Summary

The article discusses the challenges and essential skills for writers to achieve success on platforms like Medium, emphasizing discipline, overcoming procrastination, following the correct submission guidelines, persistence, and utilizing available tools.

Abstract

The author reflects on their journey over nine months on Medium, expressing admiration for successful writers but also frustration at not achieving similar results. The article identifies several key factors that can hinder a writer's success, including lack of discipline, procrastination, following the wrong writing route, chasing winners excessively, giving up too early, and underutilizing helpful writing tools. Success on Medium, according to the author, is not just about writing well but also about having a disciplined approach, understanding and adhering to submission guidelines, maintaining belief and persistence, and effectively using tools to improve writing quality. The author encourages writers to overcome these obstacles and highlights that many face similar struggles.

Opinions

The author believes that a disciplined approach to writing is crucial for success, citing examples of individuals who have altered their routines to make time for writing.
Procrastination is seen as a significant barrier to success, with the author quoting that it is "the thief of time" and emphasizing its role in preventing people from realizing their dreams.
Writers are cautioned against following the wrong route, which includes not adhering to submission guidelines and not targeting the right audience, leading to unsuccessful writing endeavors.
The author admits to being influenced by the success stories of others, leading to self-doubt and the feeling of not measuring up in terms of content quality and quantity.
Persistence is highlighted as essential, with the author suggesting that giving up too early is a common mistake, and that staying committed to the writing process is key to eventual success.
The article suggests that writers often fail to take advantage of the myriad tools available to enhance their writing, which can help overcome language barriers and other writing deficiencies.
The author concludes with a message of hope and camaraderie, acknowledging that many writers face similar challenges and encouraging the use of available resources and interaction with other writers to find success.

Are You Lacking These Abilities to Be a Better Writer?

Skills to support you become an exciting writer

The first and foremost reason for writers on Medium or other blogs, is to become known and get financial assistance, either through a side hustle or mainstream work.

I’ve been into this platform along with few others, for the last nine months, chasing my dreams to become reality. I’m so much thrilled to read the success stories of different writers but yet I’m unable to transform the same success into my writing.

Am I alone in this?

What is hindering me from achieving this success? I’m sure there will be a lot of people facing the same problems as me. Medium, from time to time, says there are only 7–8% of writers who make more than 100 USD a month from this forum.

I don’t think there is an issue with the other 93% that they don’t want to get the money but maybe it is something different. It’s not only poor writing which can be the factor. Other constituents are also the parts that drag them below their actual powers, and from victory, in terms of the earnings.

I’m one who has been facing such a situation for the last few months and I’ve decided to pen down my experience to at least shed some light if someone may want to take note of it.

You Need a Disciplined Approach

I’ve seen Medium members who have become top writers in the last 6–9 months in front of my eyes. I’ve seen them doing their work with great discipline. You need to add time to your routines if you want to get success in writing.

I know one mother writer who cut her sleep by one hour to come up with an extra hour for writing. A jobholder started waking up earlier to write for his passion.

One needs to adopt a disciplined life if one wants to achieve success in the forum.

Procrastination is the Killer

It’s not just me. Procrastination is the killer of dreams. I rank this one on the top to keep you away from success. People with winning ideas still need to share them with others, but they fail to do so.

Procrastination is the thief of time.

Countless people spend their lives under the shadows because of procrastination and spend their lives unsung.

Following the Wrong Route

You can’t reach the sun following the west.

Once you’re not reading the requirements of what you want to write and where you are writing, there won’t be a success.

Most of the people fail to follow the submission guidelines and requirements.

If you send tech news to the kids’ forums, politics news to some fashion magazine, what success you can imagine?

READ the SUBMISSION guidelines!

Chasing Winners Too Excessively

I’ve been blessed to meet several winners on this forum, and they are so gracious to share their success stories and tools.

Yet I believe that I have become the victim of success syndrome. I’ve continuously started to read their stories, and day by day I have the impression that I’m not like them. I can’t produce such content with the quality and quantity they’re producing.

You say you can’t produce such quality content. I say you can. BUT, it does take time. Slow and steady. read what editors say. So: Why not say:

Right now my English is not perfect, but, I am going to keep writing and improve.

Lose Too Early

We love to get success but yet we don’t fight till the end and lose the battle mid-way. It’s not going to help you. Once you’ve come to it, take it till the end.

Once I made a casual account on Fiverr and didn’t pursue it, after the lapse of around six months, it was suddenly picked up by the algorithm and I got some 5 orders in 15 days.

You don’t need to stop doing it if you’re not yielding the results. You must believe that you’re in the game and you’ll win. Losing it early will not get you the win, but staying in the race surely will.

Limited Use of the Tools

We’re living in a blessed era where shortcomings in your writing can be overcome with the help of such lovely tools available in the market.

I know a great writer (Sinem Günel) who is taking me along with her super-charged attitude who is not a native English speaker, yet she has met great success at the forum.

You will find countless tools for any shortcoming you have but problem is that people do not know about it or don’t use it.

Conclusion

Winners can overcome the above factors and make their way towards success.

One has to kill all these to bring out his/her best to the readers. Believe me, you're not the only one, but there are plenty of writers in the market who’re looking to get out of it.

One has to be crystal clear about the way to go, use proper tools available in the market, and interact fairly with the other writers.

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