It's Been Awhile, But I'm Still Here

 

Mount Denali May 2025

It's been quite a while since I posted on this blog, but don't worry, I'm still here. I took the vacation of a lifetime in May, when I took a cruise and land tour of Alaska with my husband. It was magnificent, but a little tiring. It was well worth it. When I returned home, I had to make a few decisions about my writing. 

Before I left on vacation, I was just getting started putting in more effort on my Substack newsletter, and pondering my future writing on Medium, trying to decide what I wanted to do with my YouTube Channel, as well as how much effort I should put into this blog. Well, I've finally made up my mind what to do.

My original purpose in starting to write online was to earn a little extra money, and that hasn't changed much. My main focus is not making a lot of money, but enough to pay the expenses involved in writing, such as Internet fees, electricity, and grammar software, when I can afford it. Even if I can't make any money, I'll keep writing, but maybe not that enthusiastically,  ha ha. 

Writing on Medium, up until last January, spoiled me with earnings well over a hundred dollars a month. Then, drastically, it all changed. Medium wasn't distributing my work and most other writers' work, so people could read them. Then, Medium decided to pay about 1 cent per read for each article read.  This dramatically reduced almost everyone's earnings to a mere pittance. Writers left the platform in droves. A few weeks ago, I decided that I'm not going to publish every day or more, when no one can see my work, in hopes of earning a few cents. I am still on the platform, but no longer a paying member or contributor.

I have been spending more time writing my Substack newsletter. I offer my subscribers the choice of a free or a paid subscription. The paid subscription does not include any special benefits, other than the ability to show their support. I also accept one-time donations. I feel that what I have to offer in my newsletter articles is more important than earning a lot of money.

I also recently started a YouTube channel, where I can share some of my Substack videos or anything else I want to say. I never thought I could be able to do this, but once I started, I enjoyed it. I know I will never make any money, as you have to have at least 1000 subscribers to your channel to be able to monetize it. I currently have 33😂.

As I had previously said, I spend the majority of my time writing on my Substack newsletter. I predominantly write about politics and social issues, with a liberal leaning. I don't offer any "breaking news" or "investigative reporting", but what I do offer are my thoughts and opinions on what is happening to our country, from a gay, retired senior citizen - an average American like you. I feel it is important for people like me to get the word out, so we can save our democracy. Making big bucks from the newsletter is less important.

Finally, I am getting to this blog. Like I have said, I haven't spent much time on here, and I apologize to those few followers I have for not being more productive. I have decided that since politics is my main focus on Substack, I will use Steve Sovie's World, for everything else I want to share. Occasionally, I will share some material from Substack and my YouTube channel. If you notice, the title of this blog is Steve Sovie's World, while both my Substack newsletter and YouTube channel are titled Stepehen Sovie's World. My Substack link is Stephen Sovie's World. My YouTube channel is Stephen Sovie's World.

I hope you can visit each of my sites and subscribe if you like what I have to say. And if you are feeling generous and can afford to, please consider making a one-time donation or becoming a paid subscriber on my Substack newsletter.

I apologize for any mistakes you may have found in this post.  I used to use Grammarly Pro as an editing software, but I can't see paying the high price they are asking for. Hey, I'm on a fixed income!

Thank you for reading.

Yes, Anyone Can Write on the Internet

But not everyone will succeed

Photo by Benjamin Dada on Unsplash

When I retired more than ten years ago, I moved to Malaysia to be with my now-husband. Since I was not allowed to work, I searched for ways to occupy my time. While surfing the Internet, I discovered blogging. According to the articles, anyone could be a writer and start a blog, and the best part was that you could make money by blogging. This was precisely what I was looking for.

Of the many blogging platforms, I chose Google’s Blogger, primarily because it was free and because Google said it was the most user-friendly. As a person with absolutely no technical skills, I knew Blogger was perfect for me.

I immediately went to work creating my new blog. Thanks to Blogger, it was easy. I didn’t even have to know any coding or SEO—I didn’t even know what it was at the time. I was well on my way to being a writer and blogger, or so I thought.

I had so much fun writing blog posts about life as an expat in Malaysia that I decided to start a couple more blogs. This is when the problems started.

