A Collaboration from Richard Kaplan @steemship and Tom Janowicz @donkeypong
Over time, we hope Steemit can become a great model for many kinds of content. News, photography, video, and music are just a few possibilities. While the site will continue to grow and evolve, some clear patterns are emerging about what kinds of original content most voters find valuable. Let us examine one idea that can help more people create high-paying posts: collaboration.
The most profitable posts tend to be longer than average, well-organized and well-presented. We are comfortable upvoting some shorter posts because we like jokes, video clips, memes, and concise writing. But most voters seem to prefer articles that add clearer value.
Longer, more professional looking articles are a clear sign that an author has invested time and energy to create value for the Steemit community. Also, they are safer bets for voters who want to make money from curation rewards.
These longer, high-paying posts deliver real value for the community, whether that value is informative, entertaining, or creative. Some have innovative ideas or smart commentary on important issues. Others provide helpful explanations (so far we have seen a lot of these addressing the many parts of Steemit and how to use it most effectively). Then there are natural writers who post earthshattering creative prose. Some of their articles make us want to slap the table, dance on it, or re-examine our own lives!
If you’re not a professional-quality writer, will you ever be able to share in those huge content rewards?
YES, there is room at the top. Lots of room. You can get there. But if you feel that you are lacking some of the necessary tools, collaboration is a very good option. When you work together with another writer, it can help you bridge the gap and create a complete product that more voters will appreciate.
There are many good reasons to consider collaborating with others to create content. Here are a few:
1.) You’re good at one thing, but not as good at others. Some people are great with words, but they can’t figure out what to write about. They may have written some things that didn’t get much attention. They have not figured out what makes a popular post.
Other people are great thinkers, and they can spot a good niche a mile away, but they’re not writers. Find someone who compliments your skill set.
2.) You have a big idea, but can’t handle it on your own. Things evolve so quickly in this field that you should not wait. If you have an idea for a big project, get some help with it. You’ll be far more likely to get it done. And everyone can share in the rewards.
This happened to Tom @donkeypong, who wanted to create a series of informational posts before Steemit’s first July 4 payout. He kept getting questions from new users about what to do with Steem and Steem Dollars, so he thought that a series of short guides was in order: How to Power Up, Use Blocktrades and Bittrex to cash out from Steem, etc. Unfortunately, he only had these ideas a few days before July 4, and did not have time to write them all himself.
Tom partnered with Mahmud @infovore, who is a great researcher and writer. Mahmud has written some great Steemit posts on his own, and he was open to another opportunity. He was willing to provide a lot of the research and ended up writing one of the two articles that he and Tom completed in time. The total payout from their two articles? About $3500.
3.) You have good ideas, but you’re not a completer. We all know people like this. They are visionary, their ideas are off the charts, and yet they can’t stick with it long enough to finish one thing before jumping onto another one. If this describes you, find someone who is more project oriented and able to finish what you start. You write the first half, or provide a rough draft, and let your partner refine it into a finished product.
4.) You need to bring more attention to your work. You’re good. You know your material is high quality, but it’s not getting much attention yet. You deserve more attention and upvotes. Consider partnering with someone who is more established and experienced.
Richard @steemship had an idea for an article on the new voting rewards, which use a reverse auction format. Actually, Tom had suggested doing an updated voting article, because the Steemit 101 e-book needed this sort of update after the recent forks, and Richard had written most of the voting material for the first edition so voting was his area. Why not post an article first and then work it into a longer e-book chapter later? Richard wanted to focus on the 30-minute reverse curation rewards portion of the voting change.
Unfortunately, Richard was busy, Tom was writing the July 4 series already with @infovore, and we needed some more help. But Adil @the-alien was available, so Richard was glad to collaborate. Adil was able to put together the bones of the article and then create a very respectable rough draft, which Richard then worked into an article that was about twice as long. Adil edited that, and then we went back and forth on the title and images until both were satisfied before posting.
Richard and Adil timed it well, we checked with Steemit’s technical minds to make sure we understood the voting rewards correctly, and the article filled a need. Total post payout: $2500 (the two writers split their author rewards 50/50).
We’re not sure who was riding whose coattails there. Richard is a co-author of the Steemit 101 e-book and he has written some very popular articles on Steemit. In his one month or so on Steemit, Adil already had been tearing it up with his blog posts. It takes Richard almost a week to write one good article, and they’re usually impeccably researched, but Adil has a talent for writing quicker, thought-provoking pieces that also are quite popular.
Just imagine that one of them was an established writer and the other one was an up-and-comer who needed more attention. Having your name associated with a more established writer is a great way to get more attention for your work.
