Aimée’s Year In Review: My 2022 Baker’s Dozen Hit List
I just knew 2022 was going to be the BEST YEAR YET! Especially regarding my writing. I’ve noticed when I get a bit too untethered, ungrounded, or cocky, life usually throws me a curveball.
2022 ended up being a shitton of health concerns in my life, starting with catching my first and only so far bout of COVID-19.
It was not pretty.
But, my stream-of-consciousness old-school blog-style writeup on the experience was one of my most read stories.
A quick word: I chose what I want to highlight; not what earnings or read times are the best. I haven’t even gathered up those stats for 2022 yet. It’s been a lower paying year for me, but that’s no surprise.
I’ve published fewer pieces.
The good news? I’m making a bit more per minute read than I was in 2020 or 2021 — that’s a win!
JANUARY
Artisanal Article Machine (Gunner Barrett) with 4.3k views. Read time to date: 6 hours 10 minutes member reading time. Earnings to date: $25.74
So, that was my January…and February…and so on. Cuz Long Covid came to bite my butt. I’m fairly confident I’m still dealing with the repercussions.
Despite Covid-19, I published two more stories in January that I’m proud of. One did well, at least with external readers; the other didn’t score as much interest as I anticipated, which was a bit disappointing.
But, hey! Perimenopause is definitely evergreen. :D
The hit appeared in Fanfare and covers witty TV show Letterkenny.
Fanfare (Eric Pierce) with 11.5k views. Read time to date: 8 hours 14 minutes member reading time. Earnings to date: $18.90
It’s Just Foam (Lindsay Rae Brown) with 366 views. Read time to date: 7 hours 08 minutes member reading time. Earnings to date: $13.60
FEBRUARY
In February, I still felt terrible from coronavirus after-effects, like my legs feeling like sausage stuffed in way too tight casing. That lasted months…
Although this flopped when I thought it’d SMASH, especially around Valentine’s, I still love it. I guess my sense of humor didn’t hit with my readers on this one, though. That surprised me.
It’s a fictional piece about a Pexels model. She loves dressing up and posing a million different ways. I thought it’d be fun to create a whimsical and silly story based on these outfits.
It’s Just Foam (Lindsay Rae Brown) with 258 views. Read time to date: 3 hours 42 minutes member reading time. Earnings to date: $6.09
I figured February was a good month to do some more talking about breasts. Of course, those stories are up for grabs any month of the year. Do not grab breasts; only stories.
Got it?
Good.
Breast Stories (Amy Sea) with 760 views. Read time to date: 13 hours 54 minutes member reading time. Earnings to date: $28.86
MARCH
This is the only fiction story on my hit list this year. I entered it in a 24 hour contest. It didn’t place, but it was fun to write. And, Gunner Barrett made the stunning cover image. Thanks, pal!
From my experience, fiction is a hard sell on Medium.
This year continued to confirm that, but I won’t quit writing fiction. It’s too much a part of my writer’s heart now. Funnily, it scared the hell out of me in college. I used memoir as “fiction” when prompted to write short stories. Creating worlds scared me back then.
Not anymore.
Fictions (Danielle Loewen) with 87 views. Read time to date: 1 hour 10 minutes member reading time. Earnings to date: $2.21
I eked out one more story at the end of March. I’m not sure how. I was still exhausted, full of brain fog, worried about blood clots in my legs, etc. Maybe it’s the Gen Xer in me that said EFF IT! and wrote something anyway.
Plethora of Pop (Pierce McIntyre) with 494 views. Read time to date: 2 hours 46 minutes member reading time. Earnings to date: $3.01
APRIL
This interview with Hogan Torah came at the perfect time. Some people might be a little put off when asked to create interview questions for someone, as HT asked me.
But, I was stoked. He said I could ask anything.
I had a lot of questions.
This has been one of my biggest articles of 2022. Coming up with questions took about half a day, if I recall correctly.
HT pulled through with sincere, contemplative, introspective answers. HE also doles out good advice for writers.
Highly recommend.
Age of Empathy (KiKi Walter) with 616 views. Read time to date: 42 hours 47 minutes member reading time. Earnings to date: $75.30
MAY
I knew I wanted to write about seeing my gynecologist this year and how much one visit made me laugh. I sat on the story for a couple of months, not really sure on how to organize it.
I also wasn’t sure if my gyno would see it and be appalled/amused.
He ended up being amused; I couldn’t help it, I sent him a friend link so he could read it.
Readers got a kick out of it as well.
MuddyUm (Susan Brearley) with 601 views. Read time to date: 6 hours 01 minutes member reading time. Earnings to date: $34.05
JUNE
2022 was a year of growth as a memoirist. I mostly put my mindfulness and memoir books aside. Instead, I culled old memoirs, from high school and college — even middle school.
I revised and published them.
That felt really, really good.
Here’s one I’m super duper pumped about.
The Memoirist (KiKi Walter) with 343 views. Read time to date: 11 hours 53 minutes member reading time. Earnings to date: $25.69
AUGUST
Since my health challenges are a huge part of 2022, I felt it important to write y’all an update. I’m also learning a lot about myself as I explore challenges around chronic pain and cPTSD.
One of the awesome things about writing publicly about these things, is I find out again and again that I’m not alone.
Thank you.
Artisanal Article Machine (Gunner Barrett) with 182 views. Read time to date: 2 hours 59 minutes member reading time. Earnings to date: $7.50
OCTOBER
This is another piece that didn’t place in a contest. I’m incredibly proud of it and still cherish the experience.
Despite the uber low stats.
Middle Pause (Debbie Walker) with 79 views. Read time to date: 1 hour 26 minutes member reading time. Earnings to date: $2.91
Please use this information for good, not evil.
Not sure what I’ll be cooking up for 2023, but I am looking forward to sharing my work with you when I know what the heck it is.
+1 a poem
This is one of my personal favorites. Out of my two recent “bittersweet” poems, this lags behind by about half the reads. I’m a poet at heart and a pragmatist who knows poetry doesn’t pay well.
.33 cents earned/17 views/11 minutes 45 seconds member reading time.
This appears in GB Rogut’s fabulous publication, ipoetry.
