Some Writers Made $1,000 on Medium — What They Did Differently?
Learn from writers who made it into the 1%.
Not a member? Read for free here.
I started building an online income in January after this thought:
Tons of people have figured out how to make $$$ online. Maybe I can do it too — it’s not like I’m dumb.
I started with Medium and I did okay — making $136 during my first month. But $136 barely covers gas money — I wanted more!
Some writers made well over $1,000 in February. I’ve been following those writers closely, and today I analyzed all their stories to see what they did differently.
The lineup consists of Bin Jiang, Carl Jeffers, and Daniel T. — all writers who started just a few weeks before I did.
Here’s what they did differently:
Quantity Above All Else
They all published a ton of stories. Just in February, the average post count was 85 articles. That’s almost 3 stories EVERY day!
That’s countless hours spent writing and editing.
Without a doubt, they have also read hundreds of stories on Medium — and engaged with countless writers.
The sheer amount of volume provided those writers with valuable insight into what works on Medium, and what doesn’t.
All Their Stories Belonged In 1 of The 5 Categories:
- Personal success ($, followers, views) and insights.
- Strategies and goals for continuous growth.
- Content creation and writing tips.
- Overcoming writing challenges and impact of writing in their lives.
- Navigating the ever-changing platform of Medium.
Are They Copying Each Other’s Work?
Yes, at first glance may seem so.
They often post about the same thing, phrased differently.
To be fair, they do share a pool of similar content — how different can articles about writing advice be?
This doesn’t mean they lack originality; it shows how they are fine-tuned to understand their audience’s needs.
They are on the lookout for successful stories and they learn and adapt from them — often by writing a story of their own on the subject.
The Headline Formula
- Keep it brief — keep it clear — keep it precise
- Use SPECIFIC numbers
- Capitalization and punctuation for emphasis
- Include important timeframes. Like 30 days — or 2 months.
- Use provocative questions.
- Create urgency and intrigue by partial reveal
- Go for the emotional factor
Embracing Imperfection
Two of the writers often have Typos or misspelled words in their Headlines. It might seem like an oversight but it’s a strategic move;
Our eye are drawn to mistakes and incorrect language.
It might also be that having imperfect titles makes those writers seem more reachable, more human, making the same mistakes as we do.
Talent Without Commitment Is Wasted
Those writers (well, most of them) know that I appreciate and support them, and they know the reasons why I admire their work.
I don’t believe in talent per se, and I hate people saying that success comes from extraordinary talent.
But I can say that after analyzing their work from Day 1 up to today, it’s apparent that they are dedicated to making it work.
Two factors seemed key to their success:
- Consistency
- Adaptability
They are showing up every day
and they never stop evolving.
Is that all it takes?
Only time will tell.
PS #1: My research included Ryan Canady as well — but Ryan has his own way of doing things. It would be unfair to not showcase his unique approach to writing. Also, after his forced hiatus I decided to give him a break and share my analysis of his work later on 💚
PS #2: Thank you for reading!
Click here to get notified every time I post on Medium.
My deepest appreciation,
Orestis.