Steemit operating advice for newcomers and the generally 'not quite sure' Part 2

To write a good post on Steemit is not easy. In fact, it’s like plaiting fog or herding cats – impossible.

Knowing what’s going to shoot your name (and account) into the Steemit Stratosphere is anyone’s guess and therefore, you really should stop worrying about it.

I can give you a few pointers and tips on what it takes to make a good post, but I’m afraid there’s no recipe for the perfect money-making blog post here on Steemit.

There’s a good tip for writers: Write what you know.

That advice works well for Steemit too. If you know what you’re talking about and write good, clear posts with pictures and great formatting – thanks @fitinfun – you’ll have something worth reading. After that, “May the odds be forever in your favour…”

I realise and understand that a lot of people have come to Steemit because,

“There’s loads of money to be made!”

and

“You can earn a wage!”

and even,

“Give up your job and just rake the money in!”

but that’s not strictly true and it’s certainly NOT true if you’re just starting out and cannot afford to invest heavily and Power-Up your account.

You may strike it lucky and get a few Steem on that magic number at the bottom of your blog page, and well done if you do, but please do not go in to work and take a dump on your boss’s desk on the strength of that.

Your work has to be consistent, well-informed or creative (or both), well formatted (spaced out well so it’s easy to read) and (usually) including pictures relevant to the post to put your point across clearly.

Visual pointers help your readers to see what you mean.

Oh... erm...no, not this kind of pointer...

Your posts should absolutely not be stolen or ‘ripped off’ from someone else’s work – neither here on Steemit, nor further out into the World Wide Web.

DO NOT STEAL - you WILL be found out.

A few tips on the formatting of your posts.

Put an extra space between paragraphs. It spaces them out and gives a little ‘white space’ to break up the swathes of text, making it easier on the eye and easier to read.

If the paragraph looks like a lot of text, split that up too. It may not be correct in the literary sense but it will help.

Use the asterisk * (above the 8, using the Shift key) to make italics

• One on either side of your statement * (without the space on either side) makes this - italicized.

** A double asterisk ** on either side (again, without the space), makes this - bold.

THREE in a line (now, we’re going to town!) *** on either side of your statement ***

Gives you THIS Both italicized AND bold Woooh!

If you want to quote someone’s post, the rule of thumb is to use the quote box.

For example, yesterday, I wrote this:

Upvote if you like someone’s work – that is all the reward you need to give and believe me, it’s appreciated.

In my post.

To get that effect, you need this character > - above the full stop, using the shift key to access it.

I use Word in which to write my posts – it’s a good habit (for me). I save all my posts to the Cloud – you don’t have to, it’s just what I do.

I write every day, that’s a habit I lost recently and now I have it back, I’m determined not to lose it.

I enjoy making-up stories and I love the feedback I receive. Not only do I like getting praise, I also find the criticism useful too.

I’ve learned a lot here on Steemit and I use this social media platform far more than any of the others.

Yes, it really is possible to make some money on here, but my strategy is to build up my reputation as a good story-teller and writer and build up my account so that eventually, I WILL be able to say, “I’m a professional writer and I earn a living on Steemit.”

I think one of the biggest mistakes people (newcomers) make is believing they can jump right on that unbroken horse and ride it like the professionals do.

If you have a unique slant on things, you’re an innovator or have something really special to add that this platform needs, then you may just get on that unbroken pony and ride it like you’ve trained it for years. A few people have done that and have been successful.

The majority have not.

The majority of us are working steadily, making friends and enjoying their Steemit journey.

The one piece of advice I give to people is the same as I give when someone is about to self-publish their book…

Enjoy the experience. Make the most of it all, it’s really fun.

But don’t think you’re going to be a millionaire overnight from this – you almost certainly are not.

Enjoy this Steemit experience, it really is the best platform to come to the internet in my opinion.

You get out exactly what you put in.

Images from Google and my phone...