Here’s How I More Than Doubled My Income on Medium in a Single Month
Achieve even more this month
In December last year, I started my third Medium journey.
After two failed attempts before, it was time to set things straight. It’s not that I didn’t know about the potential Medium has. I’ve seen Tim Denning, Ajodeji Awosika, and Zulie Rane before.
It was me.
I struggled to see a path. I had no idea where to start. I was where you might be now. But things have changed.
Last month, I more than doubled my income on Medium.
Here’s how I did it so you can, too.
Write your fingers off
In doubt? Write.
Writing is painful, but it also has the power to change your life. Ah, and you don’t get better if you don’t write.
Last month, I wrote every single day: no excuse.
No matter how bad it (or I) felt. I sat down and wrote. Even if I didn’t feel like writing and had no idea what to write about.
Because exactly then, it’s essential to write.
It’s like working out: when you don’t feel like working out, it’s the best thing you can do to improve your motivation.
Talking about similarities to working out: you need a habit.
No flash of inspiration and no “feeling like it.”
Get your schedule out, define a specific timeframe in your week, and block it for writing.
My tip: do it as early as possible to benefit from a fresh brain.
Make it fun by gamifiying it, like with Typeshare, where you can see a streak of how many days you’ve written AND published.
Which brings me to the next: publishing.
Publish like nobody’s watching
Don’t get me wrong: writing is already great and all.
And there’s much of my notes and journaling I never publish. But you aren’t a writer if you never publish a single word.
Writing is nothing without publishing.
You won’t have a chance to write your next big thing if you don’t publish and use the feedback to improve your work.
I’ve written and published more than 50 stories on Medium. It should have been more, though.
Most of them sucked big time, earning me close to nothing.
Is this painful? Yes, of course it is.
But you must also understand that this is a big part of writing.
I’ve just finished reading “Bird by Bird” by Anne Lamott. Besides other valuable tips in it, she describes how you need feedback.
It sets you straight. This doesn’t only apply to novels but especially to stories on here.
It helps you navigate your writing.
Yes, you might be scared.
But swallow your pride. Be the little child again, running without even knowing how to walk. Fall on your nose, brush it off, and do it again.
That’s how you learn how to do it.
Come here for learning, not for teaching
When things seem to work, it’s easy to forget you haven’t achieved anything.
I felt the rush, too. In my first month, I was able to invite my girlfriend for coffee. With the earnings from last month, I can ask her for drinks.
That’s awesome, and I plan to invite her to:
- dinner
- a short-trip,
- and even a city trip
next. BUT this doesn’t mean I made it.
It doesn’t mean I’m the one teaching things.
It’s the opposite: I’m only learning more and more.
Because there’s no point where one has it all figured out. You need to realize that. It seems intimidating, but it’s empowering. Why?
Because writers are students of life.
They mess up, learn their lessons, share it with others, and do it again. Writers haven’t figured it out better or worse than you have.
They share it in comparison to you.
With this attitude, I promise you’ll always have stories.
Be part of something bigger than you
As I’ve said, we’re all students.
But like in school, you can be a good student by reading what’s around. And you can become an even better student by connecting to fellow students.
Meaning: engage more.
Not for the sake of engaging, by using AI or shallow phrases you use in every second article. Don’t.
Instead, share your honest opinion, be supportive, AND leave your handwriting in the comment section.
If you can relate to the story, share it.
People love feeling understood (if it’s out of sincerity).
We’re just typing our lives, traumas, dramas, comedies, mistakes, successes, failures, achievements, dreams, and emotions away on our keyboard.
Connect to other writers. Be human.
How?
By engaging every single day.
You can go wild like Carl Jeffers, creating your own publication and being everywhere. Or you can choose another approach like me, who’s engaging 20 minutes every day.
For that, set a timer and start engaging.
No matter what you do, engage with fellow writers, be positive, and share some genuine pieces of yourself in the comments.
Bonus: Leave your stats alone
I know you’re obsessed with your stats.
It’s the first thing you look at when you start writing here. And it can be helpful to track your progress.
But let’s be honest; most of the time, it freaks you out.
Whenever you have a look at your view, it doesn’t seem enough. Even if you’ve hit 5k views in your first month and earned more than ever.
You’re losing the game.
Because with looking at your stats, there’s no winning.
What else can you do?
It’s easy: focus on your output.
Don’t focus on how many views you get or how much money you earn. Focus on the number of words and texts you write.
Focus on what you control.
If you’re building a proper habit of writing 5 or more articles a week, you’re already on your way to success.
Choose output over outcome.
Last month, I more than doubled my income here on Medium. It felt great, but it was only the beginning because I still plan to:
- write my fingers off
- publish like nobody’s watching
- engage to share love
- leave my stats alone
Do the same, and you’ll fly.
Thanks for reading.
You like what you read? Let me know!
Like, comment, leave a message, and if you want to read more:
My January 2024 Medium Income — Report