My Malaysian blog was moderately successful, with a good following. I even earned a few bucks. I was quite proud of myself and considered myself a writer, so writing my new blogs would be a snap. Unfortunately, nobody followed or even read my new blogs. I was writing for a nonexistent audience.

I ran into more problems. When you use Blogger, Google Analytics comes with it. This tool analyzes your website and notifies you of any problems that are found. My website had numerous problems, according to Google, but I had no idea what their analyses meant. To make matters worse, Google doesn’t tell you how to fix the problems. It’s like going to your doctor, and he says you are sick but doesn’t tell you how to get better.

I still have one blog on Blogger today, and I still have the same problems with Google. My biggest complaint with Google is that it is impossible to contact customer support. They’re so big they don’t care.

Today, I write predominantly on Medium, where I don’t have to know HTML, SEO, or any other technical skills. I can be a writer here on Medium, but that doesn’t guarantee I can be a successful writer. I still have to work hard to promote my work and engage with other writers.

The Internet may be correct in saying anyone can write or, for that matter, anyone can paint. It’s what you write or what you paint that makes the difference. You can write your diary or paint your house; neither one makes you a writer or painter. The lesson to be learned here is not to take everything you read on the Internet too literally.

Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed reading this article and wish to subscribe to my Newsletter, click on my photo below.

Why I Feel Guilty About Not Reading All of Your Stories,

I hope you understand why.

Photo by Richard Horne on Unsplash

There are just so many hours in a day when I read stories on Medium. I prioritize the stories from writers I frequently engage with and subscribe to. However, there are times when they publish something that does not pertain to me. I don’t want to give them fake engagement, so I don’t read the story, and then I feel guilty about not supporting them.

I am retired. I don’t have to work to supplement my Social Security and pensions. I am enjoying my “Golden Years”—or, what time I have left. Part of being retired is the freedom from the unnecessary stress that often comes with a full-time job.

I have chosen writing on Medium as one of my hobbies, but not the only hobby. I write to share my thoughts and opinions and, most importantly, to keep my mind active. I don’t need the money, but who doesn’t like a little extra spending money?

But like many on this platform, I get caught up in the rush to produce, earn more money, compete with the “big” accounts, or solve the mystery of the Medium algorithm. I don’t want to get back into another rat race, and I get upset with myself when I begin to stress out over what I am or am not doing on this platform.

I don’t need to worry about any other goals other than staying healthy and alive. I don’t need to improve my productivity or set any new career goals. I also don’t need self-improvement courses or self-help tips. I am not saying stories about these topics are not helpful, but they are not for me.

As far as “side hustles” go, I guess you could call my Newsletter, Steve Sovie’s World, a side hustle. But for me, it’s like an experiment or a new toy. It will not make or break me as a writer or content creator. I do enjoy reading what others are doing regarding their efforts to improve their writing or earn a little extra money, but I don’t intend to change direction at this point in my life.

When I don’t read specific articles on the topics I have mentioned above, I feel guilty, but I am not inferring I don’t support the writers or that what they say is unimportant. I’m just an old guy passing the time of day, spouting off about politics or whatever is on my mind on a particular day, maybe wishing I had the youth, energy, and abilities to write for a career. So please don’t take offense if I don’t read every one of your stories. I hope you understand. Thank you.

Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed reading this article and wish to subscribe to my newsletter, click below.

I Have a Hard Time Promoting My Articles,

Maybe I should try something different.

Photo by JJ Ying on Unsplash

I don’t know about you, but I have difficulty getting people to read my articles. If people can’t see them, they can’t read them. I share my stories on Facebook, X, and my blog, Steve Sovie’s World. I also tell my friends whenever I publish something they may be interested in.

I hardly ever get any results from sharing on X. Using Facebook, I see a little better results, but nothing great. I recently started a Newsletter to promote my stories within Medium. So far, I haven’t seen any results. For some reason, people click on the Medium subscribe icon instead of my huge Newsletter subscribe image.

When I tell my friends that I write on Medium, they say they have no idea what Medium is. No one I have ever talked to, either in my family, my neighbors, my long-time friends, or former colleagues, has ever heard of Medium. Why is that?

I consider most of my friends to be well-educated and informed, and many of them are avid readers. But they have no idea of what Medium is. Therefore, I not only have to convince them to read my articles but also to join Medium to do so. Convincing people to shell out money to read is the most difficult part.

