Everyone is Asking — How Much did You Earn from Medium Last Month?

Consult a doctor because you are sick.

Hi, guys! How much did you earn from Medium last month?

Read the above lines one more time. I hope you came across posts like this on different social media groups (mostly on Facebook) created for Medium writers.

Every first week of a month, I see such posts on nearly every single FB group I joined. For the record, I am a member of 15 different FB writing-groups.

I wonder — why should I tell people how much I earned from Medium last month? Is it a good habit to share individual income in public?

Some people say — it is encouraging to know that people are earning better on Medium. It helps them to continue their Medium journey. But I think this logic is an utter bullsh*t.

Because it means your writing motivation depends solely on money. Let’s see an example I have taken to share with you.

See, how a newbie writer is asking others to know their monthly Medium-earnings.

If you check your stats and earning-page a hundred times a day, you are not a writer. You are just a greedy person who only cares about money.

And when you are not a writer, you are not going to get anything — let alone a handsome earning. You should know that better writings come first, money is a secondary thing.

But I’m here to make some quick bucks, is that bad?

People who have a social media account can write. But that doesn’t make them writers.

I understand that you are suffering due to the pandemic situation — maybe you lost your job or sources of income. But if you think it’s easy to earn quick bucks copying others on Medium — you’re wrong.

Writing on Medium or anywhere else — is always a long game. You learn a lot through the process. Writing takes time, as it is a tough job to become a better writer.

I am writing for the last nine years without any money. Why? Because I have a 9–5 job at The Daily Star, where I work as an executive under the Administration Department. So I write for passion.

I’ve published a book and a dozen short stories in different magazines so far. But I have been continuing blogging on a platform for more than eight years only to learn from others and sharpen my writing talents.

Maybe your case is different as you want to be a professional writer. And this is okay. But what is not okay is — your restlessness for quick earning.

I am repeating myself — writing is a tough job and it takes time.

Now, in any Facebook group or Medium post, if I tell you that I earned $3000 on Medium last month, what will be your thought?

You will be super excited and start rummaging through my content to see what sh*ts I have written that earned so much money. Then you will try to copy my content.

Trust me — people do that, and when they earn money by doing that — they call them successful. But I call them bloody-fools.

Never equate success with money. If you do that, your mental peace will go away.

Now, what will happen if someone told you that she has been writing on Medium for years and not yet joined the Partner Program to make money out of it? What will be your reaction? Will you consider her a bad-ass?

What I am trying to say is — if your motivation factor depends on the earning curves, then I have bad news for you.

You will never be a satisfied human being as numbers have no limits.

Should we discuss our earnings on a social platform?

When I see such “how I made $12345 on Medium” posts, I nod my head and laugh. Because I have seen brilliant writings on Medium that hardly have any views. The writers don’t care as they are happy to manifest their writing potentials. Will you tag all of them as unsuccessful, only because they are not earning money?

I believe — everyone’s earnings-information is a confidentioal thing that should not be displayed publicly. It’s not a healthy practice at all.

Yes, you can say that Fiverr or Upwork does that. But remember, Medium is not like other freelancing platforms.

Medium is standing on the talent of the writers — not on some posh gig-makers and marketers. It’s an open blogging platform where you have a chance to show your writing-potentials interacting with other writers, and eventually earn.

If the earnings become the priority, then, I must say — take a break. Do something else without wasting your time, pretending as a writer.

Of course, you can earn money on Medium. But it cannot be the central motivation for you. Please, stop publishing or exhibiting your income-info on any platform.

I know — you do that because earning-related posts catch attention and sell better as everyone wants to earn more. But if you desire to become a better writer, you must avoid taking motivation from the earnings.

If Medium stops paying, will you stop writing?

You can check your writer-status by asking this simple question to yourself — will you continue this journey if Medium stops paying you? If the answer is YES, then do not worry. Take time, and keep writing your masterpieces. I assure you that it will pay off. Please do not haste.

Remember, the wise writers do not rush as they take time to produce their masterpieces. Writing, like love, is not a 100-meter sprint — it’s a marathon to enjoy every turn ahead.

But, if your answer is NO, then my friend, stop writing and do something else you are good at. Writing tons of listicles and quote-stories do not contain your talents.

You may have thousands of followers and earn a decent amount of money from those 5things-10things posts, but again, it’s not a healthy practice to continue.

You are sick — consult a doctor

If you are so obsessed with making money writing on Medium that you need to know other people’s earnings, I will recommend you consult a doctor — a psychiatrist maybe. You are becoming sick day by day.

Aristotle says happiness is the central purpose of human life and a goal in itself. But you are going backward with your earning-obsession.

Don’t be a boring writer with money, be an exciting one with knowledge, or don’t write at all.

You can read a few happiness-books too

You can read a few books on happiness and self-help to understand the true meaning of living. It may give you new insights and perspectives.

I recommend you to read Happier by Tal Ben-Shahar, or any other good books on happiness.

Don’t be ignorant about your peace of mind.

The more you connect with the knowledge-world, the more you see that happiness or joy doesn’t depend on your or other’s monthly-Medium-earnings.

Final thoughts.

Stop asking people for their monthly Medium-income in any public platform. And please stop glorifying yours too.

Remember, fruitful-interaction is the heart of any blogging community.

If you do that, you will find friends, learn new insights, and become a better human being in the process. Eventually, the earnings will generate automatically.

Happy blogging!

If you are interested to read more about money and happiness, the following post can help you.