Maybe the algorithm is the shadow that slides across my face when you tell me how much you enjoyed my latest blog but I know you didn’t follow up with a click or a comment.
As an author, first and foremost, I want to be read. My gratitude overshadows this new algorithmic dependency. Thanks for reading!
Algorithms and Publishing
Algorithms are simple AND complex. They’re all around us. How algorithms are structured and applied varies significantly from one platform to another. Radical changes in publishing have pushed the industry closer to those computations, and authors find themselves beholden to the mighty algorithm and a shape-shifting social media.
Part of me is Edwina in Raising Arizona because it’s scary, and I have to put myself in a vulnerable place.
The Ask
So here’s the vulnerable ask. When you read a post on a blog or social media by an author or by any creative (it’s not just me, it’s not just writers):
- click like if you do
- click share if it resonates
- comment because algorithms thrive on comments
- follow and subscribe to support the artist
Click and comment within social media, and also on the writer’s webpage. Pay attention to the platform and boost the piece with the tools provided, for example, claps on Medium and upvotes on Reddit.
It won’t cost you a thing, and most of us writers aren’t making a penny with you click. We’re just building our platforms so that we can knock on a publisher’s door with something to stand on.
Words Matter
Authors and writers spend hours working with, wrangling, coddling, even sleeping with words.
So, toss us a word bone. Like, share, follow, subscribe. Leave us a few words of your own. The more words and clicks, the better.
©Pennie Nichols. All Rights Reserved. 2022
Glad that I read this. I wasn’t aware of the algorithms. Thanks for the lesson!~Merri Beth
Thanks, Merri Beth!
It’s funny but I often don’t even notice the number of views—just the number of comments. This is SO TRUE, Pennie!
painfully true