July 1, 2025 – Straw Dog Writers Guild publishes Fungai’s essay on algorithms, visibility & writing with purpose

“The algorithm was not built to serve you.”

That’s the opening shot across the bow in an essay recently published by Straw Dog Writers Guild, written by our own Fungai Tichawangana.

In the piece, Fungai reflects on over two decades of building online platforms for creatives. He calls out the false promise of the Internet as an equalizer and makes a strong case for why many writers feel invisible online, not because of their talent, but because social media algorithms are fundamentally not designed for poetry, nuance, or depth.

“We become so fixated on likes and shares that we forget the reason we started to write in the first place.”

In our humble opinion 🤪, this essay is a roadmap for reclaiming your voice, building your own visibility system, and making meaningful connections, online and off.

He offers practical strategies:

• Start or join a collaborative mailing list.
• Host offline events that create real connections.
• Treat your website like a creative home, not a billboard.
• Leverage other people’s audiences with thoughtful pitches.

The piece also highlights local resources like Holyoke Media, The LAVA Center, and literary-friendly programs like The Fabulous 413, showing how Western Mass writers can take back control of their visibility, without twisting themselves to for the pleasure of the algorithm.

You can read the full article on the Straw Dog Writers Guild website here:
👉 Finding Visibility Beyond the Algorithm

– Team AdX