If you think that you would benefit from collaborating with @steemship or @donkeypong , we are both interested in working with other writers. Bring us some ideas. We will work to get you some exposure and get paid. More importantly, we’ll also credit you fully and help you build your brand as a writer. If we are too busy to handle all the projects, then we’ll try to connect you with other established Steemit authors who are open to collaborations. You can contact either of us on Steemit’s Slack Channel: http://steem.herokuapp.com
5.) Collaborate because it’s fun and it helps build community! Really, we have enjoyed our collaboration experiences so far. It is fun. The two of us also worked together on the Steemit 101 e-book along with Renaud @cryptoctopus and Leah @stellabelle. That was a larger project but every project is just a series of steps and pieces. Put them all together and you have something that can impress.
Yesterday, the Steemit 101 e-book was listed by Amazon at the # 1 position on its Hot New Releases in the Blogging & Blogs category. That wasn’t published by one greedy author who is charging $10 per book; it’s a team of authors who are making zero in royalties because we’re giving it back to STEEM by buying more advertising on Amazon and blogs.
What does it do for the Steemit community to know that the e-book is a collaborative project, designed to benefit the platform?
We hope it helps set the tone for team spirit across the board. This is a great community and collaboration will only make it better.
Considerations for Collaborating
1.) Most Steemit authors are on the Slack Channel. http://steem.herokuapp.com If there is someone you would like to approach about a possible collaboration, that is the best place to find them. Send the person a direct message on Slack.
2.) Time Zones. Tom @donkeypong is based in the United States. He co-wrote an article series with Mahmud @infovore, who is based in Africa. Some people are willing to put in late nights and others (like Mahmud) work quickly anyway. But keep in mind that you may need to allow more time for the project to get done if someone is in a very different time zone. If you use Slack (or another platform that meets your needs), you can send messages between one another and also create and share work.
3.) Writing and Editing Platform. Google Docs is a very simple way to post documents for word processing and editing. It saves everything that is typed in, so you should not face any danger of losing things. There are other possibilities, but Google Docs is very useful for collaborations. You could supplement it with Dropbox, Skype, or any other tool that you need.
4.) One of you needs to be a good editor. Or find one! There’s no way around this. Either you or your collaboration partner must be good at editing, or else you should find a third party to edit your work before you post. Nothing is more damaging to a post than careless errors, whether they are in formatting or punctuation or broken links. If it takes you extra time to review the work and get it right, that time is well spent, since you will get more upvotes and make more in rewards.
5.) Choosing someone who is honest and reliable. You never know for sure if you’ve chosen to work with someone who is honest or would just take the payout and run. But reputations are very important on Steemit. If a writer is accused of stealing someone else’s money, that would be damaging. Also very important here is that your collaborator needs to be reliable. Do your part, get it done on time, and expect the same from your partner…hopefully.
When Tom @donkeypong began talking to Renaud @cryptoctopus about collaborating on an e-book, we already had worked together on marketing the BitShares project. Tom knew that Renaud was a very skilled marketing professional and that he was very trustworthy. We were able to map out some of the chapters and begin working on them. Renaud came through and as everyone now knows, he has become a pillar of the Steemit community. Don’t be afraid to recruit someone you know from outside, who is not even on Steemit yet. If you see partnership potential, bring them on board (or at least offer them a share of your payout in exchange for their help).
Personally, we look for writers who already have posted on Steemit. Their work does not need to be popular yet or have big payouts yet, but the quality should speak for itself. Look for people who have shown they can do something well even if it’s not the whole package.
When Tom @donkeypong approached Leah @stellabelle about contributing some work to the Steemit e-book, she was already posting very popular and highly upvoted articles on Steemit. But her Steemit articles at that time were a mile long and she had not posted any “how to”-type pieces yet. The e-book needed some shorter, instruction-oriented chapters.
Yet from @stellabelle’s writing, Tom could see that she wrote very concise passages. She makes every word count. Most people read her posts and are blown away by her immense creativity and amazing insights on life. Tom saw something else: tight organization and a very disciplined method to her brilliance. When she contributed content for the e-book, it was dynamite: right on point, ready to go, and a perfect fit for the book.
Collaboration is a Win-Win-Win Situation. Working together brings together those puzzle pieces to create a full picture. It allows you to work on what you’re good at and let someone else do their part. Finally, Steemit wins because collaborations enrich the community and help set the tone of sharing. Please, let’s keep that team spirit, even as this grows.
-Peace, Richard @steemship and Tom @donkeypong