Don’t Put All Your Writing Eggs in the Medium Basket
You probably Shouldn’t Refer to Your Writing as “Eggs” Either
A Medium Newbie recently asked whether she would be able to earn enough money to make a living by just writing on Medium.
(Cue shouts of derisive laughter from Medium poets, cartoonists, photographers and humorists.)
The quick answer?
No.
Medium is not a reliable source of income for most writers.
I’ve been writing for decades now, with hundreds of essays published everywhere from the Funny Times to the New York Times, including in 16 Chicken Soup for the Soul collections.
And here’s what I’ve learned:
Nothing about writing is reliable.
Especially on Medium.
This entire platform is owned by one rich guy. (Thanks, Ev!) Who could decide to pull the plug at any moment.
Or decide to stop paying us.
Or change the payment metric — again — so that those writers who were making good money suddenly stop making good money.
It’s great fun to write here. But? Please find other markets for your work. Paying markets.
How? Research markets that pay for your work. Connect with those editors. Develop that income stream.
Where to start? Who Pays Writers is a terrific resource.
Your goal going forward should be to thrive both on this platform and in the world outside Medium.
Why?
Consider my tale of Medium Writing Woe.
I was making good money. Then the rules changed:
In October 2019, I earned $450.
In November, after the rules changed? I earned $180.
For exactly the same amount of time and effort.
Was I frustrated and disappointed?
You bet.
But? I still had a small but steady income stream from outside of Medium.
From working as an editor with other writers to help them polish and publish their prose. (Want me to work with you? Get in touch!)
And? In November I was published in (and paid by ) the Reader’s Digest, the Funny Times and the Chestnut Hill Local.
What’s the takeaway?
Enjoy writing on Medium. Do everything you need to do to flourish here.
But don’t put on blinders. There’s a world full of readers out there who have never heard of Medium who would love your work.
And? Editors who want to publish and pay for it.
Find them.
Writing Coach and editor-for-hire Roz Warren, who writes for everyone from the Funny Times to the New York Times, can help you improve and publish your work. Drop her a line at [email protected]. (That’s Ros with an “s,” not a “z.”)