Yes, My Communication Skills Need Work

Isolation Communication - Charles Luna

So, one thing I've been desperately trying to work on lately is being less of a trash-hole human as far as communication goes, particularly online. I am notoriously horrible at it and have been my entire life. Part of that is probably a spectrum thing, as I just kind of shut down socially and isolate more when I've been letting comments on Medium or on social media back up too far without responses. The rest of it is often either a time thing or a genuine lack of knowledge about what to say in response.

So, I guess what I'm getting at is that if you're a reader who's ever reached out to me over email, on Medium, or via any of my social media channels and didn't get a response, it doesn't mean I didn't see it or deliberately chose to ignore it. I likely read it right away through my notification emails, meant to get back to you some other time, and then spaced it entirely. Or I could just be taking my sweet time, which I sometimes do. I often have a lot on my plate -- so much that I occasionally have to pull back temporarily from blogging and social media altogether -- and it can take me a while to circle back to things like answering comments. 

Seriously, the only time I deliberately ghost communications from a reader altogether is if they were rude or trollish. So, if you're not an asshole who went out of your way to try to ruin my day because you don't like my stupid face or something, know that I appreciate you and your response. Even if I never wound up getting back to you because I took so long about it that responding started to seem "weird". Don't let my overblown sense of self-confidence fool you. I'm a master overthinker, and that gets me into trouble sometimes.

Soon, I'd like to introduce something that makes it easier and more natural for me to stay in touch with readers and followers. It feels early (and possibly unnecessary) at this point in time, but I'm thinking of a Substack newsletter -- perhaps one that comes attached to different subscription tiers. Anyone will be able to sign up for and enjoy the free newsletters. But those who would like to pay for more value would get access to focused information and assistance with things like freelancing, copywriting, blogging, or Medium in particular.

More than any other topic, readers reach out to me asking me to help them with their own writing. They want to start freelancing and don't know where to find decent clients. Or they want to hit the ground running on Medium or a similar platform and aren't sure how. Some people request personal mentoring or coaching services, which I can't really do at this juncture, but perhaps Substack would be a suitable happy medium for everyone.

........

Not entirely related, but we've finally had some news this past week about what Medium is planning next in the writer incentive department. I got an email the other day inviting me to apply for their new fellowship program that will run from August through October. Accepted writers will be getting a guaranteed base payment on top of their partner program earnings as an incentive to keep actively producing dope content. 

Naturally, I never count my chickens in life, but I definitely would like to be accepted. So far, Medium has turned out to be a wonderful home for my content, and I'd love for that to continue for the foreseeable future. It's been great to have them recognize my content as having value via rewards like bonuses and invitations to apply to new programs, as well. Really, this is a beautiful time to be a writer on the internet and not just because of Medium. I hope that continues.