I've been on Steemit since the end of November... I came in at a time when Steem was at a low spot. I started writing about things I like, economics, politics, society and life. I had no idea about blockchain technology, cryptocurrencies or anything like that. All I knew is that I like to write and this seemed like as good a place as any to do it. I had seen a video extolling the virtues of Steemit, not only as a potential for making money, but as a community that was censorship-free... and that was what I was looking for.
I began to post. Having no followers, I began to interact with other Steemians about their posts. The price of Steem being way down, my posts paid $0.45 or maybe a good one would get $1.15. It didn't matter because it was about community and being able to express myself without the rigors of Fakebook or Twatter. Slowly at first I began to get followers and the payout on my posts began to increase... $3.75... $5.50. My wallet began to grow, but I didn't know anything about crypto, so it didn't really matter- it was more about being part of the community. I read posts from people who were having financial difficulties and needed help. So I sent them Steem or SBD. It probably took me a couple of months to get up to 100 Steem... I kept giving it away.
It felt good to help (it still does) and it wasn't like giving REAL money- I was never going to use any of it anyway. The guy I take care of used to ask jokingly: "How's your play money account doing today?" After a while my wallet was up to $485. Someone that feeds the homeless needed a fridge because theirs broke... So I sent them some of my "play money." I was glad to help, it made me feel a part of the community. Then the price of Steem started to go back up. Suddenly my wallet began to grow in leaps and bounds. Before I knew it, it was over $1000... then $3000... This was incredible! But it was still make believe money. I kept writing, my followers began to increase and with them the payout amount. A week or so before the latest HF, I had my first $100 post. Why do I tell you all this?
If you came here wanting to get rich, you're here for the wrong reason... this is a community. If you came here to become part of the community, you will get rich- maybe not financially, riches is a subjective concept. I grew up poor and have been so most of my life- because money never mattered that much to me. It can get frustrating seeing posts on the trending page receive payouts of $1000 or more, but those people are the ones that invested a lot of time and money here. I started with nothing, so everything I get is a bonus. My advice (Now that I'm over 70, I feel compelled to give advice lol) is to do what you love. If it's photography, do that... the same with writing, painting, or whatever you do. Forget about the money and focus on being a part of the community- give to those in need (you never know when it might be you). I had a problem a couple of weeks back and someone from Steemit (@papa-pepper) drove his family half-way across the state to help. Suddenly it all became real... including the money.
Steemit is full of great people who have come together in a wonderful community in the true sense of the word. Be a part of the community and be patient and you will love the results.
GIF by @papa-pepper
Thank you for posting @richq11.
Lovely article and summary of your journey on Steemit.
It is so true.
If one enjoys what they are producing.....money is not the factor that keeps them motivated.......a side benefit, yes......but not the motivator.
All the best. Cheers.
Thank you my friend!
Steem on, my friend, Steem on! :) :D
😄😇😄
Amen, my friend!
I've got 135 followers and my posts only hit .65 max. Most of that is auto-upvoted since I did it from mobile and the esteem app that they are trying to incentivize its use.
How to you crawl into the $3 per post level? How many followers should I shoot for to get there?
I switch my content around... some fiction, some history, some music. The more diversified your content the wider audience appeal you get. Also as your followers go up so too will your votes & payouts. Before the HF today, I was still hitting some posts under $2.50
Diversify! On it. Thanks!
Maybe I need to read up more on how steemit works as well. I upvote a post for .03
I just upvoted your comment for .33!? Should I target comments more and posts less?
That's something I haven't figured out yet. @kus-knee did some posts about that (he's also one of the greatest guys on Steemit). You could probably learn a lot more reading them.
True, you've heard me say similar. Resteeming.
Glad to see you my Brother! I got my Bitpay card yesterday and your article was invaluable in making it work! Thanks so much!!!
Congrats. I love my card. I use it a ton. It's pretty easy once you've done it a few times. That money certainly no longer seems like "play money" once you have that.
Amen to that! I kept forgetting about the verification email from Bittrex and the time kept running out so I went back to the article... and there it was!
VERY GOOD CONGRATULATIONS I LIKED SO MUCH I HOPE TO FOLLOW SHARING YOUR GOOD ITEMS WITH ALL OUR SUCCESSES
Thank you for sharing your experience.
It really helps to encourage me to keep contribute in the community
That's good it made writing it worthwhile!
Super inspiring post. I believe if you stick to writing about topics that you are interested in you will create great content and help a lot of people along the way. Content has evolved on the internet to where people are looking for "realness" instead of just substance.
Thanks... I always try to keep it real. Even my fiction has some truth in it!
Great post.. it's refreshing to see you help so many people, and in the end thats really what communities like this should be all about.
That's right! Little did I know at the time that when I needed help... The community would step up!
congrats for this nice post! really liked this, will follow u :)
Thanks... followed back!
What an inspiring post. I hope I can get to where you are!
Am a newbie.. Heard about these platform today, but i must say am impress
Just keep with it! See you just got a follower!
My sentiments exactly!
