"Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please."
- Mark Twain
Thankfully, Steemit statistics are readily available.
But before I confuse you with the facts, let me tell you my own surprising story.
Can you make a living on Steemit?
Photo courtesy of Jordan Whitfield and http://unsplash.com
I once wrote for a living.
In the early '80s, I paid the bills working as a software engineer for a small San Diego company. A couple of managers that I worked for had moved across the street to an R&D facility of much larger Burroughs Corporation.
Knowing that I was reasonably articulate, one of the managers recruited me as a technical writer. I moved across the street, and for years I waffled back and forth between writing and engineering.
While my heart is in designing and creating new and exciting inventions, I do have some skill as a writer. I enjoy telling tales and offering fresh perspectives in words.
I once wrote for a living.
Photo courtesy of Andrew Neel
Fast-forward about 35 years.
My livelihood has come from a considerably larger set of endeavors. I've developed skill sets in a broad range of engineering disciplines. I hold patents in networking and user interfaces. I have made significant contributions to the engineering of life-sustaining medical devices. I have created the hardware architecture for people-counting systems. Several of my designs have been deployed globally.
I have skills in product design and manufacturing engineering that I've developed for others and have unleashed as my own private enterprise.
Along came Steemit,
and renewed my interest in writing. I've been publishing here since August '16, and have enjoyed a surprising measure of success.
I've met many amazing people, and enjoyed hearing stories from their lives. We've had many interesting conversations. We've shared advice, recipes, tips and tricks.
But, is it possible to make a living here?
StartUps - So very hard to do...
Photo courtesy of Oscar Nilsson and http://unsplash.com
The existence proof.
While you can't prove a negative, given the data available to anyone it is fairly easy to see that some people are earning a "living wage" creating content for Steemit.
Writing on Steemit has certainly been far better than the old "freelance gig" of writing, printing duplicate manuscripts, submitting, waiting for acceptance or rejection, get paid pennies per word, and then "rinse and repeat."
However, I am not (yet) earning a living here, not by a long shot.
The frustrating realities.
Reality #1: The definition of "making a living" varies from person to person. What is yours? For many of us, it takes a lot of money to survive. If your budget is $10,000 a month, it might be tough to live on Steemit earnings.
Hope #1: If you don't need huge numbers, there is hope. The smaller your needs, the better chance you have to make a living here. Can you live on $1000 a month? If so, and if you have a few thou to "tide you over" while you "build a head of Steem," then you probably have a good chance.
Reality #2: With rare exceptions, Steemit is not a "get rich quick" scheme. Unless you are already notoriously famous, when you start blogging here your payouts will seem discouragingly low.
Hope #2: Even for slow earners, Steemit may very well be a "get rich slowly" scheme.
Assuming your basic needs are already met, you may want to keep on blogging and save all your Steem. Use your SBD to purchase Steem Power. Gain an equity position in the platform.
Later on, when Steem reaches (and passes) the moon, you can power down a little at a time, sit back, and enjoy your wealth.
Reality #3: For big payouts, you need to attract the attention of some Steemit "movers and shakers," a.k.a. "whales" or guilds with delegated voting power. This is the reality of Steemit voting at the present time.
Hope #3: Plans are afoot to make voting power more democratic. In a "linear system" where little guys hold a more proportional amount of voting power, it will still help to gain the attention of individuals or groups. But if you are socially active, commenting and supporting others, you will gain a larger and larger following to vote for you.
Focusing on a unique subject with your writing may also increase your following. Study the typical "best practices" for growing a blog, and you will attract readers who will become loyal voters.
Reality #4: You must deal with exchanges to translate "Steem" into your local currency. Many find it frustrating and hard to understand how to convert cryptocurrencies into "real money."
Hope #4: Anyone with a basic level of intelligence and a willingness to learn can overcome the barriers to entry posed by dealing with Steem. The ability to buy and sell directly using crypto, especially Bitcoin, is growing. More exchanges are becoming available online. It is possible to trade crypto for fiat (again, Bitcoin in particular) via forums such as https://localbitcoins.com.
And, to be sure, as the Steemit community grows, you can do your buying and selling right here.
Reality #5? Luck!
Photo courtesy of Unsplash and http://pixabay.com
Reality #5: There is a large element of luck to success on Steemit. You are only as good as your most recent post.
Your payouts may depend on random factors such as the time of day, week, or month. Somewhat frustratingly, also on who (with influence) happens to notice your incredibly clever click-bait title and photo.
Hope #5: In the real world, some people do win the lottery. In the Steemit universe, some articles go viral and gain myriad followers. It is easy to see that on Steemit, some have already achieved that level of success.
Being totally subjective for a minute,
I'll mention just a few Steemians who right now are making what I'd consider a decent living on Steemit: @timsaid, @jrcornel, @sweetsssj, @papa-pepper - and these are just a few.
