Humor

How I Went From Earning $2.98 to $3.02 on Medium in Only 6 Months

Spoiler alert: It’s harder than you think.

My recent jump in earnings of almost 5 cents prompted me to write this for all you writers who might think it is easy to see this kind of success.

It’s not.

There is so much you have to avoid doing to get these results. Let’s take a deep dive in.

First and foremost — you have to not write, like a lot. And let me tell you — that is tough to accomplish. Here’s my usual routine — perhaps you can pick up a few pointers.

Before you go to bed at night set the intention to start writing as soon as you wake up.

But here’s the important part — DO NOT consider what you might write about the next day. Don’t jot down a few titles or start an article that you can jump right back into.

Just lay your head on the pillow and drift off into quiet slumber.

When your alarm goes off at some ungodly hour so you can begin writing, slam the snooze on that damn thing. You’re likely still tired so continue slamming until you actually feel like getting up. This could be in 15 minutes or two hours — you can’t know ahead of time. Just take it as it goes.

At some point get out of bed and pat yourself on the back that you have taken this important step.

Make a nice pot of coffee and let it brew as you use the bathroom. Again, you won’t know how long your bathroom visit will take until it’s happening. Don’t worry — just go with the flow.

Once you feel complete with the bathroom, fix yourself a nice cup of that brew. Take in the aroma, the warmth of the cup, and that first sip of deliciousness.

Sit for a while and contemplate how amazing your coffee is, and be sure to go down the rabbit hole of how many people it took to get the coffee in your hands. Feel grateful. Take your time — it took a lot of folks a lot of time to get those beans to you.

When you feel you are fully grateful and caffeinated, open Medium. Oh, please let me clarify. Open Medium ON YOUR PHONE.

This is not the time to write. It is the time to read. If you turn on your computer you might be tempted to jump the gun and start writing.

It’s not time for that yet.

Read many articles. Read your favorite writers. Clap your head off. Maybe leave a few thoughtful comments.

At this point I know you might be anxious to start writing — but wait, it’s still not time. You can’t be in a rush if you want to see that sweet spike in earnings.

Next up is, of course, checking your stats. You need to know how that article you wrote three weeks ago is doing. You might not see any change from the day before, but don’t despair. This all takes time, lots of time.

Oh, and I almost forgot — check your notifications too. Even if you don’t see that green dot, there still could be a new notification.

Pro Tip: Check your notifications obsessively throughout the day. If you don’t you may miss something life changing. Suppose 100,000 people commented on the article that you wrote three weeks ago? You’d be rude not to reply.

OK, now you might really be tempted to just dump all the awesome ideas you have in your head on to the page. But don’t. Not yet.

First, head on into the kitchen and look at the mess from last night's dinner. How can you possibly concentrate knowing there is a nightmare in the room right next to you? Take the time to clean it up. Don’t worry about how long it takes.

Now, now my friends, once you have completed all of the above steps, perhaps with a little texting thrown in, you are ready to start writing.

But wait, this is when you realize, shit!— I only have half an hour before I have to get to my day job. Rush like mad to get showered and out the door, hopefully only five minutes or so late. For God’s sake don’t try and write now — there’s no time!

So there you have it. This is the actual daily routine I used to get that jump in earnings.

It’s not for everyone. Most people can’t stomach the anxiety of rarely getting an article written, let alone published.

But don’t give up. I know you have a lot inside of you to not share with the world. Keep it up — I look forward to reading your article next year.

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