Hey Neil,
First off: I think it's awesome you pitched this concept to your editor! It's also fantastic news that he is on board.
There are no shortage of great success stories here, but I'll add mine to the mix to give you another option. I'm an example of someone who was a complete virgin to the cryptocurrency world, but who has become borderline obsessed with it since being introduced to Steemit.
I'm a former newspaper reporter who now works in the Communications Department at RE/MAX of Western Canada's corporate headquarters. In July, a guy in our tech department, @chrisj, told me about Steemit. Chris had been investing in Bitcoin for years and noticed the dramatic increase in Steemit's value. Knowing I love to write, he encouraged me to create an account.
At first, I posted a couple pieces of writing I had kept in my back pocket over the years. One made $1.33. One made $0. At that point, I took a step back and decided to observe what others were doing on the platform. At that point in time, @heiditravels was consistently on the trending page, and seemed to be well-liked by the community.
I reached out to Heidi via a Snapchat video and requested a "20 questions" interview. Although she was sharing a lot with the community, I knew there was more that Steemit readers wanted to know about her. She responded to me that night; I posted the next day. That interview was worth more than $500.
This week I will be posting my 20th "20 questions" interview. My blog has given users a more intimate look at many of the popular users, while also focusing on influencers outside of Steemit. For example, my interview with Roger Ver ended up being the #1 trending story of the day, and eventually led Roger to join Steemit. ( @rogerkver )
In four months, Steemit has become a huge part of my life. I'll be attending SteemFest in Amsterdam (trip completely funded from money earned on this platform), and my plan is to continue with my "20 questions" interview series.
Feel free to use my story, or don't, totally up to you! (But can we grab a beer in Amsterdam? I'm a big fan!)
Cheers,
Wade Paterson