Allow Yourself to Write More Short-form Stories and See What Happens

Summary

The article advocates for writing short-form stories on Medium, citing increased engagement, ease of writing and editing, and improved reader experience as key benefits.

Abstract

The author of the article suggests that short-form stories are more effective on Medium than long-form content due to several reasons. Firstly, they are more likely to be read by skimmers and are formatted in a way that catches both skimmers and readers. Secondly, short articles are quicker to read and easier to write and edit, leading to higher quality content. They also force the writer to be concise and to the point, which is appreciated by readers. The frequency of publishing increases with shorter pieces, potentially leading to more views and earnings. Additionally, the author finds joy in the challenge of writing concisely. Short-form articles can serve as a foundation for longer content, and when expanded, they can drive traffic to the more detailed pieces, enhancing SEO and reader engagement.

Opinions

Skimmers are more inclined to read short-form articles, leading to increased views and readership.
Short-form content is formatted to be accessible to both readers and skimmers, making it more likely to be consumed.
The brevity of short articles encourages people to read them thoroughly, which can improve read time statistics.
Writing and editing short-form stories is less cumbersome, resulting in better quality content.
The necessity to be concise in short-form writing helps eliminate unnecessary information and keeps the content focused.
A higher volume of articles can be produced, which may lead to increased visibility and earnings on Medium.
Writing short-form articles is enjoyable and can improve a writer's overall skills.
Short-form articles can be expanded into longer pieces, providing a dual benefit of engaging readers with both formats and improving SEO.

7 Reasons Why Short-form Stories Are Working

“Long-form articles are the money-maker!”

We have heard this line plenty of times. The truth is, they aren’t anymore. Long articles get less reading time or read at all. Sure, longer pieces can get you to hit Google SEO better, but they aren’t getting read as much.

So, it’s a toss-up?

Not at all. Since writing more short-form articles, I have started getting more reads, views, and fans than my longer pieces did. The other thing that is happening is getting more email subscribers.

It has been a massive lift to my writing experience on Medium.

7 Reasons Why Short-form Stories Are Working

So, I thought I would share why I believe short-form stories are working well on Medium right now. On top of these reasons, I would highly suggest you add a few to your Medium portfolio.

Skimmers are more likely to read them. I’m getting more reads with my views. This, I think, is because skimmers are slowing down with the shorter articles.

Short-form articles are formatted for readers and skimmers. I use a lot of different formatting with my writings. This catches skimmers and readers, and it is easier to read.

They don’t take a lot of time to read. So people will stop and read them more closely. Which drives up read time and confirms more reads on the old statistics page.

They are easier to write and edit. I am making better quality content. I know I hate editing, but shorter articles are much easier for me to edit, which helps make them better for the reader.

I’m forced to get to the point. When I write short-form stories, I must get to the point. Cut out the fluff. And that is more helpful to the readers. This helps draw more people back to my articles.

They allow for more articles to be written. And more pieces seem to matter here on Medium. If you write more articles, you get to see more. And if more people are reading through, you get paid more. (Maybe?)

Short-form articles are kind of fun to write. I have enjoyed writing them. The challenge of writing shorter articles seems to be helping me out a lot as a writer in general, which is fun for me.

Final Thoughts

These short-form articles can be the beginning of longer-form content. In several instances, a shorter piece has done well. When they do, I expand them and then post that article and update my shorter one with a header at the end:

“If you want to read a more in-depth article, read it here.”

This has helped drive people to the longer articles too. And the trackback helps with SEO and Google, which is also helping those longer articles. Since I started doing this, I have seen a jump in views and reads.

So, you don’t have to abandon long-form content. But it might be helpful to create more short-form content for a while. It may just bring a smile back to your face for Medium.

How much short-form content do you write? Share in the responses below.

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J.R. Heimbigner is a #1 Bestselling Author on Amazon who loves helping people grow in their faith, find productivity success, learn about investing, and help writers become authors. You can connect with him on Medium, his website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Ko-fi!