It's quite easy to spot these top earners; just click on the trending tab near the top of your Steemit window and look at the earnings from the last week of posts by any author you are interested in.
Don't let looking at these "top dogs" make you jealous. Just let it make you hungry, and try to learn from what they are doing. Almost invariably, they are regularly producing very high quality content, and are truly earning their keep.
What's the bottom line?
Can you make a living creating content on Steemit?
Yes? Definitely? Maybe?...
Absolutely? Almost? Perhaps?
As we've seen, some folks are making a living here right now. Some are even making a killing. But your mileage may vary.
On Steemit, you're always struggling with the hope that your next post will be the breakthrough. That your next article will find that huge following. That your next piece will go viral.
Don't give in to despair...
Photo courtesy of Gerd Altmann and http://pixabay.com
When it doesn't, the temptation to become discouraged is strong. Don't give in.
One day, your post will be noticed. A whale may re-steem it. Someone may tweet the link. All of a sudden, there are thousands of viral eyes who have read what you wrote. Your Steem Ship has finally come in.
Making that happen? Well, that's up to you.
The bottom line is this:
Your chances of earning decent money as a writer are probably better on Steemit than anywhere else. Apart from years spent as a salaried writer, I have had greater success here than any other writing gig.
I plan to persist.
Tune in as I continue building my Steemit blog, reputation, and readership. Watch me as I keep on producing content that adds value to Steemit.
As with most things in life, if you are patient, persistent, and if your writing has inherent value, I think your chance of Steemit success is quite good.
~FIN~
LOOK! Check out our amazing product:
>>CLICK HERE!<<
You are why I'm here on Steemit!
I have very eclectic interests and hope, over time, to write about them all.
⬇️To Check Out @creatr's World⬇️CLICK Each Image Below⬇️
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It is an interesting opportunity that steemit has provided. Obviously I am making good money here right now, and it looks like I will soon be building a house for my family on the land that we are purchasing.
Once that house is built, my cost of living will go down substantially. We plan on providing for most of our own needs, so we won't have a lot of bills, plus with no rent or mortgage to pay on a daily basis, it will be much easier to make whatever money we still need to survive.
My goal is to take steps to drop the cost of living so that I can increase the quality of life, and hopefully be able to make whatever income we still need from home, so I can live out my life raising my children with my wife.
Whatever happens in the future, it looks like steemit will at least be used to help me build that house, which will be modest, but still a dream come true!
Thanks for the mention @creatr!
I'm very thankful for your success and I truly enjoy watching you as you shepherd your family!
God bless you, every one! ;) :D
😄😇😄
Thanks Brother!
That's wonderful! I wish you and your family all the best with your new home.
That's brilliant. I am very happy for you and your family and it hope that I even get a fraction of that out of here. For that I looking forward to produce amazing content for the community. It feels like building the future of social media.
Amazing article. Exactly what I needed to create the right mind set for this platform. I have always created great content but this feels immediately like a long lost home.
Best wishes for your Steemit career!
Thanks, I will work hard for it.
Thank you for being real but not discouraging.
You're welcome, and thanks for reading my work. ;)
Realistic advice here and I can relate to frustration from one post earning 10+ to the next 6 cents. Followed and will stay tuned as we both keep at it.
Lol... that isnt nothing, my best post in over 6months was $17, and thats only because of the pump and a whale accidentaly voting too much lol.
My last 10 posts have netted maybe $10.
For most people, dispair will set in...
But when its not so much about the money, then its not so bad. I love crypto, so ill stick around. And i have accepted ill probably never make $100. (Again)
Im just happy when someone makes a comment or follows me
For others, idk... i suppose there will have to be something more in order to stay.
Great post, keep everyones hopes up!
While I won't complain about the $SBD, there are definitely other motivations for being here. One is the promise that my writing will become a permanent part of this blockchain.
Thanks for stopping by to comment! :D
Yeah, i try not to complain about it either, but sometimes a new user needs that perspective so they understand "steemit isnt a get rich" quick or slow...
I appreciate your visit and comments. Persevere! ;)
I hope they change the voting system quickly, because its a big problem now as it is. No one person should have as much power as some have over content rewards. Aside from the obvious inequality issue, I think its something that can really turn away newcomers to the platform.
Yep, we have heard this all before. Its the same as last summer, but atleast then it was easier to get a huge payout.
This is just round two
I really couldn't tell you when to expect Hard Fork 19; but that is when, as I best understand it, the rewards algorithm is slated to change. It has already been changed at least once (HF17) and that resulted in a more even distribution.
Thanks for commenting!
That's good to know. I feel a little bit irrelevant at the moment in regards of my votes because it isn't worth anything yet. Would give me a better feeling to have some more influence.
There are three ways to get more...
The next Hard Fork, for which you have to do nothing...
You can "buy influence" by buying Steem Power...
You can earn Steem Power by creating content.
Good luck!