After some thought about this matter, I have decided to change the way I promote my articles. While I promote my stories, I will also promote Medium. If people make the connection between my stories and Medium, they might be enticed to join Medium. It’s worth a try.

I would love to hear your thoughts about what I have written and what I intend to do.

Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed reading this article and wish to subscribe to my newsletter, click below.

We Are Not In the Same Medium Boat,

We are in the Medium ocean, but with different size boats.

Photo by Anthony Ketland on Unsplash

If you’ve been writing on Medium for a while, you have seen many writers complaining about their stats and earnings. I am one of those many writers who have done their fair share of bitching. The responses to writers experiencing lackadaisical earnings and stats include the phrase,” We’re in the same boat.” I have said that myself. But the more I think about it, the more I realize that this phrase is inaccurate, at least in my situation.

People on Medium write for several reasons. Some who publish here earn substantial money, which is an excellent part-time income. They most likely also write for other publications or are accomplished novelists or journalists.

These writers are not novice writers, for the most part. They have many years of experience and have a formal journalism or writing education. I’m not saying they all possess these unique qualities, but most likely, the majority do. They have a solid foundation to shore up their writing. They know what works and what doesn’t. They don’t have to chase the numbers like other less experienced writers. To put this in nautical terms, they are aboard a large, sturdy, seaworthy vessel of experience to traverse the vast ocean called Medium. They are in one huge luxurious boat.

Now, for the majority of writers here, it is a different story. Some use Medium as a side hustle to earn extra income to support their families. They don’t have vast experience or formal training but have skills and ambition. They spend a lot of time on Medium, writing, publishing, reading, and commenting. It’s almost like a full-time job. It’s hard work for little compensation. These writers are in a different boat, not as prominent as the luxurious liner, perhaps more like a sailboat. When the winds are favorable, they have smooth sailing.

Then, some writers don’t write for the money. They could care less about their earnings. They write for the love of writing and are happy only to have someone read and appreciate their work. They are floating along the ocean on a comfortable raft close to the shore, not caring where they go.

Others, like myself, write on Medium as a hobby, with the extra benefit of earning a little money. We don’t spend as much time on the site and don’t feel compelled to be here all day. We write when we feel like it. We don’t make a hell of a lot of money, but again, we don’t need to. Yet we still rant and rave in those times when we aren’t earning much. We are all in another type of boat, a pleasure craft. We don’t go boating every day. Just when the weather is good, and we have the time.

Lastly, some writers on Medium want to make a lot of money but don’t necessarily know what they are doing. They join, write, and publish without assuring their work is correctly punctuated and with acceptable spelling and grammar. They don’t read the work of others, nor do they comment unless it is a nonsensical, irrelevant, sparsely worded response. These people are aboard an unseaworthy dingy riddled with holes. They meander at sea until the boat sinks, and they swim away, giving up on their voyage.

Other boats on this Medium ocean are not engaged in a safe and pleasurable cruise. They are pirate ships whose only aim is to steal from all the legitimate sailors at sea. They fly not under the skull and crossbones flag but under AI flags. There are no humans aboard these ships, Only artificial beings pretending to be humans to plunder our hard-earned rewards.

So, I will no longer use the terminology of being in the same boat. We are not all in the same boat. We are on the same ocean but in different boats.

Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed reading this article and wish to subscribe to my newsletter, click below.

What Genre of Writing Succeeds on Medium,

It may not be what you think

Photo by Thomas Kelley on Unsplash

When asked what they like to read, people say fiction, nonfiction, science fiction, mysteries, poetry, etc. Naturally, their favorite authors are those who write in their favorite genre. When writers, especially novice writers, join Medium, they try to emulate their favorite authors or try something different.

We all remember how excited we were to tell family and friends that we started writing on Medium and how they asked, “What’s that?” We then explain how Medium lets us write about anything we want.

After we’ve been joyfully toiling daily to produce what we think are masterpieces of literature, we realize something. No one is reading our stories. We search the Medium site for answers. We see all kinds of advice. We need more followers. We need to publish more often. We need to engage more. Reinvigorated, we get right to it. And still, no one reads our work.

We begin to look around and see who the more successful writers are, the ones who get the most attention and earn the most money, at least according to them. We discover a new genre of writing that only some people outside of Medium have ever heard of: writing about Medium itself!

