Oh, look! You've picked up some followers!
When you post a diary and wait for the world to discover it, you may have high hopes for the happy outcomes that await you. These include the following:
1. People will read your diary, tip it, recommend it, and leave an encouraging comment. When someone has kind words to say about your creativity, wit, writing style, research, or brilliant logic, this is a wonderful bit of validation that you’re on the right track.
2. People will share, tweet, and “like” your diary, which ensures that other folks who might not have found it on their own will now come and check it out (and tip, rec, and comment, if they’re registered on Daily Kos).
3. Enough people will read and recommend your diary to trip the “Top Secret Rec List Algorithm” and your diary will appear – however briefly – on the “Recommended” list. Once there, it will jockey for position with other recommended diaries that may “outscore” your diary. Visibility on the “rec list” is the most meaningful “metric” of success to many folks, but as you will see below, it’s not always as meaningful as when…
4. One of the Rescue Rangers will read your diary and “rescue” it for consideration on “Community Spotlight”. If the Ranger editor on duty concurs, your diary will be posted to this highly visible box on the front page of Daily Kos (assuming that it hasn’t picked up a “recommended” tag in the mean time). Once in the “Spotlight”, your diary will get 12 or more hours of enhanced visibility, attracting readers and commenters who might otherwise have missed it.
5. Whether or not your diary triggers any of these happy outcomes, it may also win you something of more lasting value: a new “follower” or two. Followers are people who like your writing and want to make sure that they can readily find your future diaries. Think of them as “repeat customers”, and do whatever you can to keep them interested. More on this later.
Other hoped-for outcomes? Someone contacts you about a paid blogging job that’s yours for the asking, or asks you to write an article, do an interview, speak to their organization, or testify before Congress.
While you’re waiting for these high-value/low-probability outcomes, what can you do to improve your visibility, gain respect and recognition, and build a following here? Follow along below the dreams of fame and fortune for more…
Clearly, the best way to develop a following would be to write simply brilliant and amazing diaries. You would think that would do the trick, but fate may expect a little more from you before bestowing her blessings. Fortunately, there are a few things that you can do to increase the odds of positive outcomes. Some of these can be done long before you write and post your diary. Indeed, these activities should become part of your day-to-day "routine" here at Daily Kos. These include:
1. Reading, tipping, and recommending the diaries of other Kossacks, in part to learn more about the world, and about what sorts of writing might inspire you.
2. Commenting in the diaries of other Kossacks. Don't feel intimidated if you think the diarist is some brilliant and wildly popular writer, and you're a shy and reclusive newcomer to the site. Everyone appreciates a kind word, a compliment, a sincere question, or an alternative perspective. Well, almost everyone. You can see from the way a diarist interacts with other commenters whether they're likely to welcome your input. In most cases, they appreciate the fact that you've read their diary, and that you want to interact with them.
3. "Following" diarists whose work interests you. This serves several purposes. First, you can create your own "stream" of diarists so when you don't have the time or inclination to sort through the oceans of diaries each day, you can click on your "stream" which will provide a cool, refreshing glimpse into work that you'll likely enjoy. Secondly, it alerts a diarist to the fact that you want to read more of their work. We all love followers! When I find that I've gained a new follower, I will click on their username and check out their profile. Sometimes I'll follow them by clicking on the little heart (if I'm not already following them).
4. Giving a hat-tip (h/t) to other diarists in your diary if they've given you positive inspiration. This is essentially a friendly "shout out" letting the other diarist know that you appreciate their idea and are giving credit where credit is due, and - if you include the link to their diary or comment - giving them more "traffic", something that's always welcome. [Note: if you have anything negative to say about other diarists: DON'T mention that in your diary! It's rude at best, and very bad form.]
5. Send a private "Kosmail" message to a diarist if you have something nice to say beyond what you say in the comments of their diary. This might include a request for them to provide you with some constructive guidance on a future diary, or some advice for a "real life" situation related to the topic of their diary. Again, I would think very long and hard before Kosmailing any sort of unsolicited criticism to someone.
These steps - in addition to honing your writing skills - should help others to see you as someone worth following... in a good way! I hope that you will enjoy growing your "fan base" as much as I have, and that your followers will give you the encouragement you need to keep writing, and step out of your comfort zone.