Thanks (and I'm loving this HF!)
Same here, so far so good!
Thank you very much, that is encouraging. You look like someone good
Thanks for sharing. I also joined for the opportunity to share what I love with a new audience and not about money. Of course when one of my first posts made over $75 buck I got a little more interested in the $$ side lol. But ultimately my goal is to get myself out there and inspire.
Yup, sounds like me... I can't honestly say I don't like the money!
I hope we will gain a lot more of that 'play money' :)
Just be patient and honest and it will come!
Inspirational post thanks for sharing. :-)
Thank you... The community is what inspired me!
Dear @richq11, I have to say that you're one of the best people that I met here. I totally agree with your words in this post, Steemit is a great community and not just because we can earn money ^_^
Thank you my dear Silvia... That goes double for you... So happy I met you and Paolo here!
Senior steemer, woo! And I can tell from your writing what a kind, amazing person you are. Hope I'll be just as wise when I grow up, I'm 20 now. Anyways, was a pleasure to read your story. Keep making the world better!
Thank you very much... Young people are what it's all about... what makes being wise worthwhile (hope I can live up to it!). Just stick with what you love!
I thought your message about doing what you enjoy without worrying about the potential rewards that might follow was a great message. I've been on steemit for about a month now and I think I finally found my niche. I love to ranting about different ideas that can positively impact people. I had a blast writing these rants and I think i've gained some genuine followers as a result! I'm excited to see how the community evolves in the coming years, so maybe I can make a similar post in the future! Just followed you, looking forward to next post!
Thanks... and followed back! If you check my blog on here there's a story The Lottery Council I'm working on... you might enjoy that!
Much love. Thank you for your post, your time, and your hard work in making steemit a place to be proud of. I am and have been for the past week so inspired by this community. This truly is a wonderful thing happening and I'm very fortunate to be apart of it. I hope i can bring some good to steemit as well. Thank you agian!
Thank you and I'm sure you will. Quality and honesty are what work... What makes this so great is it is a community far above what FB or Twitter have done!
Your welcome, and very true words!
Thank you for sharing your story! I can really sense the collaboration in the air around here!
Thanks!
Great post , great to hear an established steemer highlight that they were once a starter too . Gives hope to all of us . Thank you
As far as knowing how things work... I'm still a starter. I just like to write and be a part of the community.
Yep, always about providing value first and foremost. Everything else is secondary. Great post and authenticity.
Absolutely! Quality first and foremost...Thank you very much!
Great Story!..Thanks for sharing! it definitely helps us Newbies/Minnows.
I'm still a minnow too (not for too much longer I hope!) Thank you!
Beautiful story. It's great to be here and take part in this.
It really is... and thank you!
good post
Thanks
Thank you very much for posting this. You are a good man.
Thank you! I thought back to when I first started and saw people making $200 for a post and I made $0.17 on one... It was discouraging! I don't want people to get discouraged after the HF when they see big posts... It will happenj if people stay the course.
Excellent insight, thank you for sharing
Thank you!
you sir (or ma'am) just gave me hope.... Seems like nothing is happening.. but its a marathon.. not a sprint..
You got it right... It's a marathon. If you count success by dollars and cents, it took me 6 months to get anywhere. Quality and honesty (not necessarily in that order) is the key!
Excellent article! Love what you do, do what you love and you will never work another day in your life and the money will follow.
You've been upvoted, followed and resteemed, keep up the great content and thanks for the friendly advice!
Thank you! Finally at 71 I'm able to do something I've always loved... writing! Followed back!
That was a really honest and inspiring post :) I get so happy when seeing people that actually don't care that much about the money. This is a great community, and glad to be apart of it, my journey has just begun. :) Looking forward to be following you!
Thank you... you'll like it here, it's a wonderful place! Followed back!
A great introduction, I hope you inspire many more to join us!
I hope so too... Thank you!
This post is worth more than a 1.000 bucks... but as you've mentioned "Money isn't the goal... - never will - never has!"
I'm writing since many years, but I've never had the idea to bring my stuff to an editor, who' probably saying... - "uuuhh, it's hard to find a market for that kind of writing, blablabla" - a market for what... my writing?!
Am I a tradesman or a storyteller?! Why isn't there anything left in the world what hasn't to be measured with/through/by money? It's a sick and sad world we live in, as sick as those Pedos out there!
So I decided to give my stories to those people I met on the streets from who I thought they could need some understanding from a guy they don't even know... - but he knows them - by heart!
This was a plenty of joy surrounding me, embracing me... - like no money ever could - nor ever will!
I'll do my best to get you a 1K post @rich11... resteemed; you're a true valuable contributor to this community... - Cheers!
Thank you my friend! You're one of the people I really look forward to hearing from! Some of the best storytellers are terrible "tradesmen." Look at Stephen King... terrible writer but one of the best storytellers out there (and his stuff pays!!!)
