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Abstract

targeted at a specific audience, it stays relevant and a constant read/share for years to come. That’s the type of content on here that earns out, garners an audience, and builds a writer’s expertise. The more well-written evergreen content you have on this site, the better your chances are of becoming a top writer.</p><h2 id="a38c">Write stories that create a conversation</h2><p id="708a">Medium is a publishing platform where millions of readers come to read a few thousand writers. In reality, more crap and one-way articles get posted on here with little to no traction. There’s tons of stuff to read, but very few pieces go beyond that.</p><p id="529b">Relational is the name of the game. Bridging the gap between what you write and what your readers want to read. But how do you know that unless you ask? Unless you begin a conversation? Some of my top earners aren’t ones with huge claps or that are really long. They are the ones where people came to engage in the beauty of sharing ideas, experiences, and, sometimes, disagreements.</p><p id="be74">Write stories that go beyond the ordinary of sharing your own ideas, but open up the floor to your readers, encouraging a conversation that carries on past the screen and into their world.</p><h2 id="6cc1">Engage your readers</h2><p id="399b">Reader engagement is a hotkey word, but often writers don’t know what it actually means. In their mind, reader engagement is publishing stories, sending out newsletters, responding to reader comments. Those tactics, while important, don’t actively engage the readers of your story.</p><p id="d47d">Engaging readers means giving them more space than your own words. Don’t center yourself, but offer yourself as a guide, fellow learner, and resource bank. Write pieces that they ask for or request.</p><div id="fb37" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/how-to-connect-with-readers-beyond-publishing-stories-3ba7d48c25d2"> <div> <div> <h2>How to Connect With Readers Beyond Publishing Stories</h2> <div><h3>Connecting with your audience after you publish a story is as important as the story itself.</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*yVHvOyufnIq6Y2JT)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><h2 id="1ec8">Use SEO to reach your readers on and off of the platform</h2><p id="dc0b">If you haven’t already begun learning even basic SEO skills, begin today. Read a book, listen to a podcast, find a course, do whatever you can to understand how search engines help you connect to your reader base. Because that’s what SEO really is.</p><p id="8bfc">It’s the tools and practices that help search engines rank your articles so that readers can find them. Medium has its own. Figure out how your articles are being found by readers on and off of this platform.</p><h2 id="029f">Comment and read other’s stories</h2><p id="93df">I don’t think any of the big names of the platform read or engage with their readers past their classes, courses, email lists, and other salesforce props. Some have even declared that they don’t or refuse to read on Medium. This arrogance is your ticket to stealing their readers and fans, providing them with a place to learn, grow, and experience new and original stories.</p><p id="a539">Their negligence also leaves a vacuum that needs to be filled. There are 30,000 writers on this platform and 6 million subscribed readers. Readers have the power here. Using your time to read and comment on other writers' stories will not only put you on

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the writer’s radar but also other readers. I’ve gotten several new readers, followers, and opportunities simply from leaving thoughtful comments when the authors ignore their readers.</p><p id="175f">Don’t just be one of those people who publish just to earn and take from this site. Actually, contribute to the discussion and community on Medium. Foster trust and consistency through active engagement.</p><h2 id="fac7">Build an audience</h2><p id="a0eb">All of these tips have been around the single idea of becoming a writer that your readers trust, flock to, and are hungry for. As you do this, you won’t need to rely on publications and marketing. People will search you out. They’ll save your articles to come back to.</p><p id="12da">Have you heard of the <a href="https://kk.org/thetechnium/1000-true-fans/">1,000 true fans principle</a>? It’s a marketing idea aiming to get a high number of true fans that will support and follow you throughout your career. While you write, keep your reader base in mind. Do research into the type of ideal reader you want, not just for one piece you write, but for all of your pieces.</p><p id="33f8">Who do you write for? Begin to cultivate that audience.</p><h1 id="501f">Further Reading</h1><div id="825d" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/understanding-nonfiction-and-technical-writing-97bf52ff1c25"> <div> <div> <h2>Understanding Nonfiction and Technical Writing</h2> <div><h3>What form are you writing?</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*lYn9eOmzAZE1XWt02WD4cg.png)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><div id="4b23" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/get-better-at-writing-right-now-f5a3a3d8db3"> <div> <div> <h2>Get Better at Writing Right Now</h2> <div><h3>Techniques, strategies, and more that have helped countless writers reach their career goals and land top writing gigs.</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*ZNxqMkZZOJ4t-VzuTLwgOw.png)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><div id="081a" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/7-stellar-writing-careers-for-the-struggling-graduate-f4d8a5cca52f"> <div> <div> <h2>7 Stellar Writing Careers for the Struggling Graduate</h2> <div><h3>Entry-level opportunities for writers without publishing credits or experience</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*Fa7z_kmZ6BV6cJyzWrKsSA.gif)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="be3c"><a href="https://aignerlwilson.com/"><i>Aigner Loren Wilson</i></a><i> is a queer Black SFWA, HWA, and Codex writer. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in Lightspeed, The Writer, Tordotcom, Fiyah, Vice, and she is a Hugo Award finalist for her editing. Along with her writing roles, she is also the guest editor for Fireside Fiction and Apparition Literary summer and fall issues. <a href="https://mailchi.mp/d2ebcd43b182/q7mv72xipe">Subscribe for access </a>to masterclass courses in writing, editing, and making a living as a creative.</i></p></article></body>

7 Stellar Tips for Becoming a Top Writer and Earning a Bonus

Bonuses may be the new norm, but only if you follow the top writer practice that Medium rewards.

