Medium Writing
7 Reasons Why Every Writer on Twitter Needs to be Writing on Medium
Reason #4: You can make money!
If you are on Twitter and have ever used the hashtags: #writingcommunity, #writing, #blogging, #amwriting or even #writersofinstagram you should be writing on the Medium platform.
If you have ever been on the Medium platform you will surely agree and probably already have an account or are clicking away to start one right now.
However, if you need additional convincing, here are 7 reasons why you should be writing on Medium:
1. It is free to join
It is as simple as going to the main page and hitting the big green “Get Started” button. Medium is free to join, and you can begin publishing your work immediately. There is no limit to the amount of content you can add to Medium, even with a free account. You can also read a limited number of other articles for free each month.
2. There are tons of other writers on Medium
Medium is a place built by writers, for writers. There is a massive amount of content around a diverse set of topics, but one of the many is advice and success stories by writers. There are writing-specific publications under the Medium umbrella like The Partnered Pen, and The Writing Cooperative among others.
Medium can be a fantastic source for inspiration and ideas, as well as tips and advice for writers. In addition, there is also a lot of content on marketing and freelance work as well as business and financial advice.
3. Great place to try new things
Medium is a great place to bend your genre or dabble outside your particular writing niche. It is also a great place to play with your style and voice without impacting your other lines of writing.
Let’s say you are a strictly a science fiction writer but have always been interested in world history. Medium is the place to try out your hand at some historical fact-based pieces. There are tools that allow you to segregate writing styles and articles into different publications and topics. Plus, as you develop a following across the platform you will find that your history fans may cross-pollinate and become sci-fi fans as well.
You could also use Medium to write about your writing process. Perhaps your website or other writing platforms are formatted exclusively around marketing your finished products, but there isn’t room for talking about your method. Medium is absolutely perfect for that. Plus, you could earn a few dollars doing so.
4. You can make money
Yep. You can get paid to write about writing. Or when you tease your current WIP. Or when you write about the mating cycles of ring-tailed tree sloths. Or whatever.
There is a caveat that you need to be a paid member to earn money, but such is life. You have to spend a little to make a lot. If you are already writing every day, it won’t take long to recoup the $5 monthly or $50 annual fee with your earnings.
If you are already doing it anyway, why not earn a few bucks for your writing? I started out pretty slowly with 3 followers and writing a 1,000-word piece every few days. It took me about 2 ½ months to make my $50 annual membership back.
5. Twitter followers read articles for free
Somewhere in their corporate hierarchies, Twitter and Medium share some DNA. Therefore, anytime a Medium article reader follows a link from Twitter, they can read for free. No matter whether they are a paid subscriber, or even a member.
That means that your already-established Twitter following can have a platform to read any article you link to them.
Conversely, Medium makes it super easy to publish a link directly on Twitter, automatically adding your Twitter handle and publishing an eye-catching storyboard post with your story’s lead photo.
6. Build an alternate following
Medium allows you to build a following on another channel that will bring you a completely new set of contacts. Sure, several might also follow you on Twitter or Facebook, but Medium will expose your writing to a whole new segment of readers and other writers.
Because of the close relationship between Twitter and Medium, it is very easy to point your followers on one platform to the other and vice versa. Who wouldn’t like a bit more exposure for their work?
7. Sense of community
Sure, the Twitterverse is its own community of sorts. It is a place where you can make contacts and get some supportive interaction. Medium puts the supportive part on hyperdrive.
I can’t guarantee that you won’t run into some dissenting opinions, especially if you delve into controversial topics, but on the whole the Medium community is extra supportive of writers. After all, the community IS largely writers.
By interacting with others there you will create a like-minded following and community that can offer support simply by reading your work, or by collaborating on pieces, or offering editing, marketing and industry insights.
One particularly inclusive and supporting publication within Medium is called ILLUMINATION. You will see this article is published there. ILLUMINATION has over 260 writers and nearly 4,000 followers after being in existence for only about a month. It is a great example of how to create synergy by supporting and promoting each other’s efforts.
Conclusion
The fact is that there is no real reason NOT to join Medium if you are a writer with a Twitter account. There is literally no downside aside from the few moments it takes to sign up. By comparison there are at least 7 great and compelling reasons to give Medium a try!
You have nothing to lose and a lot to gain. I can’t wait to read your work!
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Timothy Key spent over 26 years in the fire service as a firefighter/paramedic and various fire chief management roles. He firmly believes that bad managers destroy more than companies, and good managers create a passion that is contagious. Compassion, grace and gratitude drive the world; or at least they should. Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, and join the mail list.