10 Concrete And Proven Lessons From One Year Of Publishing On Medium
from $0.17 and 70 followers to about $800 and 3K followers
With a new year around the corner, it’s a time for many to pause and reflect on the year that was.
I’ve spent the last days of 2021 with my family (my mom, dad, and in-laws).
In the evening, I didn’t write an article or coach others but I’ve reflected on my writing journey and my biggest milestones in 2021.
I’ve started to plan and set goals for my side hustle in 2022.
In the spirit of looking back and processing lessons learned, I want to bring you a selection of my top 10 concrete and proven lessons from one year of writing on Medium.
My Top 10 Lessons from one year of publishing on Medium
# 10 — The fast and easy buck is a lie
I love all those articles claiming they make thousands by only publishing a few times per month.
I guarantee you that their one article per week was not earning $2,000 per month in the beginning.
The writers must think we are all stupid or something.
Hoping to write one article and then go viral is just too risky and frustrating.
👉 One of my most popular articles sheds a light on the get-rich-quick idea:
#9 — You need to keep the hula hoop spinning
When a hula hoop drops it stops spinning. The spinning starts when you pick it up and twist it again.
The idea is to spin for as long as you can. This is the same with writing.
I can testify that my earnings increase when I write an article every day, even if it’s (only) a short form post.
Moreover, when I don’t publish on a regular basis, my views drop and payments fall.
👉Learn more about the hula hoop method for writers:
#8 — Writing karma does the trick
In my opinion, nothing happens without a reason.
We all have writing karma and whatever happens in the online writing world usually happens for a reason.
Whatever you do now will impact your online writing business at some point in the future — positively or negatively.
What you get in a couple of months depends on what you build now!
👉Learn more about the positive effects of writing karma:
#7 — Spreading negativity isn’t worth it
A lot of writers don’t know Medium’s house rule #1:
be kind. Don’t insult other writers.
Unfortunately, hate-filled pieces, bullying, negative, toxic, inappropriate comments, and attacks were exploding in 2021.
My dear friends Robert Ralph and Yana Bostongirl were harassed by another writer.
Both seriously considered quitting this platform.
I’m glad they stayed.
Negativity isn’t here to stay.
Report hate-filled pieces and bullying and spread kindness, instead of hate and toxicity.
👉Here’s the sad story:
#6 Self-publishing is the future
In the past few months, we’ve watched several big as well as small publications closing their doors.
When you’re new to Medium you may wonder:
‘Is it a worrying time or an evolution?’
In my view, it’s the latter.
Medium is more and more becoming a place where the self-published author can flourish without publications.
Take me as an example. I love to write for my favorite pubs and even for big pubs as the Start it up with 700K followers.
Additionally, I dared to open my own pub called Online Writing 101 — the Go-To Guide for new writers — in the mid of November 2021.
To date, it has attracted over 220 followers and has around 4K monthly views.
I’ve earned already more than $200 with my eight articles published in my publication.
👉Learn more about the good news for self-published writers:
#5 Cross-promotion is smart
It’s foundational to share your words with the world.
Even Ev Williams, CEO of Medium, and his team recommend doing it.
Social media is the best way to get the word out about your story.
Take a few minutes to share your Medium story with people in your (writing) network:
- Quora
- Substack
- Simily
- …
#4 Yes, you can make friends online
A few weeks ago, Tim Denning asked via Twitter:
Who has been the most helpful writer in 2021?
My answer: it’s not one single writer. It’s many.
I really have the feeling I’ve made friends online.
We relate to each other, tag each other, mention each other’s work, and grow together.
I even exchange emails or direct messages with some of them.
This year I made friends through Medium with:
Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles AHK Burk Tom Fenske Niharikaa Kaur Sodhi Yousuf Rafi Kristina God Anne Bonfert Vivek Naskar Trisha Dunbar (She/Her) T Mann Charles Waters Tamil Alicia Domínguez Courtney Simms Nancy Blackman Michael Nagy Jameson Steward Chris Zappa Patricia Haddock Patricia Ross Edina Abena Jackson BichoDoMato Adelina Vasile Dominic DiFrancesco Nora Frank Larkin Sally Prag Jonathan Townend, RMN. Founder -Creative Passions Maria Rattray MN Dr Mehmet Yildiz Nicole Hilbig Freda Savahl Justiss Goode Nicole Hilbig Christina Adrienne Beaumont Kris Bedenian Terry Mansfield Mike Goldberg Michael Burg, MD (AKA Medium Michael Burg) Patricia Rosa Dorin Cojocariu David Perlmutter Warren Brown Winston and many many more!🙏
I’m so grateful.
Thank you all so much for being you and for your outstanding pieces.🙏
👉Here you can find some of them:
#3 Start small with short-form writing
Most of you know me for my short-form pieces.
This year Tom Fenske invited me to become co-editor of my favorite pub The Shortform.
Longer isn’t always better, guys. Trust me.
A short-form post can just be as good as a long one.
Good writing is about making your idea tight and crisp.
70% of my 475 published articles in 2021 were short-form posts.
Moreover, short-form posts can go viral too.
One short form post about Quora’s new passive income model even reached 10K+ views.
👉You want to join the short form movement? Hop aboard and become a member here:
#2 Experimenting is the best you can do
As marketing expert Seth Godin has said:
The best experiments are experiments on purpose.
A — In October 2021, I announced my first cohort-based Online Writing Kickstarter Bootcamp.
When I hit ‘publish’ I didn’t have it all figured out.
But by hitting publish my idea became a reality.
When 70 people wanted to be part of my class I knew I just had to do this.
I even grew beyond words. When I put my baby to bed, I made video recordings — as you can see below.
B — Moreover, in October 2021, I’ve started to coach (new) writers individually via email.
I feel great satisfaction when helping others.
👉Hint: If you want to be part of my next Bootcamp or want individual coaching, leave a comment or send me an email to [email protected] for further details in Jan 2022.👈
#1 — Taking the leap of faith is your logical next step
Most people settle for whatever they get.
They don’t question the status quo.
They don’t want to change.
I have a growth mindset and want to change. Although it’s hard.
This year, I’ve jumped into the unknown.
I’ve started a digital nomad life with my husband and baby boy and moved to a beautiful German island.
My biggest learning: Oftentimes it’s irrational to not take the leap of faith.
👉That’s why I recommend reading my inspiring piece that summarizes my lessons learned in 2021:
Jump!— Why Taking The Leap Is Your Logical Next Step
Not an irrational and emotional act.
medium.com
Final Takeaways
This time last year, the thought of really making money online seemed a million miles away.
I’m glad I‘ve started writing on Medium from 7 pm to 10 pm instead of watching Netflix.
I started off with 0 views, 0 followers, and $0 in revenue.
Fast forward to today, I’ve gained 40K monthly views, 3K followers, and $800 in revenue.
I’m congratulating everyone who’s achieved a milestone on Medium that’s meaningful to him/her in 2021.
I hope my lessons are valuable for you and I wish you all the best for 2022.
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