WRITING

Come on, Medium — Why Are You Making Me Fight This Hard for Views?

I am racing to a bad money month in February 2022

“Persistence. Perfection. Patience. Power. Prioritize your passion. It keeps you sane.” ― Criss Jami, Killosophy

This is a low-power rant.

I consider myself a lucky woman. I do not need my writing earnings to live indoors and eat. My writing allows me to do the nonessential things I love, such as owning pets. Good thing because my expected Medium Partner Program wages this month would cause me to be homeless, hungry, and petless.

I have been making decent money on Medium for 22 months. I joined Medium 44 months ago, so I have been doing well for about half the time. We don't talk about the other half. This month I am headed to one of my worst earning months.

It may be me. Could be my writing has changed? I hope not, but it could be. Is it possible my writing accomplishments were a flash in the pan, and my followers have moved on? No matter, I will get them back.

Could it be I have hit an unlucky streak with the articles I am writing? Am I experiencing the next worst thing to writer’s block, the writer’s slump? I don’t believe so, but it could be. It won’t stop me. I need to focus, so focus, I will.

I consider myself a lucky woman. I do not need my writingto you guys. earnings to live indoors and eat. My writing allows me to do the nonessential things I love, such as owning pets. Good thing because my expected Medium Partner Program wages this month would cause me to be homeless, hungry, and petless.

Maybe my priorities have changed because of the relentless chaos the pandemic brought into everyone’s life. My writing routine changed from early morning to midafternoon, and I cannot explain why I made that change even to myself. But my writing is heavier in the afternoon compared to the light writing I do in the morning. Tomorrow I will write a bit in the morning and a bit in the afternoon. We’ll see if that helps.

I have no plans to stop writing on Medium. I enjoy writing. Some of my worst-performing stories brought me joy, and I had fun writing them. I need to figure out what is happening if I want money besides the pure pleasure of writing and self-publishing.

At the end of the month, I will analyze the stories that have gotten views. I hope to determine why I have stepped backward. What are readers reading? How do my marketing efforts affect my views? I perform a minimal review monthly, but I will go much deeper to see what I can adjust this time. I shall understand the invisible forces affecting my stories’ earnings performance.

It could be the recent changes in our Medium pages affected the algorithm. My stories linger unread and unloved. No matter, I will figure it out. Until the analysis is complete at the end of the month, I will keep plugging away. Writing makes me feel alive, so I consistently write.

I will let you know if I find out anything interesting. If you find out it is the Illuminati, keep that to yourself.

There is no guaranteed process for writing success. There is no secret to success, only hard work and persistence — I’m going to keep trying that until I get back where I should be.

Toni Crowe retired as the Vice President of Operations to pursue her dream of being a writer. Toni has written six books, two of which won the 2019 Reader’s Choice Gold Awards. Her bestselling business book, “Bullets and Bosses Don’t Have Friends: How Do You Manage A Man Sitting With His Dick in His Hand?” was one of the winners. Her first book, “Never a $7 Whore” was the other.

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