We begin to realize that most of those articles we searched for advice are very popular. We also realize that the one article we wrote about our questions or frustrations with Medium was our most popular and lucrative article. A light goes on. Why not devote all my attention to writing about Medium?

To hell with becoming another Hemingway, Grisham, or King. We can become famous writers in the new writing genre called Medium. So, now, when friends ask what kind of articles we write? We can proudly say, “I write about Medium?” And then laugh all the way to the bank.

Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed reading this article and wish to subscribe to my newsletter, click below.

What Am I Really Doing on Medium?Am I wasting my time?

Photo by Andrea De Santis on Unsplash

I often get ideas about what to write in the middle of the night. Sometimes I remember the ideas, and sometimes I don’t. Last night, I woke up at 4 AM to pee, which is not unusual for an old guy like me with BPH. What was remarkable was that instead of an idea popping into my head regarding an idea to write about, I was thinking, why do I even write on Medium if no one pays attention to my stories?

I don’t know why I suddenly started feeling down about what I was doing. Perhaps it’s because I have spent a good deal of time in the past couple of weeks creating a newsletter. Like many on this platform, my readership and earnings have declined dramatically. Last year, at this time, I had about 200 reads daily; today, I am lucky to get 10.I attributed this to the inability of the Medium membership, especially my followers, to find what I publish. I thought using a newsletter would help my readers find my stories.

Creating the newsletter was quite tiresome, as I knew little about web design and the technology used to develop and maintain a newsletter. However, I was quite proud of myself for completing this project. But then, after sending my first newsletter to my Medium subscribers, I began to have second thoughts.

Would my present subscribers unsubscribe once they receive the email with my newsletter? Would they delete it without reading it? Would it end up in the spam folder? Did I waste a lot of time for nothing? I’m not sure.

Soon after sending the first newsletter, I received a strange, if not rude, comment on one of my stories. The commenter basically told me that my stats were low because my work wasn’t very good, and I could improve my reads by following him and reading his stories. I didn’t know how to react. Before I deleted him, I checked his profile.

He joined Medium this month and had a few hundred followers and maybe ten articles published. What was striking was that each of his stories, which could have been better, had over 1.5K claps.

I began to think of all those articles I had read that had accumulated hundreds of claps within the first couple of hours of publication. Many stories I have found as fascinating as dryer lint have also had over a thousand claps. The writers often have fewer followers than me, which causes me to wonder about my followers. I know I shouldn’t compare myself to other writers, but I am human and can’t help but question what is wrong with me.

I used to follow and subscribe to many people, but I no longer do. One in particular is a very prolific writer, publishing several times daily. I tried to read as many of his stories as I could but soon lost interest. He seemed to always talk about himself in a braggadocios manner, but somehow his stories lacked feeling. He was more of a publishing machine than a writer sharing himself.

A few writers I enjoyed reading and getting to know disappeared after continued disappointing results on this platform. One writer I used to read faithfully and commensurate with is now rarely seen. She used to be a faithful follower and reader. Others I came to know have left for reasons unknown.

I publish in only a few publications I like and feel comfortable with, and I self-publish my political articles. I have writers I follow and subscribe to, and I make it a point to read most, if not all, of their articles. I won’t mention their names because I don’t want to drop names to get a few views. But they know who they are.

They may not always write masterpieces, but what they write from the heart about themselves and what they do. Reading their stories is like having a beer or cup of coffee and shooting the shit with a friend. I’ve gotten to know them and let them get to know me. I consider them to be friends. This is what I would miss if I ever left Medium.

I have done everything I can, within the limits of my ability as what others would call a writer. When talking with friends, neighbors, or family members, I cannot bring myself to say, “I am a writer.” But I cannot find a way to make my work interesting enough for people to read. I thought creating a newsletter would help, but it’s probably just another misadventure, like my futile attempts at writing blogs on WordPress and Blogger. Maybe someday I’ll learn.

I’ll continue sending my newsletter until my free plan runs out. Who knows, maybe things will pick up. Being an opinionated old fart, I probably won’t be able to swallow my pride and throw in the towel. So, I’ll stick around and rethink what I am doing on Medium. Thank you for allowing me to vent and wallow in self-pity for a while.

Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed reading this article and wish to subscribe to my newsletter, click below.

