Hello Steemians!
Forgive me if it took too long to complete this post. It should have been uploaded days ago, but there are circumstances that are beyond my control. I have been asked countless times already on how did I achieved that 4 @curie upvotes in the span of 6 weeks. I have to be honest and frank here so please bear with me. Also, please bear with me if this post will be much longer than my normal post, as I will try to expound everything to the best of my abilities.
Before the main course of this post, I would like to mention a few disclaimers:
- After reading this post, I will not guarantee that your next post will be upvoted by @curie.
- Data and photos in this post all belong to the rightful owner. I don't have the intention to plagiarize. All credits belong to where they are due. My purpose is to simply help those who wanted to be the best in their craft.
- The claims presented here are my opinions that are based on my current understanding about how @curie functions. I don't claim that they are the absolute facts as they might be subject to my own bias or my understanding is really wrong in the first place.
- I am not the absolute authority when it comes to which post deserves a @curie upvote or not. I am not part of the @curie community either. The authority after all, belongs to the reviewers of the @curie community who I believe are competent individuals in their own chosen field.
- I don't know if I'm allowed to use #curie as my main tag, but I'll use it for easy recall and recognition.
I would like to thank the @curie community for recognizing my posts and of course, my efforts in creating those posts. It really helps me in affirming myself that I am good at something; not the best, but at least I have something that could prove my worth.
What Is Curie?
I have been mentioning @curie a lot of times already, but for those of you who don't know what @curie is all about, @curie is a curating community here on steemit. Once @curie upvotes a post, the minimum reward of that post would be about $100. Curie is also a community witness; last time I checked, it's No. 18 witness here on steemit. Yesterday, @curie released its White Paper which gives detailed explanation of how @curie functions as a community. If you're interested to get a @curie upvote, I suggest that you read the White Paper and understand every single word it contains.
If you go to @curie's blog page, it's "biography" is: Discovering exceptional content. From that phrase alone, you will have an overview of everything about @curie. That's what drives @curie forward, specifically an exceptional content that goes unnoticed.
To be noticed, upvoted, and curated by a whale is one thing, but to be upvoted by @curie is another. This is a little bit exaggerated, but for me, @curie is the Nobel Prize of steemit. That's how I look up @curie when I was still starting to do this blogger thing 4 months ago. To be honest, I said to myself that if I can just have 1 @curie upvote, I'm satisfied with whatever this is I'm doing.
Curie remains to be apolitical and unbiased in its decisions. For the sake of transparency, it publishes a weekly update that detailed the activity of the community for the week. Since the day I've known about @curie, I have been following its weekly updates and reading its announcements. I have been monitoring it for 3 months and I realized that @curie is not just passively curating. It's actually very dynamic and evolving at a faster rate than any other curating community. There are changes in the community that are the results of its continuing movement towards excellence. They have the most rigorous selection of contents that out of thousands of postings per week, only a few hundred posts are curated. And if I mean a few, it's actually less than 200.
Preparations Before Creating that "Curie-Worthy" Post
Now that I have introduced what @curie is all about, let's move on to the preparations before you create your "curie-worthy" post. I have been in steemit since September, 2017 and I got my first @curie upvote on the first week of December. In short, I prepared for my "curie-worthy" upvote for almost 3 months. From now on, take note of the sentences that are quoted for it will help you with your journey.
One (1) @curie upvote might be an accident, but to be consistently upvoted is out of strategic planning.
Let's be honest here, to be upvoted once can be disputed. There are tons of circumstances surrounding that 1 upvoted post that could explain why it was upvoted by @curie. But if you have been upvoted twice or more, it means you have passed the consistency test of @curie. That's why this post took too long, even if many people are asking me how I did it. I waited for my 4th @curie upvote to convince myself that I now have the right to write about this topic.
Follow @curie and study everything about the community.
If you haven't heard about @curie until now, you should follow @curie and study everything about that community. In that 3 months, I just observed how @curie functions. Once the weekly publication is released, which is every Sunday, I looked at everyone who has been upvoted and studied what made their post exceptional. I never upvoted then because my vote had no value. I just read every post and I was amazed by the plethora of "curie-worthy" topics, but there are topics that @curie mostly preferred.
You're all lucky because @curie released its White Paper 2 days ago and the data presented show that @curie upvoted more on art. Two of my posts that were curated belong in art category. For me, this is more than just statistics. Together with @legendarryll, we inferred that @curie really loved art. It mirrors the outlook of @curie when it comes to exceptional content. What separates art from rubbish is the amount discipline that the artist puts into his work. I would say that @curie in itself is an art and a discipline. Choosing and curating those exceptional contents is like looking for the needle in the haystack and that requires discipline.
