I’ve been writing for Odyssey for over a year now and I’ve watched it grow while my shares and engagements have shrunk. The very reasons Odyssey keeps growing are also a hindrance to the quality control of the website. I’m not insisting that what I write is gold (this train conductor article, for example, is not), but I am insisting that if Odyssey would like to grow even further, they should hold their writers to a higher standard.
It's Basically a Blog
As I and countless others have proven time and time again, The Odyssey is one big, corporate blog. It’s a place for anyone to sign up and start to spew rhetoric about how much they love their moms (Hover over my hyperlinks and you'll get the point). And honestly, it’s a great idea. Not everyone has the tools to start up a Wordpress and post, not everyone has access to (sometimes) paid editors, and not everyone has the power of the name Odyssey has.
Then what’s the problem?
There's Too Much Content
As this quick screenshot of my shares over the past few months shows, they’ve steadily declined to about 20 sharers per article (But I love everyone that reads my articles. In fact, if you’ve read something I’ve written, send me a message and we’ll grab some coffee).
Odyssey operates on a three-strikes system and every writer is expected to deliver 500 words a week. It isn't that hard, but writers are not paid, and rather than spend three weeks on a great 1200 word article, writers are encouraged to crank out mediocrity at a rapid pace. Now, if we take the quality of my writing out of the equation, a reason that my shares and views have declined is because there is too much content on the website.
Every single Monday, my Facebook feed is full of Odyssey articles, some from writers on my team and others not. But at what point are people going to get sick of seeing the same article over and over again? The best writers are the ones that offer a unique twist on a familiar subject, a trait the Odyssey as a whole has done nothing to encourage.
Instead, their business plan seems to be to literally flood the market with so much content that they simply can’t be ignored. Until, like my articles (and others), they start being ignored.
I Can Write Anything I Want, Even If It Is Factually Incorrect
Donald Trump is African-American.
Panda Express is Texas-style BBQ.
Fedoras look great on aging hipsters.
My point is, if the Odyssey focused less on the volume of articles they released every week and more on the quality of the content that was released, they would likely not only see an increase in reads and shares, but also in reputation. It’s very common for writers in my group to joke about Odyssey and its many foibles. But I want to see it better and I want to see excellent writers that take pride in writing for it.
The power of the website is that it can offer a platform for people of different backgrounds and experiences to share their stories and perspectives. But very few writers start good and even fewer start great, which means that writers need room to grow. If this growth happened more behind the scenes instead of taking up Internet real estate, Odyssey would find itself a hub of connection, discussion, and interaction, instead of a dumping ground for work-from-home MILF spam.
Why I’m a Hypocrite
This entire article has consisted of my opinion, except for the occasional facts, like my share quantities. And the beauty of the Odyssey is that I am allowed to publish constructive criticism like this on their own website. But sometimes, articles like this are best left in a diary or on a blog. Shape up writers, let’s make Odyssey something special.
