Expressing yourself digitally going beyond boundaries
Expressing yourself digitally going beyond boundaries, digital expression is the way of communication and connecting in today’s world. The world today has become much smaller and easily accessible then it was a decade ago, technology has made it easy for people to connect across globe with ease in real time. I am sixty years old and have lived through the days of postal mails, telegrams, telephone, telexes and faxes, we have come a long way, it is now matter of seconds to connect with someone on the opposite of the globe, one can participate in meetings involving people from all time zones. In fact, time zones have really lost reference, now you can connect with people at any time zone any time. Technology has made life simpler, faster and has given many platforms to anyone who wishes to use them to express themselves. It is only through technological advances that one can now express himself or herself without really investing much money, time, and energy. All it takes is the desire to go out and speak and lo and behold you can talk to all and sundry. Now it has its advantages and disadvantages too.
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Expressing yourself digitally going beyond boundaries: speaking to undefined audience
Usually whether it is a personal issue, a family matter or a general opinion about any situation in the world. Earlier people use to sit and talk about it over tea or coffee and that too with people of their own choice, within the circle. You have family, then you had close intimate friends, colleagues, social circle, and such bifurcations were drawn within the acquaintances and not everything was discussed with everybody. This has drastically changed, Now, one can talk to anyone about anything. And you can express your opinion about anything to anyone. It is really alarming in its own way; you have no control on who reads what you write and who comments on what you think. It can become overwhelming, and one can feel vulnerable. Let us draw a basic safety net for going digital.
The world is your audience if you are expressing yourself digitally aiming to go beyond boundaries
It is overly exciting to share your opinion, and to know other people’s opinion, it is alright to wish to know as much as you can from as many people as you can. Remember when you publish something it is out in the open for everyone. Everyone, as the word says, anyone who feels like, can read what you have published, can quote it, interpret it in his or her own words, share it with anyone and recall it as and when he or she wants to recall. It is like once published, it is there. Yes, there are processes with which you can limit the access and other rights and limit the time till the matter is available online, but having said that remember the basic fact, that once published online it remains available online, so be mindful of the fact that howsoever we wish we cannot wish the published material away, it is archived. Be cautious take a check before you hit the publish button.
Read, research and be realistic and diligent in your expressions digitally or otherwise.
Expressing yourself digitally going beyond boundaries. When you start to write on any given topic, do basic research. Here I am talking about expressing opinion and sharing your own understanding, am not discussing about random emotional reactions to issues and topics. When you pick up a topic to write about, think of the audience, it is always good to outline the audience for whom it is meant. Right at the beginning, clarify for whom the article is meant. So in your mind set the basic audience, then read, read what others have to say on the topic, research, get different views, look at various cultural and practices and see how others see your view point. The more you read and research, the better your own understanding will be. Create an outline of the subject about which you are writing. So set audience boundaries and set subject outline. This will help you focus on the topic and be relevant. Get data, cross references, build your thought line with utmost care.
Think of effect and impact this sharing will create.
While expressing yourself digitally going beyond boundaries, It is always advisable not to react on an impulse, you may be sharing something which can be revolutionary or may be something which many might consider outdated, the scale on the digital expression is unlimited. So do not be impulsive. Patience pays, always, also when you publish something online. I remember good old school days, when even an article in the school magazine went through the inspecting eyes of the teachers and at times the principal too. That was daunting but effective, and eventually the onus of any repercussion lied with the head of the school ,which was the kind of creative freedom we have had during our school days, creative but controlled. Times have changed now. Anyone can get online and publish anything, from thoughts of highest order of humanity to venom pouring, technology has made it possible to pour anything for anyone for consumption. So be mindful or what you are publishing and give a thought to impact and effect it will have on people. An effective way is to think the impact your writing will have on a teenager, the next generation. And if your thoughts are not constructive enough, would you want them to be there is a question you may ask yourself before you publish anything on net.
Language and structure used for digitally expressing yourself.
Language is the most creative invention, use it judiciously while Expressing yourself digitally going beyond boundaries, Hone your language skills, learn the art of expressing yourself using the best words. Do not write only when you wish to publish it, write on various topics and keep improving, reading is a good to tool to learn language, read other writers, understand the nuances of telling a story, staring a factual information, be constructive even while you are being a critique, the way you put your reviews and comments speak volumes about your maturity, understanding and language skills. Use appropriate language, an easy check it to ask yourself if you read it after ten years, what will you think or what will your child think when he or she reads what you have published. Use good words, author article, stories, event report, memoirs, small notes, poetries, couplets, write any form of language but practice to express yourself. Now that the world had technologically advanced you do not have to find a publisher, you can publish your work so write with an aim to add value to the reader, be creative and constructive in your work.
