I Was Someone’s 100th Follower

Not all heroes wear capes

Photo by Ameer Basheer on Unsplash

In California two weeks ago, a sailor saved a woman, who had been swept out to sea, from drowning and hypothermia.

In the Netherlands, a good Samaritan blocked a run-away car after the motorist fell unconscious while driving on the highway.

In Canada, a cardiac surgeon saved two people's lives in the past 18 months by performing CPR and then also performing their heart transplants.

And I, lying here in my hammock in Brazil, just became someone’s 100th follower.

The world is full of heroes.

It’s important to follow new writers

Obviously, I’m kidding—I don’t really think I’m a hero for giving someone a follow on Medium.

But it can really help.

I’ve recently read several articles disparaging authors asking others to follow them. Some individuals have even written articles about why one shouldn’t “beg for followers” or engage in a follow-for-follow strategy to meet the 100 follower minimum needed to join the Partnership Program on this platform.

For example:

• Here’s one that argues we shouldn’t ask for followers, we should earn them by writing good work.
• Here’s another one asking us to stop begging for followers.
• Here’s another one — again, this author argues we just need to write well and the followers will come.

Now, full disclosure: I haven’t actually read those articles.

And the reason I haven’t read them is that they’re behind the paywall.

Notice: these authors can put their stories behind the paywall because they are already part of the Partnership Program.

And they’re part of the Partnership Program because they already have 100 followers.

That feels a bit rich, hey? They’re telling us not to ask for followers because they already have more than 100. They are already making money from their writing.

Must be nice.

Followers won’t make you a successful writer

Now, it’s true that getting followers isn’t how you become a successful writer. The way to be a successful writer is to write well and often. And even then a bunch of it is luck.

Followers, by themselves, will get you neither reads nor earn you money.

But followers are important

But new writers do need their 100 followers to get started. There are two reasons for that:

Reason 1: It lets writers make money

New writers can’t make a living if they’re not getting paid. Those first 100 followers let you get the money ball rolling on this platform. And even if it’s just a few cents every month, those first coins from writing can inspire new writers to persevere.

Reason 2: It allows new writers to access some of the more exclusive publications

Many big publications only accept stories that are behind the paywall. For example:

1. Better Marketing. This is the largest publication about marketing on Medium. They only publish stories behind the paywall.
2. The Startup. This is Medium’s largest publication. They “prioritize publishing stories behind the paywall over free stories.”
3. The Writing Cooperative. This is one of the largest publications in the writing category. Their submission guidelines say, “We prefer locked (or what Medium calls metered) content. Placing stories behind Medium’s paywall brings writers the potential to receive compensation through Medium’s Partner Program.”

There are others, too. The paywall isn’t just a way of getting paid for your writing, it’s also a hurdle to getting into the big publications.

And publications matter. Stories published in some of the larger publications — like Better Marketing and the Startup — get put in front of a large audience.

And stories in some publications get automatically chosen for further distribution. Distribution increases exposure. So to get automatic further distribution, you need to get into these larger publications… and that often means you need to be in the partnership program.

… and that means you need 100 followers.

Writers that aren’t part of the Partnership Program on this platform are at a disadvantage. They can’t make money from their work. And they are excluded from the big publications that can help them get exposure. And they don’t get the automatic distribution that some publications can offer.

So following others isn’t just a nice thing to do. It can really make a difference to someone’s writing career.

But follow-for-follow is against the rules!

It’s true that Medium has rules against a follow-for-follow strategy. But being interested in a new writer’s work isn’t against the rules.

So if you decide that you’re going to look at the people that follow you and see if you’d like to follow them, that shouldn’t be a problem.

The main reason for this no follow-for-follow rule is that Medium wants us to create real communities, not artificial ones.

So maybe we don’t just do “I’ll follow you if you follow me.” Instead, maybe we actually check out the people that follow us and see if they have published something we like.

And if they have fewer than 100 followers, maybe we follow them as a way to support their writing career and invest in their potential.

Be generous with your followers

All I’m saying is that it’s good to be generous with your follows — especially for people under 100.

It’s an easy and free way to help someone get started on their writing career.

Leave a comment to find new readers

Need to make it to 100 followers?

Leave a comment here so other writers can find you. I’ll also look through and do my best to help new writers.

And maybe you, dear reader, can do the same.

You everyday hero, you.