If you are one of my lukewarm followers, you will know my ulterior reason for being on Medium is to promote my alternative democracy called “Tiered Democratic Governance” (TDG).
And if you are one of my lukewarm followers, then you will know that I have not been successful in my quest.
So when one marketing plan does not work, try something else. Makes sense, right?
Here is my latest plan:
1) You ask me five questions about the TDG.
2) I respond with short, well-written answers.
3) You publish the questions and answers on Medium.
Now why the heck would you want to do something like that?
Putting myself in your shoes, this TDG Q&A sounds sillier than social distancing rules at a Trump rally. Here’s why you should consider this idea.
Altruistic Reason #1
I got married 10 years ago. I told my wife that “Tiered Democratic Governance” is part of the deal. So she acquiesced to my strange hobby. But as years have gone by, she is now wondering: “Why the #(@)&}) is he spending so much time at the computer downstairs?” She has joined the rest of my family, friends, and acquaintances who have deemed me as slightly insane for carrying on this project for so long with no return on investment. They are considering the next logical move, which, in 1960, would have been a mental institution.
Your decision to prepare and publish a TDG Q&A could lead to TDG book sales. Book sales could convince those people closest to me that I am not as crazy as they think I am. And the Alberta government would not have the expense of my room in the insane asylum. Alberta taxpayers would thank you.
Altruistic Reason #2
Obviously the TDG requirements of 10 hours a month and working with neighbors are too much of a sacrifice for the Medium contributors I have encountered. But maybe there is someone in your circle who would be willing to take on that sacrifice. In other words, you will have effectively assigned your responsibility to build a better democracy to someone else.
That should reduce whatever psychological burdens you are carrying.
Altruistic Reason #3
I have told my wife that my current three TDG books (and two more soon to come) need only one influencer to read and like my ideas. Then my hobby becomes my income!
When I tell my wife this, her eyeballs turn inside out. So I try not to mention “book sales” in daily household conversation any more. But we thinkers are a bit absentminded, and Freudian slips do emit from my mouth from time-to-time.
So, if your work on this TDG project turns “book sales” from unreality to reality, my wife would have less eye strain.
Altruistic Reason #4
Somehow, I’m not sure about this “influencer” thing being the TDG ticket to fame and glory. If the TDG is dependent on the fans of Celebrity X, then the TDG just becomes an extension of Celebrity X. People who don’t like Celebrity X will use that reason to stay away from the TDG. Maybe? I don’t know.
My intuition says TDG growth should be more organic: like one TDG fan tells five friends, two of those friends becomes TDG fans, they tell their friends, and so on. This kind of spread should find a diverse group of TDG builders. Diversity is important for part of the TDG building. Learning how to get along with different kinds of people is an important skill in the TDG.
Even if you are not a TDG fan yet, you can start this organic chain reaction. Just let your followers read your TDG Q&A. Let them figure out what they want to do with it.
When Oprah finally finds and reads my book, her support won’t be necessary. Think about that!
Materialistic Reason #1
I do most of the writing. You get the Medium royalty.
I think you understand the implications here.
How This Plan Works
1. You must read my TDG essay, which takes about 15 minutes. While reading, you can jot down five questions you want to ask me about the TDG. Only five!
2. In your own words, introduce the TDG to your readers. A 50-word paragraph should suffice.
3. Then send your preamble and five questions to me in an email at fffdavevolekpublishing@gmail.com. Remove the three f’s, which is my spam control.
4. I will return the email with my answers. You can edit my answers “a little bit.”
5. Write a 50-word conclusion about my answers. Be honest in your conclusion; I anticipate that you are already dubious about the TDG. Just be civil in any contrary conclusion.
6. Somehow include a link to my TDG essay.
7. Then publish the article wherever you want on Medium.
Not convinced? I have even more reasons:
Materialistic Reason #2
After you have published one TDG Q&A, you can evaluate whether your effort was worth your Medium royalty. If this kind of article is somewhat profitable for you, you should do it again. Maybe base your next five questions on your followers’ comments about your article.
Materialistic Reason #3
The TDG Q&A is giving your Medium followers another interesting topic for them to read. If TDG Q&A‘s are constituting 10% of your portfolio, this would be a nice balance to your other Medium work. Give your readers something different.
Materialistic Reason #4
You just might be acknowledged as the journalist who was instrumental in breaking the TDG out of its obscurity. This could be a career builder!
Altruistic Reason #5
My lukewarm supporters tell me: “This TDG is great idea, Dave. Let me know when you have built it.”
Well, the TDG will not be built by me. Sorry, I cannot “johnwayne” this idea into the world.
Your first TDG Q&A should only take about a half hour of time. But with that half hour, you will be exposing the TDG to your followers. A few of them or a few of their followers just might become TDG builders. By finding these builders, your efforts here will be moving the TDG forward. The sooner these people develop the skills for TDG governance, the sooner we can replace our faulty western democracy.
The TDG must be built by “We The People.” There really is no other way. I hope that makes sense to you.
And my wife won’t strain her eyeballs anymore!
Published on Medium 2022
The End of a Medium Experiment
