Writing About Writing — The Golden Audience Pool

Writing about writing costs less and pays more, but that depends on what you are looking for

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Anyone who has been writing for some time, with the intent to gain more readers, has been there.

Your views are down.

You have been creating your best work and painting beautiful pictures with your words.

Meaningful conversations have been happening, and you are proud of your recent creations. But, your deepest and most profound thoughts and ideas are what started these meaningful conversations.

The thing about your deepest and most profound thoughts and ideas is that they are always more niche. Wanderings of our heart, philosophical or moral convictions, and our most niche work may fuel our purpose and ignite stimulating conversations, yet these pieces cannot pull the views that platitude pieces do.

There’s one topic, though, that always gets views if it brings something to the table. If you have ever written well on the topic, you are already picking up what I am putting down.

Nothing gets your views up when publishing online as much as writing about writing.

So here I am, ready to pump my momentum as much as possible because it is the last day of the month, and I haven’t quite doubled my earnings from the last. I surely won’t get there unless I go viral by noon, but I can do my best and get a little closer.

I am super into the work I have been doing lately on self-improvement, addiction, mental health, psychology and philosophy. But I know the only way I might get a real boost today is by writing about my best-performing topic — writing.

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Writing about writing is very inviting

Since I chose to write about writing, why not write about why I chose it and the internal battle that many writers face.

Whether that easy and booming topic of yours is writing, race or toxic relationships, you have to decide how much of your energy you will give it — how much of the juice is worth the squeeze.

How much energy will you take away from your greatest passions and give to the increase of your reach and monetary gain?

Some people choose to build their entire career on the momentum behind writing about writing, like Tim Denning.

Most of us love Tim’s work and are grateful that he chose the path he did. It was, after all, Tim Denning that referred me to the book I have listened to every night as I wander into sleep — for the past 374 days.* Or was it Tom Kuegler? Either way.

Many of us have other passions, missions and purposes. We have something else we dream of sharing with the world.

Those on the path of philosophy don’t want to be known as the writing coach. Mental health professionals wouldn’t brand on social media strategy. Whatever your passion is, you cannot brand on writing about writing if you wish to find success in your respective field.

Some things are easier and faster to build, while others take much more patience, time and earnest dedication — as explained in Mixing Cheetos with Broccoli.

Writing about writing is inviting because it is easy, fast and popular.

This article took me 20 minutes, while my more thoughtful and higher quality work can take 2–6 hours — sometimes merely to finish the first draft. This article will likely out-perform the better essays I have written this week — the work I am most proud of.

It is clear why writing about writing is so inviting.

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I am glad that we write about writing because reading everyone else’s work on the topic has made me a better writer. It is no secret, though, that writing about writing is also a quick fix. That is if you can bring anything valuable to the minds of other writers.

Writers tend to be deeply emotional and revere human connection. There is only one type of soul who fully understands the writer’s world, and it is other writers.

Also, considering that good writers are the most avid readers, the popularity of essays about writing makes perfect sense.

I am a big fan of the articles about writing that give me that chuckle of sameness. You know, when the writer is brutally honest, yet making light of the struggle and you are reading, thinking,

“Saaaaame!”

What I wouldn’t suggest is writing regurgitations of principles that others have already published countless times. If it’s one thing writers tend to loath, it is unoriginal content and lazy work.

I like writing about writing, and I will keep doing it. Give it a shot if you haven’t tried it and are curious about ways to build your audience and dip into different pools.

If you only dabble in writing about writing, though, do not be discouraged when you don’t grow as fast as Tim Denning or like-minded writers. Slow-burning coals are just as powerful as raging flames — just in a different way.

Written by Holly Kellums

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Originally published on Medium.com

Featured image by Manfred Steger from Pixabay

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