The Pleasures of Writing for Triond

In April 2009, I officially reached my one year anniversary as a Triond writer. Since the end of last year, I haven’t really spent as much time on Triond as I liked, mostly because late last year my earnings took a serious dip here. I live in an area of Upstate New York that has been particularly hard hit by the recession, and my county has one of the highest jobless rates around, the worst it’s been in decades.

This meant that when New Years 2009 rolled around, I had to take a serious look at how I could maximize my revenue as an online writer, so I returned to the really big web site where I got my start as a content provider. I’ve been spending less time on Triond just because I seem to earn the least here, but lately I’ve really missed writing for Triond and the Triond community that has always embraced me.

Today I stopped by to publish a new article, and decided to do some long overdue work on my profile. I have this policy of always adding as a friend, anyone who has taken the time to add me to their friend list. I’ve been really behind on this process, not adding back anyone since late last year (my apologies to those who realized I didn’t immediately reciprocate and add you to my friend list when you added me).

So as I was catching up today I was really moved to see that quite a few people had added me to their Triond friends list, while I’ve been away. Some Triond writers have also sent me notes and left me very thoughtful comments about my work, and even if I don’t have the time these days to give personal responses to each and everyone, all are read by me and so very much appreciated.

This warmth and openness on the part of Triond writers is one of the great pleasures of writing for Triond and being part of the community. I’ve been writing on other sites, some quite larger than Triond, and I notice that on these writing sites, I don’t even have a fraction of the feedback or friends list that I have on Triond. It’s easy to feel lost in the shuffle or just part of a faceless crowd on other writing sites, but I am always impressed by the intimacy of the Triond community.

Another great pleasure of writing for Triond is the courtesy and respect here from fellow Triond writers that regrettably, I don’t always feel on some other writing sites. I was on another site (where I am an established member) and had what I felt was a problem requiring some help. Without really thinking about it, because I was distressed by my problem, I chose to post my question in a forum using a forum thread that was a few years old! Probably not the best move on my part, but the title of the thread was appropriate. I thought I could just pick up the discussion where it left off, but I was quite wrong.

The tempest in a tea cup that followed really surprised and disgusted me. A few kind people helped me out with my problem, one even sending me a private message. Others in the forum lashed out at me for having the audacity to post on an old thread. One person, a writer always ready to hassle people who post, asked me if I was blind, which made me feel uncomfortable. Soon there was a whole new forum thread created which announced a smack on the head to anyone who posted on an old thread (and this from another established writer at that site!) I’m a very private person who doesn’t like to draw unwanted attention to myself online, so I felt bad being the object of ridicule from some fellow writers there.

I still write at this big site, because I’m making some money there, but I feel disillusioned about it sometimes. I feel like a number there at times, and I feel sometimes that the writers aren’t kind and caring with other writers. There are some notable exceptions of kindness and help being extended to writers on that site, but there are also writers who would slap other writers down. This really makes me appreciate Triond more and more. I always feel that Triond is a cut above other writer communities, in its kindness and classiness toward fellow writers. This is something that always draws me back to Triond.

One of the great pleasures of writing for Triond is how easy and hassle free it is to publish here. Several of the sites where I make money writing have asked me to “verify” my identity in several ways, before I could receive my hard earned pay. One had me go through a rather intricate verification process right away, and then last month, another insisted writers verify themselves before the next pay period. It doesn’t sound like a big deal, but these verification processes are automated, and if something goes awry, it can be hard to straighten it all out (and get paid). So I always appreciate that it’s so simple and trouble free to be a Triond writer. This is definitely one of the easiest places to publish and in my opinion, one of the most writer friendly sites.

The great communication from editors is another pleasure of writing for Triond. My Triond articles are published in a timely manner and if there’s ever a decline, I receive a clear reason for the decline. I find the help center and policies very clear and easy to understand here, and they don’t vary much. On some other sites I write for, the policies and the sites themselves seem to be evolving over time, and it can get a little confusing. I also find that on some other sites I write for, my questions and concerns aren’t answered promptly or even at all. I like how Triond always fixes my articles within twenty four hours. This kind of individual attention from Triond, and the friendly attitude of the editorial staff, is also something I have come to really appreciate a lot about writing for Triond.

So while economic necessity has motivated me to write more for other sites where I make more cash, I feel the appeal of Triond can’t really be measured in dollars and cents. I do enjoy writing for other sites and I’m loyal to ones I’ve been working on a long time, but I’ll always come back to Triond, and I’ll continue to publish stories here. It seems that whenever I have a story from my heart or one that is especially meaningful or creative, I bring it to Triond, because I want to share it with the Triond community.

I hope that as I am able to build my Triond article list, my earnings will pick up and I’ll be able to spend more and more time here. Even if I’m not here as much as I’d like lately, I’ll always be a Triond writer. I feel like Triond gives me this unique opportunity to grow and stretch myself as a writer. I truly appreciate all the pleasures of Triond, so no matter what pulls me away from the site, I always find myself coming back to Triond, my favorite place to write.