Readers Create Too

I have almost nothing to do with writing things on the internet. I’ve blogged a couple of times. I’m an avid consumer of content, mostly news and non-fiction.

What I like the best about Medium so far is the little button that lets you nudge the rank of the post. The button recognizes that the piece was written for an audience and the audience should have some way to participate in developing the collections. Because there are probably a lot more readers than writers out there, an easy way to participate in the conversation is key.

Now, I’m climbing up on my soapbox...Readers are part of the creative process. I think it’s a mistake to think of readers as passive consumers. When you write, you write for an audience.* If you have no audience, you are not a writer. And to write the best stuff (Art) a writer has to believe that she has thoughtful and careful readers. While the reader and writer may not directly talk to each other, I do think that knowing there are good readers inspires a writer.

As a reader, I am consistently disappointed by “content” on the internet. I feel that I’m treated as a mere consumer, as “eyeballs.” The endemic loss of respect for readers begets bad writing. This turns off more good readers, and content gets worse. I’m not saying that Medium can stop the death spiral, but their little button is maybe a nice first step.

*Isak Dinesen has some incredible stories illuminating this subject.