Expressing yourself digitally going beyond boundaries – Stay focused.
You may not be the subject matter expert but while expressing your views on a given topic or even publishing an article online it is advisable to keep your focus on the given topic. We have understood the need of identifying the audience by setting accessibility limits, defined the topic by giving a structure to the content, have researched and gathered sufficient information and assuming that, we have the language proficiency to be creative and constructive we are ready to publish. The challenge now is to ensure that what you publish is authentic, your own ideas, not reproducing someone else’s words, if you quote someone give the due credit, share the source of information or data that you are presenting. Be transparent in your approach, be authentic, be original and be genuine. Follow the structural guidelines you have set for yourself, do not get carried away by the enormous data and writings available online. Stay focused, write with caution and be original. Yes, there will be flaws, but then it is always better to publish with some flaws than pilfering. This way you will see your own growth and improvement as a publisher on digital media. Expressing digitally has not boundaries, it has immense opportunities for everyone so make the most of it by making the best use of it.
Choose a platform to publish and express yourself digitally.
Once you are ready with an article, decide where would you like to publish it, LinkedIn is a good platform to publish thoughts, there are many other platforms wherein you can publish and be read by people. The focus here will be reach out to as many as people as possible. You might begin with a small platform like a friends only webpage, and then later move to open forums like Facebook. Writing is a tool use if to fight the good fight for the betterment of society. Put your article where it will be read. Use your platform carefully, find space which has similar information, articles, or issues to discuss. The more you search you will find plenty of places to publish your work. Start small, and them gradually move to big platform and may be even become a full time writer.
Keep a tract on your digital publishing.
Expressing yourself digitally also requires keeping a track of how much have you been read. Keep a check on the number of people who have read your work, look at the comments, engage with the audience, take feedback gracefully, it will be a good idea to look at the reader and analyse the data based on gender, age, geography, education and interest etc. the more you get to know the reader the chanced of you improving your work grows. You can over a period even become a subject matter expert for a given subject for a set of audience. I have friend who are digital counsellors for adolescents , marriage counsellor. And we all have seen plenty of experts available on the social media. Most of them started small in expressing themselves digitally till they made a niche place for themselves. So if you wish to grow as a digital writer keep a track of how you have been read.
Expressing yourself digitally, find a Mentor.
It is always beneficial to have a Mentor, teacher or a guide to walk the terrains, going digital is no exception, therefore get a mentor to teach you the nuances of writing , if need be ghost write for the mentor till you get a firm grip on doing it on your own. Read those who you admire, read them regularly, get ideas, learn how to treat a subject, sharing is an art, and it needs practice to master it. Read and learn and grow in the art of expressing yourself digitally.
Frequently asked questions
Q1. How can I become a digital publisher?
Create a profile to begin with and start to publish regularly.
Q2. What is digital publishing?
Digital publishing is about creating an idea, building content around and about it, publishing it and monetizing it on the social media.
Q3. What are the products of digital publishing?
Website, E-book, podcast, e-mail, newsletter or magazine, an app
Q4. What makes a good publisher?
Passion for writing, perseverance, and patience to see the result and commitment towards quality.
Q5. Can digital publishing be a career?
Indeed, digital publishing is a niche career choice one can make.
Q6. What are the key skills needed to be a successful digital publisher?
Writing, Communication, Critical Thinking, Marketing, Networking are the key skills to keep a person ahead in the game.
Key Points
- With the change in technology, digital publishing has become an important and independent field, expertise in the field has immense growth opportunities.
- You can take up digital publishing as a hobby or even a full-fledged business.
- Content Creation and language proficiency is the primarily need of becoming a digital publisher.
- Digital publishing is a road to be taken with caution, as once published any article might not get removed forever, the print stays online.
- There are enormous platforms to choose from to start publishing online.
- Continuous research, reading and understanding the readers’ mindset will be helpful in making anyone a successful writer on a digital platform.
Conclusion
Creating content and writing and publishing your written work independently is an opportunity available to all with the advancement in technology. Having said that there are cautions one must take before publishing anything online. Refrain from being impulsive, be diligent, research, use correct language and moderate tone, be receptive to criticism, choose the platform judiciously, understand the readers’ mindset, write to create and stay away from destructive work are the minimum requirements of becoming a content writer to start publishing digitally. It is always advisable to research and also to find a mentor to sail through. Digital Media is a fast growing and evolving platform, and a career as digital media publisher has immense opportunities.