This really spoke to me. One of the first things I noticed here when I started posting a month ago, is that people here genuinely want to see each other succeed. I'm still under a $300 account value but I don't really care. I love sending folks a tip when they seem down. I've had a few good posts and it looks like they'll be even better since HF 19, but I'm with you, the community is bigger than the payout by far. Thanks for sharing your experience :)
Thank you! Just stay with it and you'll do fine. It took about 3 months and I hit a $25 post... I couldn't believe it. I still haven't figured what pays... it doesn't matter. For a long time it seemed that the more work I put in, the less I made- it was frustrating! I decided to do what I loved... writing fiction. I had always done academic writing and wanted to try fiction. I'm not good yet, but getting better.
Very excellent piece of advice for all of us just starting to get used to life on Steemit. As I shared in one of my first posts, come for the rewards but stay for the community. And indeed, the real wealth comes from the relationships you'll develop as part of the most awesome community there is. Keep STEEMing my friend!
To me the money wasn't even real at first... The thing that drew me was NO censorship! I got tired of FB & Twitter slamming my stuff. It is indeed an awesome community!
Definitely, the concept of no censorship is truly unique and is what will ultimately skyrocket Steemit ahead of all the other mainstream social media networks. What continues to draw me here everyday is the openness and overall welcoming nature of our very awesome, tightly-knit community!
It truly is an amazing community! I've made friends all over the world. I did a series on Africa and all of a sudden, I began getting comments from people there. Amazing!
Wow that's really awesome! Can't wait to see this community grow even bigger and fill up with even more talented and creative minds as the year goes on!
Me too... Sorry, I was in the middle of writing a chapter of my story and when I get in the "writing zone" I kinda shut stuff out!
Definitely @richq11, I know what you mean. I'm working on a post right now as well. Keep on STEEMing and looking forward to reading your story!
Well said.
I think its impossible to get involved with a platform like this without feeling the desire for it to be monetarily beneficial, but there's so much more here than that. Any earnings should be seen as a bonus to participating in the community itself. That isn't to say you shouldn't try to make money. If you have a way of doing so, by all means go for it. Just don't make it the sole reason you're here.
Couldn't have said it better myself! This is my only source of income- so the money is important, but that pales in comparison to being a part of this wonderful community. When I was giving money away (which I of course still do) it was like giving Monopoly money to people who lived in a place where they could spend it. But when it got real... the community stepped up big time and helped me. Somebody drove hours to buy my excess SBD and people have given me hours of instruction (I'm really an idiot) of how to transform crypto into money.
Well written my brother! Wanna know why you do well on Steemit? Because you are one of the good guys.
I try to be... I'm just a guy, no better than anybody else. Maybe I just try a little harder than some- I have a lot to atone for! You're a much better guy than I am, my Brother!
I LOVE seeing you do well on steemit- that's what it's all about! WE ARE WINNING!
kudos bro!
Thanks Brother!
Thank you. I hope to adhere wisely
Upvoted, re steemed for more newbies !
Thank you... Followed! The reason I did the post was because when I started and was making $0.14 on some posts, I saw guys making $1000... it was depressing! I don't want people to get discouraged and quit. If you're honest and do quality posts, it will happen!
Motivated by your post, I am new on steemit as well.
Following you and looking forward for more post from you.
Don't forget to follow me and up vote @nirju.
Yes, thank you!
Yes indeed! This is exactly the advice I give to the newbies on YouTube. Do post about what you enjoy and let the money find you :)
Thank you so much for this!
Thank you... If you're patient, honest and do your best to put out quality posts, you'll do fine. Patience is the key!
Definitely man. I'd love to connect! Are you on Steemit chat?
I can't get it to load today.
It has been wonky lately eh? I'd hit you up inside anyway soonest.
Great post. I really want to meet many of the people on here some day.
I have to admit it was exciting to see the value of my posts raise yesterday, but the money does not quite feel real to me yet. I have felt more like I was part of a community on Steemit; more than any other source of social media. Thanks again for an insightful post:) I udually have some sort of caretaking job. My last job was a CNA and now I walk dogs.
I'm spending my retirement caretaking my former boss! What a job!!! Thank you for your kind words!
Rich, you are beautiful!
It's so nice and it's been such pleasure so far. Our chats mean a lot to me.
I kind of started the same way and I still think it's all just play money.
Recently, my Mom takes a lot of my time and I overlook so many good articles or can't find time to read enough.
I try to keep it up, to be valuable for the community but my posts get shorter and maybe less interesting.
I am planning to read your new chapters tonight
Keep it up and hey we deserve that monopoly cash hahha
In case you missed it...
https://steemit.com/fiction/@richq11/the-night-gods-ii-let-the-games-begin
I know, I know... people tell me all the time "You look just like Brad Pitt!" (Just kidding... maybe at 100) I got a Bitpay and I've been loading all my SBD on there to have some money. I'm going to have to move soon.
I just finished Chap XVII of the Lottery Council and am going to do Chap I of The Night Gods II today (Hope I can do this ok) I never tried two stories at a time before!
Thank you for all your support God Bless and Much love (Tanto Amore)
Thank you for sharing those words of wisdom! Very Inspirational.