Look for common characteristics among those being curied.
What I mean when I say "Look for common characteristics among those being curied" is to click those accounts and study their contents. This is not an exaggeration because I really clicked those accounts curated and examine their contents. I really spend time in deciphering the thoughts of the curators and the reviewers as why they thought a particular content deserves a @curie upvote. I cannot give a general formula or an all-around solution, but I can say that you should study the pattern every week.
Determine which of the categories your niche belongs.
I assumed that by now, you should have known your niche already. If not, I suggest you join @thegaillery's the Confidence Project. Everything about the project is in her blog. In that way, you should be able to determine which categories you're good at.
Together with @legendarryll and @thegaillery, we studied how to be upvoted and curated by @curie. We look at which category could we possibly be good at. We already knew @legendarryll would be in travel and photography category. He could also touch the art category. In @thegaillery's case, she's confident in writing and research. I'm a jack-of-all-trades, so I had a problem in choosing which category to focus on. I'm confident in telling my experience so I chose travel and art. By now, you should have realized which category to focus on. Before you continue on reading, review again and give a careful assessment of yourself.
Familiarize all the @curie guidelines.
Last December, @curie released the expanded guidelines that would be used to govern the selection process. For me, this is the very heart beat of @curie activity. Every curator in the community knows about the guidelines for they will use it as the basis in choosing a post that they want to submit. Before you go any further, I suggest you click that link and read the guidelines. After reading, try to memorize those guidelines and allocate one portion of your brain for storage of those information. I will not expound them here because that would take me forever to discuss one by one. Just leave a comment below if you have questions in one or more particular guidelines. I'll try to answer them based on my current understanding of the guidelines.
Before the expanded guidelines, @geekgirl (one of the community representatives of @curie), would post a call for an application for @curie curator. A post like this, would contain the necessary information on how to become a @curie curator. This is a vital source of information, not only to those who wanted to become a curator, but also to those who aspire to be curied. Why? It's because you can have the idea which post is likely to be upvoted or not, based on the opinion of a seasoned reviewer. If you wish to visit that post, pay a careful attention to the comments. There, you will get the idea of how rigorous the selection process is. I thought one post submitted was exceptional, but @geekgirl's response was OK-ish but not exceptional.
Pay attention to the curators and their curator score.
You might ask, "Why would I pay attention to the curators and their curator score?". As I've said, you should understand everything on how @curie functions. All posts in steemit have gone through the eyes of @curie curators. I don't know how they did it, but it's really true. These curators are maintaining their curator score. So, not only that they would be picky in their choices, but also, they would really prepare an arsenal of arguments before they submit your post. This goes back to the guidelines. If you want your post to be submitted by a curator, all conditions should be met. Unless your post is the exceptional of all exceptionals, then you might bend some of the rules. But if your post is just an average exceptional like mine, you better play safe and make sure you met all the conditions to be considered.
You see now why the selection process is too rigorous? It's because of the curator score that your post should overcome the first barrier; your post should convince one curator to submit it. Whether it should be accepted or rejected, is up to the reviewer, which is another layer of resistance. According to the White Paper, even one reviewer would ask a second opinion, or a voting process would be conducted. Can you imagine the deliberation process? I think that one flaw in the post would cause it to be rejected.
Look out for those featured or resteemed by @curie.
It's my next goal to be featured or resteemed by @curie. I think it's the ultimate achievement possible here on steemit. To be featured or esteemed means that your post possesses the quality of more than exceptional. It means that you go an extra mile from being exceptional, or you go higher than expected. Only a few have been resteemed by @curie. Watch out for the feature post every Monday, an initiative by @carlgnash.
Creating that "Curie-Worthy" Post
Let's say that you have completed all the necessary preparations that I mentioned, let's move on to writing the post. Here are some points to consider:
You can't afford to be lazy on steemit.
When @honeyletsgo asked me how I did it, I told her that I do this and that. She answered that she's lazy when it comes to formatting or proofreading. I frankly told her that many people would say that steemit is an easy-money scheme, but it's not. Every post takes time and effort. What more if you're trying to make an exceptional one. You really can't afford to be lazy especially if you're wanting that @curie upvote.
Sell your post or convince a curator to submit your post.
When I write a "curie-worthy" post, I always showcase what's different in my post. In this era, you don't have the most novel idea. If you can think that idea, then someone must have thought that before you. If you want to do a travel post, someone must have gone to the place before you and already told the story. If you highlight what's different in your post, then it must be what makes it exceptional. It always pay to make a research first before you dig into writing.
