You have to write what you’re passionate about, because otherwise why write?

I’m often turned off by the seemingly never-ending streams of articles people write about how to get more eyes on your stories. I mostly dislike them because they usually give advice about how to change what you write about.

I almost always write about LGBTQ people and issues, including transgender issues. I write about those things because I’ve spent decades thinking about them and working on them.

I get a certain amount of readership, probably more than I would get writing about animal defense, but let’s not kid ourselves — your average reader isn’t rushing to click on articles about LGBTQ equality.

Every now and then I write an article that intersects with larger interests, say the 2020 elections or a popular figure in the entertainment world. THEN views and reads can boom and I get an idea of what it’s like to get a really large response to something.

I’m sure if I wanted to, I could tailor my writing around those kinds of responses. I could chase numbers rather than writing about my own passions. And then what would I be doing? Not much, I don’t suppose. I’d either be telling people what they want to hear, or intentionally engaging controversy.

I figure if I’m going to write, I’d better have something to say that adds value to discourse. Which kind of makes chasing popularity difficult.

The same goes for you and animal defense. The only way to make a difference is to keep at it. If animal defense is your passion, and you add value to discourse by writing about it when other people can’t or don’t, then your writing really matters.

So keep working! Because maybe it’s better to matter than to be popular.