made of the same stuff as marshmallows.
Guidance from my harshest critics, that felt hurtful then, is helpful now. It was part of the process to find my writing voice. I couldn’t see it back then. Distance is yet another gift of aging. It lends a vantage point that’s helped me recognize the win buried underneath the wound.
Hindsight is 20/20 vision. Like the karate kid, editorial critiques “Miagied Me,” into a better writer. This perspective, viewed through a broader lens, helps me see the interconnected weightlessness of life’s highs in contrast to the depths of its lows.
Scaling the metaphorical mountain of life has been difficult. Writing on Medium allowed me to come to terms with the reality that pleasure and pain are cojoined twins.
Last year, I wrote on the platform like it was a travel journal. Recently, I stopped to take stock of how far I’ve come. Writing on Medium has been cathartic. It’s gifted me with context to compare, and contrast the rigors of writing in the real world versus the joy of writing in a virtual environment.
This renewed view was instrumental in framing the past year. Being laser focused on the climb obscured my vision. What I know for sure, is that I’ll never again lose sight of the summit.
Waxing poetic helps me summarize experiences surmounting the steep surfaces on this platform. My journey began early in 2019. I arrived with a solid set of writing chops. They were earned from decades of freelancing.
Retirement, gifted me with time to explore writing in a virtual setting. Hitting the reset button (3 months ago) ushered a vision to proceed forward. From today on, I’m stepping into a scouting role. The goal is to scale with a contingent of writers who’ve agreed to climb in unison. We’re not trying to game Medium’s system.
We’re collaborating to compensate for how difficult it is to organically connect with the readers who our words resonate with.
Over the course of the next 13 weeks, I’ll be encouraging a select group of my followers and fans to test a theory that centers on the development of organic engagement.
The overarching goal is to help each writer tap personal proactivity, by unlocking and unleashing unexplored abilities.
For the Record: I’ve spotted the next wave. After you finish this post, circle back and read what I said about this subject by clicking this link🔗. It’s building on the back of all the changes Medium is currently putting in place.
🟢【Bridging the Acquisition Gap】
The gift, mentioned in the title references my vision to construct a structure to bridge the gap between readers and writers.
🟠Problem Statement: Burnout (on this site) is common. It’s what happens when time invested to gain traction, grossly outspends time writing.
🟡 Needs Assessment: Guidelines to weave words that attract readers like a magnetic web.
🔵 Real Talk: Medium is a million miles wide and one inch deep. Readers know how to skim the surface. What they seek are writers who are capable of guiding them places where hidden treasures lie.
Membership on Medium is a balancing act. Success hinges on finding the correct, writing to reading, formula that does not detract from essential daily responsibilities.
Our shared goal revolves around figuring out “how to” avoid burnout, while evenly dividing our time between reading and writing. We connect, learn and grow while executing a balanced time investment strategy.
Maintaining reciprocal reading relationships is the responsiblity of each writer.
My overarching goal is to be a → 🆂🅾🆂 ←Source Of Support on Medium. To share what I’ve learned, offer encouragement to stay engaged and continue writing myself.
This is a social experiment. The vision draws on personal experience from sustained, reciprocal reading relationships. For example, I was on the site for a long time before finally gaining traction.
Deb Palmer, Grace Bianco, and Benighted were anchors. They were the earliest readers to return on repeat without being tagged. We got to know each other better with each subsequent read.
These sustained writer/reader relationships serve as indisputable evidence of the value found in nurturing organic connections.
❤️️【Booster Club Goals】❤️️
📍 Develop your own reciprocal reading relationships.
📍 Amplify the words of boost worthy writers.
📍 Share insights to better navigate the site.
“Building something out of nothing requires a personal vision that isn’t revised every time someone disagrees with its nuances and rare specifications. I had to get comfortable with not being liked. I had to get used to being ridiculed for having ideas that seemed outrageous to narrow minds and underdeveloped imaginations.” Natasha Nichole Lake
A writer suggested naming the club, “Tit 4 Tat.” To be clear what we’re doing is much deeper than just reading to be read. This is all about organic engagement, getting to know each other better with each post.
The ubiquitous nature of the ‘booster’ moniker, embodies our shared goal.
Lately, the buzz word ‘boost’ has been thrown around like confetti. I don’t think its such a big mystery. If you want to be boosted:
1️⃣ 🚀 Write from personal experience in an authentic voice.
2️⃣ 🚀 Offer takeaway’s that spark ideas or share life lessons.
Real-World (USA) Boosting Experience: I developed my writing voice authoring a weekly community column (for 12 years) that was circulated to 50,000 homes. I credit the columns longevity to the gift that never stopped giving… my father’s advice.
“Write every article like you’re vying for a Pulitzer Prize. 📌
I carry my dad’s words in the back of my mind. They are a constant source of motivation. They prompted me to begin animating the words of the most mundane subject as though they were punctuated with caricature art.
Rising to rigors of writing a weekly column, made me into a better writer. That opportunity ended when the Chicago Sun Times News Group pulled the plug on all their suburban weekly newspapers.
“Don’t chase people. Be yourself, do your own thing and work hard. The right people will come to you.” Will Smith
Takeaway: Earning loyal local fans, empowered me to pedal my words for maximum pay to a wider range of newspaper outlets. Writing with clarity was key. Applying my dad’s advice was the boost. It was like slattering secret sauce on words.