I'll take my 4 posts as examples:
In Existence of Art Even in Mundane Places, I packaged it that after reading, you can claim, "Who would have thought that a dull and boring sponge would harbor such beauty when magnified?".
In Kim's Quest #2: Olango Island, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, I went against the normal claim of bloggers who have gone to the island once; that Olango has not much to offer. Since I went to the island five times, I claimed that every barangay has something to offer and is waiting to be discovered and explored. That's what makes it unique.
In Cebu's Street Art and Where to Find Them, I claimed that blogs are limited to one street only and are obsolete, so mine is a compilation of major streets where you can find street arts in Cebu. Another thing, I claimed that street art pushes the boundary of art to another level. And the dynamics of street art alone makes my post unique and exceptional.
In Kim's Quest #2: Kandungaw Peak, Dalaguete, Cebu, I claimed that ours was a unique experience because we got there very early in the morning. Other blogs have their photos taken at high noon.
Photos do matter and equally important as the write up.
No matter how good your writing is, but your photos are blurry or taken from your backyard, your post will surely be ignored. Choose your thumbnail carefully since it will be the first to appear in you post. Old photos are also shunned. It should also first to appear in steemit. Recycled photos from your other blogs might not attract @curie, but would attract @cheetah.
Always engage and bring value to your readers.
Your post should add value to your readers in a form of information. Information that could be thought-provoking, view or perception altering, or simply mindset guiding. If that post does not impart value, people would ignore it.
Pay attention to style and formatting.
Style and formatting of your post would take more than half of the time it takes for you to complete your post. I usually spent 2/3 to 3/4 of my time beautifying my post. It's because style and formatting alone is both an art and a discipline. It's even included in the guidelines. If your post is properly laid out, you are enticing your reader to anticipate more and continue reading your post.
Proofread your post and read it again as if you're the curator.
I usually read my post 4-5 times before posting and 4-5 times after posting. This is to correct grammatical errors and eliminate off-sounding sentences. It will also give you an idea if it will be submitted or not. What will the curator think if he reads your post? Even at my level of proofreading, there are still grammatical issues in my writing. It's much better if you let someone proofread your work for you.
Note: Some of these tips could only be applied to general blog of any category except open mic, videos, or codes, but the general exceptional content should be applied to all categories.
After Posting that "Curie-Worthy" Post
Let's say you have done all the requisites to meet the @curie guidelines, here are the few things to do:
Set your expectations low and the quality of your posts high.
This will spare you from unnecessary emotional drama. I usually sleep after posting to keep me from checking and expecting if I got the upvote. I usually give it a 24-hour allowance, as stated in the guidelines.
Focus on the intrinsic reward and not on the extrinsic one.
Yes, it's true that once @curie upvotes your post, the monetary reward will go flying. But what if your post was rejected? Will you end up frustrated and will succumbed to self pity? Focus on the brighter side. Your post might be rejected because it did not qualify to one of the guidelines or the reviewers find it OK-ish, but not exceptional enough.
Once You Get Your First Curie Upvote
Well, congratulations on your biggest reward yet! If your aim is just to have one, you can stop here. But if you wish to be consistent, here are a few reminders:
Engage the comments in your post.
Once @curie upvotes your post, it will immediately catapult that post to trending posts of the same category. It will have more exposure so tons of comments are to be expected. As much as possible, reply to all of them. Replies must also be engaging and add value to the whole post. Generic thank you replies should be avoided if possible.
Think of your next post. It should have the same level of quality as the previous one or better.
Consistency is another factor to consider when you have been a candidate for a second @curie. Once they see that your post have been shitty in the past week or you have gone radio silence, most likely that your next post will be rejected even if it is exceptional.
Timing is a crucial factor.
One of the guidelines is that you should not have a pending payout in a single post that is $25 or above. If you want a post to be curied, don't post it if you still have a pending payout for a single post that is greater than $25. But if you want consistency, don't mind the payout. You can post anytime.
Show that you are evolving or striving for excellence.
If you are a specialist, your post should be better than the last. If you're a multipotentialite, show that you can excel in varied areas of interest while constantly elevating your post to the next level.
I guess that's everything I have. I have special case studies in mind, but I think it should be in a separate post. Depending on the outcome of this post, I'll probably post a @curie case study in the coming days.
Annyeong!
Kim, @ybanezkim26
Update: This post has been edited twice and proofread 4 times. If there are still grammatical issues, please don't hesitate to point them all out.
This is an awesome research you did! I think a lot of people will try to improve their content on a curie way because of you! I resteemed your post cause it is definitely worth reaching more people!
Thank you so much for the support @xsasj! I really appreciate it.
