What is Mirror.xyz?

If you are a writer in the Web 2.0 space, you might have experienced many frustrations. From limited monetization options to stolen content, the traditional ways of publishing content on the internet seem outdated. Enter Mirror.xyz, the first decentralized publishing platform for writers.

Mirror.xyz is a publishing platform for writers that leverages cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. Through a decentralized, user-owned, crypto-based network, Mirror is revolutionizing the way we express, share, and monetize our thoughts.

This unique publishing platform was created by Denis Nazarov in 2020. It has been regarded as the Medium of Web3, simply because of its functionality. However, this decentralized writing platform developed to help creators connect with their target audience is an innovative initiative in the Web3 space.

Mirror enables creators to earn money in a number of ways, below are some ways to make money on Mirror.

1. Turn your publication into an NFT
   You can turn your publication into an NFT, which can then be sold at an auction to readers who want to invest in your thoughts, or you can sell your story to a publication as an NFT. Also, each time your NFT is sold, you can earn royalties on your NFT.

2. Crowdfund an idea
   Besides turning your story into an NFT, you can also crowdfund your idea and readers can offer you money to write it. Then, once your story is finished your readers get a cut of the story’s profits.

3. Embed your own NFTs
   As a creator, you also have the ability to embed your own NFTs, or NFTs that are owned by other content creators, and make a profit from them. Essentially, the more an NFT is shared within published content, the more value it has.

4. Add your own call-to-action (CTA)
   Similar to any publication on the internet, you still have the ability to add your own CTA link within your article. This CTA can link to anything you offer that your want to put more eyes on such as an email list, course, eBook, or coaching you might offer.

Next, you’re probably wondering how this all works.

Although Mirror.xzy may appear similar to Medium, a closer look reveals a completely different platform. Mirror.xyz allows users to create and connect with the world of Web3 and can be used as a tool for sharing and funding anything. 

To get started, go to Mirror.xyz and follow these simple steps:

1. Connect your wallet
2. Sign the transaction
3. Create your name and bio
4. Link your Twitter and ENS name (optional)
5. Start publishing

To publish on Mirror.xyz, you can utilize various Editor tools that the platform offers.

The Editor is where you will compose your entries using media blocks, such as images and videos as well as crypto-economic blocks including crowdfunds and auctions. To preview your entry as it will appear once published, you can enter the Preview mode. 

Modes: Composition takes place in Edit mode. To preview your entry as it will appear on your publication, simply enter Preview mode.

Importing Entries: You can import entries from elsewhere, like Medium or Substack, by opening the secondary menu in navigation, then clicking Import entry. From there, enter the URL to your entry. Mirror.xyz asks that if you do this, only import content you have created and own.

Creating blocks: To create a media or economic block, click inside your entry and select where you’d like the block to appear. Then click the Blocks area of the toolbar to make the menu appear, which will then reveal all your available blocks.

Embedding NFTs: Mirror.xyz allows you to embed an NFT by creating a simple link by prefixing the URL with the ethereum:// protocol, followed by the address/id.

Currently, the NFT embed function supports images, audio, video, and text embeds. As far as supported NFT platforms, Mirror supports EthBlock.art, Foundation, Rarible, SuperRare and Zora.

Here’s an example of what the NFT embed link would look like:

(ethereum://0xb932a70a57673d89f4acffbe830e8ed7f75fb9e0/16297)

Creating a crowdfund: Once you create your own crowdfund and deploy it, a snippet code will be generated in the Embed crowdfund section. All you need to do from there is copy and paste this embed into an entry. Here is an example of what that should look like:

(crowdfund://0x95d0A89943E0e3e05d290Fc07462c148EB6a11Ff?network=homestead)

Although Mirror.xyz is an extremely innovative publishing platform, in time, they aim to introduce a new editor which enables editing in place, removing the need to toggle between edit and preview modes, and adding more features that provide additional value to users.