Like a heat seeking missile, once I have locked on a target there is zero chance of missing the mark. Though the “Booster Club” just launched, I predict that everyone who boards the maiden voyage will understand how to boost themselves by the end of 13 weeks.
Scaling the metaphorical mountain of life has made me a “goal-getter.” Success is simply a matter of repeatedly doing three things.
🧿 Assembling the infrastructure to achieve a goal.
🧿 Acting with intentionality to execute a plan with focused precision.
🧿 Aiming, with clarity at a well defined target.
Years of practice, prepared me to construct a communication resource that bridges the gap between writers who are seeking readers. Judging from past experience, my conversion rate from follower to fan happens after the 12th read. That realization is the lynchpin to become better acquainted.
Fans are the only people you can count on to consistently boost your posts.
The goal is to write from a mix of authority and authenticity. Uniqueness, ultimately earns space in a readers mind. This, my friends, is how followers are converted to fans. Then, they return to read your words on repeat without prompting.
I initially joined Medium in March of 2019. I read for more than two years before finally shoring up the courage to write. Just by reading alone, without ever publishing a post, I’d managed to pick up500 followers.
I was accepted into the partner program in 2021. My first, “About Me” post was published by Quy Ma (Sesame). My first payment, in October of 2021, was for .23¢. I was so discouraged that I wanted to quit.
Then, Dr Mehmet Yildiz added me as a writer to Illumination. His editorial team was extremely helpful. Yet, it was hard to be seen, let alone stand out among the throng of new writers.
🟡 Virtually meeting Hollie Petit, Ph.D. changed everything. It all started when I reached out to request to be added to her pub. At first, we started emailing each other. Hollie’s hardcore when it comes to editing and engagement. Her comments, about my grammatical errors, were always given in the spirit of kindness.
Not long after that, Hollie onboarded me to help with her pub. I functioned as a resident artist, idea generator, and community cheerleader. We’ve now switched places. Hollie’s helping me build out my own pub.
Natalie hitched on to Hollie’s pub to mind our metrics. Our relationship blossomed off-line. Natalie, who’s a former math professor was my phone-a-friend this past Spring. She was my go-to when I, very briefly, stepped into our local school system as a sub. Suffice it to say, when it comes to math, I’m not smarter than a fifth grader.
However, being in the classroom did my heart good! The idealism, optimism, hope, and empathy of students was just what I needed. Click the link icon here: 🔗 to read about my experience. I feel confident about the future, because it will pass into caring hands.
Sidenote: My own publication, 𝐇єlр Ꭵѕ 𝐇єяє is under construction. lt’s being built to serve as the Booster Clubhouse. It’s now in beta mode. The pub will house weekly communication updates.
𝐇єlр Ꭵѕ 𝐇єяє officially debuts January, 1st of 2024. It’s formal introduction is designed to dovetail into the year of the Wood Dragon. According to the Chinese Zodiac, 2024 is my lucky year.
The editorial team includes Hollie Petit, Ph.D. (advisor) Maribelle Az a professional writer (USA) based in Palm Springs, Florida.
Excuse the excursion off topic. More specifically, gaining traction February 2022, through March 2023, solidified my resolve to succeed on Medium.
Let me be perfectly clear, developing connections organically takes a ton of work. I didn’t mind it because on average 10 to 12 readers were returning to my words on the regular, without being tagged.
Truthfully, I was just happy see more than one or two comments on my posts. February 2023, stood out. I love sharing ideas. Medium emailed a notification saying I’d been selected as a top writer in that category.
I can’t even begin to tell you how good reading that email made me feel. I couldn’t stop smiling the whole day. Words of affirmation are my love language. The site unknowingly whispered something sweet in my ear. The following month, everything abruptly and drastically changed.
Out of the blue, I hit a brick wall. Medium’s platform police emailed me on St. Patrick’s Day. I read the email multiple times. I couldn’t believe my eyes. It said, my account had been suspended pending an investigation. I was gobsmacked!
I’m not gonna lie. I was shook. It’s was like, “Oh Snap!” Click the link icon here: 🔗 to read about that experience. I was stranded in a holding pattern. Not kicked off Medium. Not able to post either.
In limbo, awaiting a decision. I imagine it’s what the Catholic’s call pergatory. The place where you sit, pending judgement on whether you enter the gates of heaven, or get banished to hell.
In retrospect, it was the single best thing that could have happened. The universe gave me a time-out to reassess my writing situation. I re-read every single post I’d written. It hit me that I’d been blindly spinning my wheels in the acquisition loop.
This realization, is what equipped me with lived insights. That knowledge has empowered me to design the solution we’re testing.
In conclusion, the universe sends us gifts daily. They show up in our environment and either speak silently or loudly, to offer direction.
Katherine Myrestad, Swedish Social Pedagogue and Numerology enthusiast gifted me with a message. It turned out to be one of the best birthday surprises ever. It encapsulates why I feel compelled to lead this effort.
“Toni, your life path number 6 is truly intriguing! You break the number 222: 2+2+2 =6. The number 6 has significant meaning. It is associated with harmony, balance, and nurturing qualities. It suggests that you have a natural ability to bring people together and create a sense of unity in various aspects of life.”
“She believed she could, so she did.” From the book Scoring Wilder, by R.S. Grey
Click the link: 🔗 to access one post written by each Booster Club member. Maintaining individual reciprocal reading relationships is the responsiblity of each writer.