RESTEEMED!
Worth sharing kaayo. So magsugod nako ug himo ug curie worthy post? Hahaha
Kaya jud na nimo sir @joserifa. Amazing kaayo ka @ybanezkim26 congrats! 👍
Huwaw!
Thank you! Usa ka sa reason ngano nabuhat ni. Sige pangutana unsaon pagpa curie. Nara. Bantay lagi di macurie. Haha
Hahaha. Hala kalisod ba diay ma curie. Needs inference and analysis of posts. Pwede akong case study ipacurie? Haha kay wa jd tuy pulos haha joke.
Anyways, will help you reach this to a bigger audience. This will help a lot of people jd
Awee! Thank you so much!
Ato to ipacurie imo case study. I think I can find an angle to make it qualify for curie.
kani si @josejirafa dako kaayo nig chance ma @curie! grabe kaayog potential si lodi :D
True. Wala pa kaayo niya na explore iya fullest potential. Nagbasa ko sa iyang mga posts kay naa nalang gyud gamay na element kuwang. The story telling factor is already there. Ginagmay nalang exaggeration or segway ang pwede iadd. Kacharcharan sa life kumbaga.
I can't imagine how much time you spent to come up with your research. I have learned a lot from this post, I mean about the realities here in steemit. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Thank you so much @ayingroxie! I hope this post will reach a wider audience.
Will be happy to resteem this sir! This will surely be of great help.
Oops! Sorry, this was a post from days ago. That's why I no longer see the resteem button. But will save this for future reference.
Will be following you, guess I would learn a lot from you.
Awee! Thank you so much @ayingroxie! That's so nice of you! I really appreciate it.
Saving this for future reference. haha! Very informative post @ybanezkim26! Thanks.
Let us also hear tips from you about photography, yes? :D
Di naman niya need ni kay kaduha naman siya nacurie. Hahaha. You already passed the consistency test dar. You're a specialist, so continue with that. Also, nacurie ako travels tungod sa imo photos.
I'm planning to do that soon. Still mustering up some courage for that. @smaeunabs :)
-Darryll
Thanks for this heads up lodi @ybanezkim26. This is very helpful. Thank you so much. I'm now very excited to write my next blogs. Yey! :)
Lovelots,
@nikkabomb
yaaaaaaaaay mag expect ko ana niks ha hahaha
wait for it @smaeunabs. 😍😊😂
Let's see what you can do. Hahaha
naaah maka pressure haha lol. maghuwat nlang sa kos sunod nga takeaway para ma improve akong writing skills 😂
Hahaha. Ayaw kapressure gud. It's my challenge and you can take the challenge at your own pace. Haha
omg lodi. haha. mag start nakog prepare sa akong curie-worthy post haha. salamaaaat
resteemed!!!! @ybanezkim26 ..thanks for this !
Thank you @janesmy081316! I'm hoping for your first curie!
Thanks for the guidelines hopefully someday i'll become as good as you and confidently share my @curie worthy post <3
I'm hoping that a day will come when you can proudly share your curie worthy post. I will be prouder knowing this post has inspired people like you. Just keep on steeming!
Wera making post human mind with some buble
Is great post, Thanks for sharing the tips.
You're welcome @zainqureshi! You should start working on your "curie-worthy" post. Haha.
Keep on steeming!
It's great that you are sharing this information @ybanezkim26. The actual work is still to be done by people who want that "curie" vote.
Yes @requelita. I totally agree with you that the actual work belongs to the people who want a curie upvote. Mine is just a guide. But I would be very happy to hear that someone got a curie upvote because of these guides.
I'm amazed by your persistence and hardwork @ybanezkim26. You are enjoying what you've worked hard for. Congratulations gyud! And resteeming this also.
Thank you so much! I hope this post will create a ripple in the steemit community. I hope it will start in the Philippine community.
Woah! I just got formally introduced to @curie with this post @ybanezkim26! Thank you for this, some of my vague view of how curie functions just got cleared up. I still have to go over this again so that I'd visit each hyperlinked words you have mentioned. With this post alone, I know you're into quality posts. Thank you for sharing this tips and tricks! ;) More power!
Thank you @namranna! You got curied last week with your Budget Challenge. Maintain it. You should aim for your second one. See! I read every curied post. Joke. It's an exaggeration. Hahaha.
Thanks for the encouragement @ybanezkim26! ;) I'll try my best to make quality posts and aim for a second curied post. hihi Aja!
Aja! Excited nako. Haha
Grabeeeee I read this during my work break and nabusog kaayo kos mga tips from a Lodi like you @ybanezkim26!