So it seems we’re in the land of new money. Medium’s giving out bonuses to those who write stories that are ‘thought-provoking’. Of course, there’s the caveat of ‘regularly publishing’ those stories to stay ahead of the tide of content mill writing.

If you got the below email, you’re probably feeling in good shape and have a firm grasp on what you need to do to keep earning. Many people, like the ~28,000 other writers who didn’t get bonuses, are scratching their heads trying to understand the magic formula to earnings.

How is it possible for someone who doesn’t publish at all during one month get $500 while they are publishing consistently just like Medium wants? How many followers does it take to get noticed? Are there favorite writers who make it impossible to get ahead on here?

These are the questions that a lot of people who didn’t get the bonuses either time have been asking. They are all valid because, well, money is important. That $50 or $100 can be the thing that saves someone’s life, puts food on the table for just a little while longer, pushes the heat in. So, I thought I’d offer some advice as someone who has received the bonus both times and who has consistently been ranked in the top 6% of writers. Even if I only work on this site for a couple of hours a month.

I know a thing or two and want to share it with you.

7 Tips to Turn You Into a Top Writer

What does it mean to be a top writer, though? It’s definitely more than the badges they hand out for writing frequently on a topic. The below factors take into account all the different sides of this new system. They will also help prepare new writers on Medium for success.

Publish consistently at least once a week

More if you don’t have a solid back catalog of stories being read on a daily basis. If you’re not a fast writer or a content mill factory, don’t focus on trying to publish 2–3 articles a day. Instead, put your efforts into finding your writing cadence.

As long as you publish once a week, aiming for niche publications, longer info-packed or entertaining pieces, you’ll begin to gain traction with your writing. A lot of writers will tell you to shoot for the big pubs. However, in the big pubs, new writers often get drowned out by the bigger names. While in the smaller niche pubs, the editors care way less for name recognition and only about the reader, the topic.

Write evergreen pieces

Evergreen content is content that can be read or shared at any time. ‘Top Easter Gifts for the Stay at Home Parent’ isn’t evergreen because it’s attached to a specific holiday. ‘Top Gifts for the Stay at Home Parent’ is evergreen.

When you write evergreen content that’s targeted at a specific audience, it stays relevant and a constant read/share for years to come. That’s the type of content on here that earns out, garners an audience, and builds a writer’s expertise. The more well-written evergreen content you have on this site, the better your chances are of becoming a top writer.

Write stories that create a conversation

Medium is a publishing platform where millions of readers come to read a few thousand writers. In reality, more crap and one-way articles get posted on here with little to no traction. There’s tons of stuff to read, but very few pieces go beyond that.

Relational is the name of the game. Bridging the gap between what you write and what your readers want to read. But how do you know that unless you ask? Unless you begin a conversation? Some of my top earners aren’t ones with huge claps or that are really long. They are the ones where people came to engage in the beauty of sharing ideas, experiences, and, sometimes, disagreements.

Write stories that go beyond the ordinary of sharing your own ideas, but open up the floor to your readers, encouraging a conversation that carries on past the screen and into their world.

Engage your readers

Reader engagement is a hotkey word, but often writers don’t know what it actually means. In their mind, reader engagement is publishing stories, sending out newsletters, responding to reader comments. Those tactics, while important, don’t actively engage the readers of your story.

Engaging readers means giving them more space than your own words. Don’t center yourself, but offer yourself as a guide, fellow learner, and resource bank. Write pieces that they ask for or request.

How to Connect With Readers Beyond Publishing Stories

Connecting with your audience after you publish a story is as important as the story itself.

medium.com

Use SEO to reach your readers on and off of the platform

If you haven’t already begun learning even basic SEO skills, begin today. Read a book, listen to a podcast, find a course, do whatever you can to understand how search engines help you connect to your reader base. Because that’s what SEO really is.

It’s the tools and practices that help search engines rank your articles so that readers can find them. Medium has its own. Figure out how your articles are being found by readers on and off of this platform.

Comment and read other’s stories

I don’t think any of the big names of the platform read or engage with their readers past their classes, courses, email lists, and other salesforce props. Some have even declared that they don’t or refuse to read on Medium. This arrogance is your ticket to stealing their readers and fans, providing them with a place to learn, grow, and experience new and original stories.

Their negligence also leaves a vacuum that needs to be filled. There are 30,000 writers on this platform and 6 million subscribed readers. Readers have the power here. Using your time to read and comment on other writers' stories will not only put you on the writer’s radar but also other readers. I’ve gotten several new readers, followers, and opportunities simply from leaving thoughtful comments when the authors ignore their readers.

Don’t just be one of those people who publish just to earn and take from this site. Actually, contribute to the discussion and community on Medium. Foster trust and consistency through active engagement.

Build an audience

All of these tips have been around the single idea of becoming a writer that your readers trust, flock to, and are hungry for. As you do this, you won’t need to rely on publications and marketing. People will search you out. They’ll save your articles to come back to.

Have you heard of the 1,000 true fans principle? It’s a marketing idea aiming to get a high number of true fans that will support and follow you throughout your career. While you write, keep your reader base in mind. Do research into the type of ideal reader you want, not just for one piece you write, but for all of your pieces.

Who do you write for? Begin to cultivate that audience.