I've Been Doing a Little House Cleaning on Medium and with My Blogs

                                   Photo by Mark Hang Fung So on Unsplash

I know it’s not spring, but I’ve been doing some spring cleaning the past few days — not in my house, but on Medium and with my blogs. I have been thinking about doing it for a while, and after some hesitation, I finally did it.

For over 15 years, I have been writing and maintaining personal blogs on another platform using custom domains. Although my blogs never earned much money over the years, my stubborn pride prevented me from giving them up. As anyone who has written their own blog knows, blogging is a tough endeavor, almost always destined for failure, at least for amateurs like me.

About a year ago, I discovered that Medium writers could redirect their blogs’ custom domains to their Medium blogs. Before realizing this feature existed, I had been publishing articles on my Medium blog and then republishing them on my websites. I thought if I could point my domain to my Medium blogs, I could save some time and trouble, as well as benefit my stats on Medium and my websites.

I linked two of my oldest websites, Steveso Thinks and Stephen Sovie’s Blog, to my Medium publications of the same names. I published an article on Medium explaining what I had done and settled back to see if it made a difference.

One issue I did not realize I would have was that pointing my custom domain to Medium prevented me from doing anything with my websites. I couldn’t publish anything solely on my website. I couldn’t even access it. I was still paying yearly for my custom domains but could only publish on them through Medium.

I saw no difference in my statistics, so it made no sense to continue pointing my custom domains to Medium. I decided to return to publishing on my blogs on both platforms. But it wasn’t that easy. I managed to unlink my domains from Medium quite easily but could not access my websites.

Each of my custom domains is registered with a different web hosting site, and I have been wracking my brains out about this for two days. Since I am not familiar with the intricacies of setting up and maintaining domains, I am lost.

I can probably fix the problems with my websites if I want to spend a lot of time and effort on customer support on each one, but I have decided it’s not worth it. After careful consideration, I have decided to swallow my pride and let go of my two long-held websites with their custom domains. Instead, I have created a new blog on Blogger, Steve Sovie’s Blogs, where I can republish some of my Medium articles from my publications there. Maybe I will purchase a custom domain at a later date, but as of now, it’s not a priority.

I doubt anything I have done will affect the performance of my Medium blogs or other writing. I don’t expect my new blog to be a success. I just want another site to share my work on and to preserve the memories of my past blogging adventures. I’m never going to stop writing and I’m never going to stop trying.

The Grass isn't Always Greener on the Other Side,

                                               Photo by Mick Haupt on Unsplash 

 I wrote an article about people moving to Substack just three days ago. I was considering growing a subscriber list to earn a little money or reposting my Medium articles on Substack to improve my Medium statistics and earnings. I thought the grass might be a little greener on Substack. It didn’t take long, but I learned my lesson.

In the past few days, I have republished some of my Medium articles on Substack and have seen only a few likes and one follow. One person has subscribed to my newsletter. I wasn’t surprised, though, as it had only been a few days.

But more importantly, I realized that I would have to accumulate many subscribers to earn anything near what I am presently earning on Medium. I asked myself, “Would I pay money every month to read my articles?” “No way!” I also asked myself, “Would I pay $5 per month to read the work of just one writer”? Once again, the answer was no.

I would think for a writer to earn a substantial amount of money, they would have to be a damn good writer with a large and loyal following. I think I would have to write a great deal more and put in much more work to earn even a little money on Substack.

I don’t honestly think I would gain any benefit on Medium by also publishing on Substack. It would only mean more work for me, which I am not willing to do. I write as a hobby and to keep my mind active. I don’t intend to have another career as a writer, nor do I intend to get rich writing.

I earn a modest amount of money writing on Medium without being a slave to the platform or working too damn hard. I may complain at times about my earnings and stats on Medium, but hell, I have it quite easy here. I have also met some fantastic people on the platform who share my interests and genuinely support my work.

I had the itch to see if the grass was greener on Substack, and I found out it wasn’t. I realized that writing on Medium isn’t that bad and that I should be honest about my writing and my expectations.

I may still repost some of my articles on Substack, but with no expectations. I will probably rejoin the Friend of Medium program next month, too. Maybe I will push myself to work a bit harder, too. I might be able to make my own grass a little greener. Hey, I can’t say I didn’t try.