I always encourage my friends to aim for @curie-upvote kind of posts, but I find it hard how to explain a "quality post" hahaha. This is definitely worth to share kim! Thank you sooo much!
😭😭😭😭 Salamat kaayo sa encouragement girl.
Welcome!!! I believe this post deserves a curie upvote too! Iba ka @ybanezkim26 The Great Lodi!
Hahaha. This is just my way of giving back to the community. I have other posts that deserve a curie upvote, but maybe next week. Haha
Thank you so much for this @ybanezkim26 ! I learned a lot. Also, I have been following your posts ever since you started here, I believe your articles are really curie worthy. Good luck in the future. :)
Thank you @brokemancode! Ikaw nya sad. Pagsugod na sa imong "curie-worthy" post. Hahaha.
This curie guide is "curie-worthy" too. :D #makaproud kim. :) daghan kay kog na learn. very detailed gyud. thanks mucho!
You're one of the reasons why this post was made in the first place. You are my inspiration as I see how enthusiastic you are to learn. I am so happy that as I was teaching you, my efforts were not in vain because you applied everything! I never hesitated in imparting my ideas because you are always thirsty to learn more. It's really an honor to meet you, @honeyletsgo! To more sessions in the future!
Kumbati! Padayon sa pagkiglantugi sa kinabuhi!
aweeee <3 I am glad I became one of your inspirations too Kim. Thank you for not judging me of what I do not know. HAHA. and for always answering my questions about Steemit. I am always happy knowing you and Abby. To more lectures with you!
Kombati! :D
You aren't a man of few words jud @ybanezkim26 and that's a good thing! I think your dream of getting "resteemed" by Curie is within your reach as we speak!
Thank you @thegaillery! Being esteem by @curie is both a blessing and a burden, so I'll just enjoy for now. I'll have it at my own pace. I believe that once resteemed, I will have to uphold @curie's ideals of excellence. Let's just enjoy our steemit experience. Haha
Thank you for the tips @ybaneskim26. This is such an informative post and resteemed it . :* Lodi na jud . :) hehhe
Thank you @joancabz! I really appreciate it.
Thanks for sharing, very helpful and informative.
Thank you @ajasmin14! I'm glad that a lot of people have appreciated this post.
Thank you for sharing this post. It really help us on how to make quality posts to be curie.
You're welcome @jonnahmatias1016! It really keeps me going. I'll post another one like this. Maybe more like a case study.
Please do kim! Yay! we will be looking forward to that!
Napressure nako Shiela. Pero nacontact na nako ang mga involved and nisugot ra sila. Magwrite nako. Haha
Idol!
You have all the reasons to be upvoted by @curie. I do not know if I will have a chance to be curied but, Ill just enjoy my stay here. :)
Everyone has a chance to grow and hone their craft @christianyocte, so everyone has a chance to be curied. It's a good attitude to just enjoy your presence here. Just keep on steeming!
ikaw na @ybanezkim26... thank yooouuu..
You're welcome @jenesa! I hope it helps.
Wow @ybanezkim !!! I have so much respect on your diligence in writing. Thanks for the tips!
Thank you @julsmlz! I hope those tips will help you.
Thank you for this very important information ang guidelines.Now i know i cant be upvoted by @curie..I could not meet all beccause I.am poor i. Grammar.But I hope i will improve the way I write...thank you
Never stop learning @deevi. In a few days, I will share the things that I do when not making a post. I'm always learning something new. Maybe it can help you. Please stay tuned. If you are poor grammar, never allow that you will stay that way. We all started poor. Eventually, you will see that what you are doing will always pay off. Keep on steeming, buddy!
This is an awesome post. You wrote this like a research paper! I feel like i'm reading a scholarly article worthy of a peer reviewed journal. Thank you so much for sharing this!!!
I will be referring back to it frequently. I learned a few things too, most notably the $25 pending payout limit. Awesome job on the curation and pooling of resources between you and your fellow steemians in how you wrote to market to steal the fiction writers parlance from Amazon.
Well done! I also really enjoy your voice; the way you write. It comes across as very natural and conversational. It is very easy to read for a long time. You are concise and interesting without being confusing. Thank you!
😭😭😭 I'm literally in tears right now! Thank you so much! This is the most flattering comment I've ever had. Huhu. It's really an honor knowing that it comes from you.
ka amazing ani oi. lisura diau no. salamat sa pag share. at least di nako mag expect sa akong mga mediocre posts lol. need jud ug something different para mapansin. mmm mag muni muni nako ug curie worth it post
Yo @ablaire! Actually, gilisud2x ra na nako. Basta buhat lang taas na article about sa imong hilig. Kana lang.