Writing For Traditional Media vs Steemit

I say that I'm an entrepreneur because its the closest thing to "what I do". Its not an accurate picture though - I have expertise in many area's. I was lucky enough to marry someone who values alone time as much as I do - so I've been able to continue my journey as a polymath. I have ever changing interests and I have a few like music and writing that seem to be constant.

I used to question whether I was a "writer" or simply used writing as a means to convey meaning (there's a difference). I had received a lot of praise for my technical writing - but rarely had the opportunity to write freely or creatively. In the years since I've contributed to articles, written opinion articles - and even done good old fashioned journalism (which I hated).

Getting paid for writing legitimized my belief that I might be a "writer" - not simply someone who writes. Doing assignments gave me the opportunity to write about different topics. Attending city hall or local courthouses was not something I was interested in. Luckily I knew the owner of a paper and they allowed me to try a few things. I also had an article hit the newswires - which ended up being published all over Canada, My wife's grandparents called me the day it hit their local rag - I had no idea.

There's an opportunity that i'm pitching for. Like most publications - if they like your pitch - you get your assignment approved and you write it. Writing for a paper requires a lot of time. Your article might be seen by thousands of people or more. Editing is something not to be taken lightly.

The problem is - it pays terribly. For a small paper you might get $50-100 an article - for a larger paper you get $250 for 700 words. It is a grind that is only worth it if you have some other project that you are trying to push.

I've been writing a lot on Steemit lately because I've been writing more in general. The problem with writing for money is the hustle - monetization. I think Steem is very kind to authors regardless of your feelings about the way the economy works. For me it provides instant feedback - and lets me play with ideas at an earlier stage to gauge the audience. I've also been paid fairly by Steem - I bought more than a few with real cash at 10 cents..

I value Steemit for instant feedback - Twitter and Facebook don't even come close. At least on this platform I know a few people will actually read my posts and comment. As far as making money as an author goes - the end game is usually novels - but there doesn't seem to be an appetite for full books anymore. Perhaps I will always be a "one foot in" writer - someone who occasionally writes for print. Or maybe I forget about the monetary consequences - take the time - and write a book?

In the meantime I think Steemit is one of the better places to write because of the real user feedback - if you can gain the following then its probably not a bad place to monetize your writing either.

Ryan Geddes is a writer and entreprenuer located in Toronto Canada. When he's not writing, hes helping with House&Canvas Furniture Paint.