It was frustrating.
I took hours to craft a well educating and informative post and I felt like woot, this should make at least $500 coupled with the fact that I added a killer headline.
After checking that everything was in place and triple checking to make sure I used the right tags, I hit the post button and waited for the upvotes to start rolling in.
The Whales won't be able to resist this.
I closed my Laptop and went to do my school project while fantasizing what i would do with my steem earnings.
After thirty minutes of dilly dallying, I found out that my mind was not in what I was doing, i abandoned my notes and went back to my laptop.
I opened my laptop and checked the post $0.03, i blinked to make sure that my eyes were not decieving me, i refreshed the post twice still no change.
I checked the hot posts sections and saw post of lesser quality with higher potential earnings, it was annoying.
On Steemicide
The same thing happened for the next four days then I knew something was wrong, I started asking questions, I met a fellow minnow ( name withheld) and he had a similar problem.
After we chatted for a while he told me that he was quitting Steemit.
" I can't take this anymore he lamented the system is not fair it was only those who could afford to buy steem and power up that had hope of breaking through.
I stared at those words on Steemit chat and I knew that I had to make him rethink his decision, he was a writer of great talent and I knew that he had what it took to make it on steemit.
I understood his pain, because i was in the same situation with him but I never considered quitting steemit, it never crossed my mind.
He qiut Steemit a week later and left his blog to die.
I stayed and today I am happy I persevered.
I knew that I had to take time and learn how blogging works or I might find myself quitting too, I read resorces online and asked question and then slowly it dawned on me.
I had to build my reputation first and then the rewards will come.
I tell you when you see a pending payout of $500 from a post you feel does not worth it, know that the $500 is not for the post, it is a interest on the goodwill the author have managed to build through consistency and provision of value.
You also have to create time for your blog or it will never grow, some people just comes into Steemit, drop their post and leave and come back the next expecting to have cool cash waiting for them.
Impossible
To understand why, Imagine your are going for a long trip and the airlines allows only one suitcase for each passenger, you stuff your suitcase full and you pratically spend minutes trying to zip it.
Then as you are walking out the door you noticed a short you forgot. You unzip the case cram in the shorts and try again, but now it's just too full.It won't close.
Well, that suitcase is your life, and the short is your blog.
So what do you do?
Quit Steemit. You may decide that your life is too full and that Steemit is not for you, and leave it to the 'cabals'.
Leave Something behind. Stop wasting the little free time you get on Netflix or watching Game Of Thrones and channel every free time you have towards a productive activity.
Learn To Pack Effectively. Get serious and draw up a Timetable for better time management.
Give The Short To A Friend To carry. In other words ask for help, there are a lot of nice people here on Steemit who can help you reseteem and even help answer questions people ask in your blog post, I have been a recipent of this favour in the past.
The bottom line?
Whatever you do, don't try to be a one Man Army, you will fail. Always be teachable and humble.
The solution isn't positive thinking or more self-discipline.
It is surrounding your self with people who can advice and also help shoulder your load. No one can do it alone. Not even you.
So pull out your list of goals and find out people who have achieved that and reach out to them for help. If you cannot think of anyone, then make finding one your biggest pirority.
And then go out there and totally crush It.
The Blockchain Blogger is a series I started to encourage New and existing Minnows, you can help Resteem this Post so that More Minnows Can See It.
Thanks For Reading
If You Won't Upvote this Post Resteem It
Well said @ogochukwu... and here's the additional thing: even after blogging here for six months and publishing over 270 original posts/articles... I still don't know for sure that any one of them will earn anything significant. So I've learned to simply "play the averages" and let go of my attachment to any specific post "doing well."
In any case, thanks for all you do to promote the community both in Nigeria, and to minnows in general!
I expect not to make anything on any articles anymore. I do believe it's rigged to really benefit the original adopters but I do like reading people's posts and writing so I persevere anyway even though I don't expect much of a final reward for my posts. Writing just to write sometimes is enough in itself.
