How It Feels to Make Your First Penny On Medium.

Summary

The article discusses the personal journey of a new Medium writer who emphasizes the importance of genuine engagement and personal fulfillment over chasing quick success and monetary gain.

Abstract

The author of the article shares their experience as a new writer on Medium, contrasting the common "get rich quick" narratives with their own path to earning their first penny. They advise against focusing solely on metrics like follower count and views, and instead encourage writers to engage authentically and write for personal satisfaction. The author reflects on the joy of connecting with readers and the significance of sharing relatable content, regardless of financial success or recognition. They suggest setting realistic goals and boundaries, and emphasize that the true accomplishment lies in the act of publishing and potentially impacting a reader's perspective.

Opinions

The author cautions against the pursuit of instant success stories on Medium, advocating for authentic interactions and interests on the platform.
They highlight the risk of burnout from trying to meet unrealistic benchmarks too quickly and suggest new writers should pace themselves.
The author values the intrinsic reward of writing, such as personal growth and the ability to influence readers, over extrinsic rewards like money or a large following.
They discourage the "follow-for-follow" approach and other inauthentic methods of gaining followers, emphasizing that genuine engagement leads to more meaningful results.
The author believes that the best experiences on Medium come from sharing thoughts and potentially changing someone's perspective, rather than from achieving "top writer" status or viral success.

Not the get rich quick story you're used to reading

Have you seen the stories on Medium such as; How I Earned 1000$ on Medium in My First Month? How I Wrote 100 Articles and Gained 2000 Followers in a Week? I bet it was a bit discouraging as you looked at your profile as you are new in the game and cannot fathom the idea of how you could generate a following that quickly. You’re seeing dollar signs in your eyes as you envision the day you have 100k followers, are a top writer, and have that side hustle you always dreamed up.

The first, second, and third lesson I will tell anyone new in the game is to make sure everything you do is legitimately for yourself. Do not do anything on this platform with the backend idea that your story will turn into an instant success story on Medium. By all means to those who have written the story above and are instant success stories, congrats.

For the rest of you, maybe you are like me and spent too much time checking your stats and spending hours reading stories, making comments, and clapping until your mouse broke without 100% genuine intentions. It is vital to interact and mold your interests on the platform, but a warning I will pass is to do all of the above, but don’t begin doing it for the wrong reasons, as I found myself doing at times in my journey.

I am reaching my first month on Medium and have accomplished a few goals: I am a writer for amazing publications (Curious, Hello, Love, and Change Your Mind Change Your Life.) I have hit the 100 follower mark, joined the Partner Program, and chatted with some authors whose writing I love following.

I do not do this full-time, but I found myself trying to hit all these benchmarks in my first week on the platform as if I was. After a while, I burnt out. For those who are also feeling this way, I encourage you to set boundaries for yourself. Most importantly, go at your own pace. It is ok to be on this platform for months and not generate a single view.

When you write your ideas onto paper and hit the publish button remember that’s an accomplishment.

Get to the Story Bud

Some of you have scrolled past my beginner story to get to the juice. Stop talking. Get to the subject. I got you. While I’m producing content for publications and earning some member reading time, I remember why I joined Medium; to share all the thoughts I have in my head with others. I remember when I published my first story and received my first two views on Medium, I was so happy. My girlfriend was in a work meeting, but I opened her office door to hand her a post-it note that said, “ I just got my first two views!”

I carry that same memory now as I had that joy when I saw my writing earned me 0.53$. My happiness did not come from 0.53$. Knowing that the thoughts that run through my head are relatable and not crazy made me happy. Think about this, somebody out there in the world saw something I wrote, read it, and had a takeaway.

Have you seen a quote or a story on the internet that changed your perspective on life? The best feeling you will have on this platform is thinking someone had a takeaway from reading your story or advice or how to or X ways to do Y. Yes, you want to make sure your title grabs your reader’s interest, produce attention-grabbing intros, and check your grammar. When that is complete, express yourself! Do not worry if your content is top writer worthy, have fun, and those who like your style will follow.

I mentioned the incorrect way to get started on Medium. I believe you can follow-for-follow, join the partner program, have 500 followers in 24 hours, and by the end, have 0 views. Why would Jason, who writes erotica, care about your fitness page? Your results are going to reflect the actions you took to get there.

Conclusion

I have 100 followers on here, and I am no longer rushing to generate a massive following (easy for me to say, right.) I hope new writers follow my path and avoid making stressful mistakes. Do not forget the feeling you had when you were brave enough to sign up for Medium. Do not forget the feeling you had when you hit publish on your first 2 min article that scored an 82 overall on Grammarly. Do not forget that feeling when you saw your first view. Lastly, do not forget, just write.