The other day a friend who likes to read my columns, asked if I had any unpublished newspaper columns he could read. Those of you who are writers will appreciate that I had to laugh uncontrollably for a bit. As writers we produce thousands of columns that never see the pages of a newspaper. After a chuckle I gave him the web address for Triond and told him how he could navigate and look at my postings on the site.
This morning that same friend commented that I must be rich due to my postings on Triond. Again, I laughed. Has anyone who posts on a site like Triond ever tried to explain why you do it? If you have ever succeeded in explaining it, please enlighten me.
First of all, does anyone make money off of the Triond's site? Sure, the owners of the site are in this to be nonprofit. Those who established the website did so to make money and they are making it. Writers who contribute to the site receive a penny or two a day on the average. If any of them tell you differently, look for their works under fiction.
I post the things I write on Triond site because I spend time writing them and I want them to be read. Granted they are read by a minimal number of people through posting on Triond, or like websites. Face it none of Trionds posters are well known columnists and none of the sites who post our offerings from Triond are the New York Times.
The truth is, as writers we do it for fun. We all want to make it big and make millions, but the truth is, we have not and we still write because it is in our blood. We post on Triond because we want someone to read our work. I have no idea whether or not the owners of Triond make a living or if it is just a supplemental income, but I do know maintaining a site is work. I for one am thankful for a place, other than some local newspapers which pick up my columns once in a while, to post my writings and keep in practice. When the New York Times calls, I am ready… is that my phone ringing?
So, to the friend who asked the question, does that answer it for you? Oh, please pass along the Triond site to all of my other friends who enjoy reading my columns. Triond executives, do not get excited, if all my friends log on to read my columns this is not going to double the hits to your website. I do not have that many friends and of the friends I have, few of them read my columns. They figure listening to me talk when they see me in person is fulfilling their obligations with respect to my opinions.
I have an overwhelming issue right in which I post an article that may be a hundred times better than someone else's of the similar content and it tanks.
At times I wish I didn't spend so much time on my work because it sets me up for such a disappointment. It's a learning process on Triond and I don't plan on making that much money because I know it's just a way for me to express my thoughts and have a few people appreciate them.