How I Follow Writing Advice on Medium
Especially when it is conflicting or contradictory
I have been on Medium for exactly one month now and I have enjoyed every minute of it. I have made enough money to pay the $5 Medium membership fee and I even have a little bit left over for a fancy cup of coffee and a treat.
When I first started out, I was really clueless about Medium but then I started reading all the articles about publishing, writing, gaining followers, and earning money on the site. I also picked up new terminology like the word ‘listicle’ and I learned the difference between self-publishing and writing for other publications.
There is a ton of advice about writing on Medium and the good news is that everyone is willing to share their tips about how to become successful on the site. However, one of the problems is that a lot of advice is conflicting. For example, one person might suggest that you need to promote your writing on social media sites while another person may state that it is a waste of time. The cinch is that both people providing the advice are top earners on Medium so they are essentially both experts giving correct advice. So which advice should a new writer follow and how do you know what is going to work for you?
Well, first I definitely believe that you should try to follow what the top Medium writers are saying. They have the experience after all. Now, if some of them are giving contradictory advice, I say why not consider them all? You might want to try out one approach and if that doesn't work, try the second approach. If neither approach works, try a mix of both or figure out your own plan. The point is that everyone’s experience on this site is going to be different. You need to play around and experiment. Basically you should customize your experience so that it works for you. Let me show you how I do it.
On growing your followers
Top Medium Writer 1 says “You need to grow your followers organically by producing good content.”
Top Medium Writer 2 says “Get as many followers as you can. You can do this by following X number of people everyday.”
Good advice from both writers but which one actually works? I tried following both their advice and I found out that I am more comfortable with the advice from Top Medium Writer 1. I prefer to grow my followers organically. I want people to read my articles and choose to be my followers versus having them feel obligated to follow me. Besides these organic followers are more likely to turn into true fans.
However, I also see the point of Top Medium Writer 2. When I first started out, I had 0 followers so I took it upon myself to follow about 50 people in topics that interested me. I think that for every 50 people that I followed, at least 5–10 would follow me back. Of course, there is the risk that they could unfollow me later but as long as I consistently publish quality material, I don’t think they will do that. At least, I hope not.
On writing
Top Medium Writer 1 says “Write and publish everyday or often as possible. Also write in a few niche topics so you get more fans and you brand yourself as an expert writer in those topics.”
Top Medium Writer 2 says “Write and publish everyday or often as possible. Also try to branch out and write freely. Focus on topics or tags that tend to perform well.”
First, do you see that both Top Medium Writers have said that you need to write and publish frequently? I think this is a cardinal rule if you want to be successful on Medium.
Now consider the second part of the advice about either choosing a niche or just writing freely on different topics. Personally, I find that it is much easier for me to focus on a few niche topics. For example, my niche topics are about reading and books, science, and self-improvement. This is because I know these subjects best and I am most comfortable writing about them.
It would be more difficult for me to follow the advice of Top Medium Writer 2 who suggests focusing on topics that are not in my speciality but that are more likely to earn money. To give an example, writing about politics, technology, coding, startups, marketing, and entrepreneurship can be lucrative on Medium but it would be very difficult for me to write about these subjects. I would have to spend a lot of time studying up on these new topics and I am not confident that I could even do a good job writing about them. People will eventually figure out that I am an impostor. As for politics, I am not even going to touch that subject with a 10 foot pole.
On publishing
Top Medium Writer 1 says “Do not publish in smaller publications. Aim for the bigger publications. Even better, aim for the big-name publications that are difficult to get accepted into.”
Top Medium Writer 2 says “You can self-publish, write for smaller publications as well as the larger, more popular ones. It should not impact your earnings as long as you are getting curated.”
With this type of advice, I would probably combine both their suggestions together. As a new writer, I might not have the chance to get published in the big name publications which have tougher measures for acceptance. However, it would still be a goal for me to pitch my articles to those publications. Doing so could lead to more exposure and eyes on my work.
It then follows that since I can’t get my articles accepted into the big-name publications, I should start off publishing with smaller publications. I can then build a following before pitching to the larger, more prestigious publications again.
Finally, you do you
Anyway, do you see the point of this article? You should definitely follow the advice of expert writers here on Medium but realize that your experience on Medium is going to be very different from theirs. The main goal is that you should be moving forward. You should constantly monitor your progress and change tactics if something isn’t working. There is a lot of great advice on Medium but use it wisely. What might work for someone else might not work for you. Happy Writing on Medium!
For more from Anita Durairaj about the experiences of being a new Medium writer-