What a Great Post , My Friend. I think My Mind has been out in the Sun too much , so I tend to jump from Subject to Subject. However , I am really putting down My Life Story for My Kids, registering Song Lyrics, telling Jokes( and getting paid for it). BTW that People Counting device of yours would have been really useful in Egypt when they had those troublesome Israelite Slaves to Deal with! Resteemed
Hahahaha, LOL! Yeah, but it would have gone seriously negative at the end! :D
I have a million subjects as well. Sometimes I think it affects my ability to earn here, because you can never tell what I'll trot out next... But telling stories is important for posterity, ever so important!
Thanks so much for your encouragement, friend, and for the Re-Steem! :D
Thank you.
I've tried to lure a few of my writer friends to steemit but the UI is off- putting for them. A simplified interface would attract a lot more users - cryto types and coders tend to forget that the vast majority of the populace would prefer a KISS approach :)
Yes...
Have you seen the "other" Steemit user interfaces?
The most usable that I'm aware of, so far, is http://busy.org.
I must confess that I have not really used it that much, but it does present a "pretty" view of the platform.
I'll check it out - BTW, thanks again for sending peeps my way :)
My pleasure, my friend! :D
It seems you have to have a knack for marketing or write about cryptocurrencies. Thanks for the breakdown. I'm new to this platform.
This was my observation also, but I hope that public interest will be wider in the future.
Welcome to Steemit, my new friend @paulfitzpatrick...
I wish you a long and successful career here! :D
Great post man. Take you time posting and don't give in are the best things you can say. One of the most awesome potentials for steemit from my perspective is that a person living in an impoverished country can make more in a day telling stories and taking pictures than all the hard working people around him make in a week. Nice article, resteemed
Thank you my friend.
A great example of what you're speaking of is my good friend @jlufer, whose prolific and enjoyable output here on Steemit has gained him a large following and is a major portion of the support for him and his family in Argentina...
Thanks enjoyed the info 😀👍
You're welcome. Thanks for your visit.
Following you now to read about mesh nets... ;)
Thanks
Excellent post @creatr. I think more and more people will be interested in the topic and monetization opportunities. There are realities as well as hope. It is important to keep hope as a motivator but not get lost in the fantasy of a get-rich-quick endeavor.
Thank you my friend for your constructive comment! We need to strike the right balance between realism and hope here... ;)
Nice to meet another engineer who enjoys writing in his spare time! Just joined Steemit a few days ago and it is quickly blossoming into a nice pastime whenever I'm not programming software for IBM Healthcare. Keep steeming!
Hello and welcome, Ace! Nice to meet you, and thank you for dropping by my blog!
Reading your introductory post, I see we share some other common interests as well. I wish you the best here on Steemit; please stay in touch.
Thank you creatr. It is very nice to meet you too and we'll definitely keep in touch!
At your convenience, check out my (somewhat obsolete, but hoping to be updated soon) Topical Table of Contents - click the GIF below:
😄😇😄
Wow you have built quite an impressive library on Steemit! Now, I'm even more pumped and inspired to create more high-quality content - let's go!
Got to keep trying, every post earns a Little now and it soon adds up, When your rich don't forget your friend :D
Hahahahaha... When I'm rich, I'll come drop by for a visit with you and your family. Perhaps we'll go to dinner! ;)
Sounds like a brilliant idea :)
My husband and I own our house (no mortgage) and we have a well so no water bill. If I could pay off a little debt then I someday could realistically make a living here. Our month bills aren't bad. I'm a long ways away though.
By owning your own home and water, you are already miles ahead of the game!
Very best wishes for your success getting that debt paid off! Then all you'll have to do is figure out how to send the property tax man down a deep well somewhere... ;)
I need just 400 euros per month here ... then it is super ... if it come more.. then I am very happy .
Keep at it, my friend! I think your chances are more than excellent! Best of luck to you! :)
Thank you!! I always say to myself, try a little bit every day, half-victory is as good as a victory for the whole :) And I try use my photography B&W
This is what I have been trying to express to you @ooxide. You can make it happen, just need that little bit of luck and some persistence, you've got it in you baby <3
Awesome post that helps a new person to understand Steemit better. I find it really encouraging to see the success that's showing up for people here. It leaves clues and that creates opportunity. Thanks so much for this, will start watching what the top earners are doing and learn from it. Upvoted and following you.
Hi, Judy,
Thanks for stopping by to comment. :)
Welcome to Steemit! Best wishes here! :D
This post has been ranked within the top 10 most undervalued posts in the first half of Jun 02. We estimate that this post is undervalued by $27.42 as compared to a scenario in which every voter had an equal say.
See the full rankings and details in The Daily Tribune: Jun 02 - Part I. You can also read about some of our methodology, data analysis and technical details in our initial post.
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Yep...
Fair and balanced...I think Ive heard that somewhere before lol.
:) Thanks! :D