Hello @haushinka
I don't believe that Steemit is rigged to favour the early adopters, the only reasons older steemians make more is simply because they made friends early on and they all grew to be dolphins and whales together.
I still know Older steemians who make little on their posts.
@ogochukwu
Today's going into my 4th day on steemit. I've still yet to entirely grasp how this all works. I wouldn't say that it is rigged either, more that quality posts seem to be improperly solicited out of new users capable of writing quality material. As if I'm supposed to put out semi-decent fluff until I build a following. I don't know about you but I only have a finite amount of potential great stories to write as of now
Hello @denmarkguy
Thanks for reading the post and your comment. Just like you I also play the averages, I don't set high bars for my post no matter how good they are.
@ogochukwu
Hi Ogo, nice post! I live in Enugu too. My first post.. https://steemit.com/african/@neya77/the-ice-man-from-sub-saharan-africa
Oh you dey Enugu as well? Nice. We suppose gather the Enugu-based Steemians for some kind of real-world collaboration, whether seminar or advertising or something.
Yes, have my tiny upvote for that. I've only been here a week and that is starting to dawn on me. My allegedly brilliant posts are not the point; the averages are the point. Thank you for this.
Thanks so much, @ogochukwu. This is so inspiring and it came just when I needed it cos I'm already feeling like I'm wasting my time here. This would add to the things that are keeping me going. I'm grateful
Hello @nevies
I assure you the only place you can waste time is on Facebook and Twitter, here on Steemit even if you don't earn anything, you get educated, the community is filled with people who are good at what they do.
Keep Calm and Steem On.
@ogochukwu
I'll admit, I've lost some steam myself over the last week. Most of what I write doesn't even get 10 views. Still not giving up, though.
Hello @lilrut
Even if you lose Steem, you may read other peoples post and share your insights, i made a comment on @stellabelle's post yesterday and It made more earnings than my last two posts combined.
@ogochukwu
Do like me and stay away from the hot posts and trending pages! That way I don't get depressed!
Hello @richq11
I only go there now to see if they are any high quality post, the earnings are now invisible to me :)
@ogochukwu
Most of it's either junk or a bunch of tech stuff I don't understand!
Yeah that is true most of the time
Hahahahahahaha
Incredible, this post will definitely motivate red fish like me.
I have one question for you. Do we have to write on different topics or concentrate on one which we love? I don't have any skills, not a developer or not a technical or a crypto guy and write about the stories of ordinary people. What do you suggest?
And please if you spare your precious time and have a look at my blog, may be you have a better suggestion for me.
Thanks.
Hello @ghulammujtaba
I went through your blog and I totally love what you are doing. Story telling is powerful and it connects people.
As for your questions, I believe you should keep sharing the stories with us, over time you will have more ideas of things to blog about.
I started my Steemit Journey writing Short stories and over time my blog evolved.
Following you for more stories.
@ogochukwu
Thank you @ogochukwu for answering my questions.
Already following you and I am sure that I will learn a lot from people like you.
Stay blessed!
You too Sir
Great post.
"I tell you when you see a pending payout of $500 from a post you feel does not worth it, know that the $500 is not for the post, it is a interest on the goodwill the author have managed to build through consistency and provision of value."
That's a great point to emphasize. Sometimes, payouts don't reflect immediate quality of the contribution, but other quality that has been provided elsewhere, or goodwill that has been earned.
It's always good to remember this before flagging because you think rewards are unjustified.
Hello @lexiconical
I myself don't believe in flagging to reduce payout, I have been a victim once and I tell you it was very annoying.
It is like demoting someone who works hard. Thanks for reading.
@ogochukwu
inspirational post @ogochukwu, STEEM ON!
Hello @liberty-minded.
Thanks for reading.
@ogochukwu
Fabulous outlook and observations. Thank you for wise tips and encouragement. It's too bad your friend left. Following you.
Hello @wandrnrose7
Thanks for reading and for the Follow.
@ogochukwu
you yunk.
Thanks @stellabelle
May The Yunk be with you :)
@ogochukwu
Great.
Thanks for reading