How I Gained 1K Followers on Medium in 6 Months.
I ate a truckload of humble pies, kissed many frogs, and read every single private note addressed to me.
I was surprised to see that I had the big 1K Followers on my account this morning. I thought it was a software glitch. So, I logged out and came back in. I saw the same number. I was happy for a brief moment followed by SH*T!
I initially wanted to write this story when I gained 500 followers. Then, I had no curated piece, no $100 income story, no stories published in any Big-Gun publications. So, I decided to put this story on hold till I have 1,000 followers.
You see, this wasn’t the circumstance I imagined then. As I write this story, I feel euphoric amassing 1,000 followers. However, I still have no curated piece, no $100 income story, no stories published in Big-Gun publications.
Life does not move in the direction we want it to. I am surprised and there is more to learn when it comes to writing.
I wrote in a previous story that I am trying to write better. When you start from -100 as I do, every point of progress is painful. Overcoming it takes time and repeat effort. My first few stories are shit. Really. The sentences are unnecessarily long, the headlines are bland, and I did not use Grammarly. I probably wrote social media posts-like content at the beginning, thinking it will work here.
I learned things the hard way.
I want to share my journey in this story, hoping that it will expedite your growth journey one way or another. Before that, let me begin with a quantitative analysis of my cumulative writing effort to date.
Statistics Till Date. Nothing Spectacular.
Keeping it simple and in point form for easy consumption: -
- Total Number of Stories Written — 451 Stories.
- Published 218 Stories on Illumination.
- Published 6 Stories on Illumination-Curated.
- Published 74 Stories on a Few Words.
- Published 10 Stories on Change Your Mind, Change Your Life.
- Published 12 Stories on Technology Hits.
- Published 10 Stories on The Innovation (now defunct)
- Published 3 Stories on J29Creative.
- Self-Published 6 Stories (maybe more).
- Total Stories Published — 331 stories.
- Total Stories Rejected — 120 stories. There is more I think.
- Total Number of Short-Form Stories — I lost count.
- Average Number of Stories Written in a Day — 2.5 stories.
- Total Number of Curated Stories — 0.
- Total Number of Top Writer Badges — 0.
- Total $100 stories — 0.
You can tell that I am a stubborn mule. Who in the right mind keeps writing for 6 months when there is no honor, no money, and no hope in sight?
You are not going to believe what I say. But I say it. I write to improve. I wanted a way to sharpen my thought processes. I had the compelling need to be concise. I want to be known as someone with clarity of thoughts and presentation.
Those reasons explain why I am here. It also explains why I write daily.
How I Manage To Write Daily.
My goal is to improve on my written communication, short-form and long-form. Therefore, I write daily. I make no bones about it.
The question is how. I struggled hard at the beginning because writing extensively hurts my brain. My brain was bankrupt of ideas, literally and figuratively. I did not know what topics to write about.
So, I started reading stories on Medium. Many of them highlighted the need to write trending topics. This is because trending stories are popular today, and it guarantees eyeballs, readership, and earnings.
Sounds logical?
On paper — Yes. In practice — It depends.
The hottest topic in 2020 was the United States (U.S.) Presidential Election and the outbreak of the pandemic. However, I am not a U.S. citizen and not a virologist. I could not benefit from these trending topics.
Instead of cracking my head and spitting out stories requiring extensive research, I chose to write topics I am comfortable with. Writing what we know makes it easier to start typing. This is important to me because time is my ultimate constraint.
For those who are starting out, get comfortable with the writing routine. Write frequently. It takes time to master the skills of writing. There are no shortcuts for this. Write what you know best for a start.
I Knocked on Doors. Occasionally I Slipped In. Most Of The Time, I Smashed My Head On 10-Ply Wood.
Everyone says that it is important to publish our stories in the Big Publications. Of course, and may I bring to your attention that they are notoriously hard to get in.
No, let me correct myself. It is easy to ask for permission to submit. However, it is difficult to get your stories published. Entering the swimming complex is one thing. Getting access to the pool for Olympians is another. Get it?
I smashed my head on the same door(s) multiple times. I keep all the private notes in my Google mail to remind me of these battle scars. Just so you know, story rejections are delivered through the private notes function, and they fall into the following categories: -
- Not the right fit for the publication.
- Not formatted as per stated requirements.
- Published too many similar stories recently.
- Not written in native American format.
- It is missing the human element (I must be a robot then).
I am a full disclosure guy. It sucks to be rejected over and over. Maybe I will get to publish my stories in the Big-Gun publications one day. I have a lot of work to do till then.
That doesn’t mean other publications are unworthy of our work. That is absolutely, unempathetically wrong. Publications and writers are connected in a symbiotic relationship, and they balance out.
Small and Medium publications need great stories to attract more subscribers to grow. They will do their best to find readers for you through email marketing or social media posts.
Send your stories to them for publication. Seek personal growth while helping them grow. When they connect with you via private notes, respond.
I Read and Reply To EVERY SINGLE PRIVATE NOTE.
It sounds weird, I know. It is true. I give thanks, especially to editors who write me personal messages. They do not have to, but they did. Respect breeds respect.
Not all private notes are used as letters for rejection. Oh yes, I say thanks to those too. Many editors utilize the private note function to guide me along. They scream at me (politely) to use Grammarly (for f**k sake) and provide actionable insights to polish the submitted story.
I mentioned it before, and allow me to repeat myself. I am grateful for the help. Thank you.
Money, Income, Earnings.
I know many write for the money. I applaud your efforts. It is not easy. It wasn’t when I first started, and it is not after writing for 6 months.
Many told me that the way to grow writing income on Medium is to increase follower count as fast as possible. It is now time for me to pass my verdict.
Nope, it does not work. There are many steps in between, even if it does.
Followers cannot equate to readers. When they follow you, your stories appear on their homepage after successful publication. That is the good news. The bad news is you are not the only one they follow. Would they choose to read your story when it appears in front of them?
Therefore, it is highly possible your earnings can remain stagnant after gaining 100 followers. While follower count does not equate to higher income, good stories do.
Forget about the vanity metrics we inherit from social media. Focus on improving your writing instead.
My Takeaway.
If you want to crack the Medium code, then you have to do the following: -
- Continuously improve your writing.
- Continuously work to present your ideas with clarity.
- This means, write a lot.
- Add honey to humble pies. Make them taste sweet!
- Keep rejection letters as if they are love letters. Believe that your editors-from-hell love you so much that they want you to die. Of course, you don’t.
And maybe, good things will happen. I believe in it.
Aldric
About the Author:
As a content contributor, I write my observations from daily life and my business exposure.
Because our life experience is the bedrock of our unique perspectives.
