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Abstract

ese stories below and you can judge for yourself</i>).</p><figure id="7eb6"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/0*xR3wukji8aUqmPMs"><figcaption>Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@supergios?utm_source=medium&amp;utm_medium=referral">Jonny Gios</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com?utm_source=medium&amp;utm_medium=referral">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure><p id="6011">When I made less in February, I chalked it up to it being a short month and the fact that I spent more time focused on Pure Fiction — a publication that I own alongside my friend <a href="undefined">JA Vassili</a>.</p><p id="b41b"><b>We hosted our first writing challenge in which we gave away 60 worth of gift cards.</b></p><p id="c9e2"><i>I wanted to share some of the money that I felt lucky enough to earn on this platform.</i></p><p id="394e">Although deciding on 3 winners was extremely difficult, reading, sharing, promoting and discussing all of the submissions was a ton of fun!</p><h1 id="fe1c">I’m trying to hold on to the fun here…</h1><h1 id="8946">…despite the fact that my earnings have tanked in the past 2 weeks.</h1><figure id="72a9"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*FHMLv4gaqRnfRTi_D-r8gw.jpeg"><figcaption>Screenshot by KL Simmons</figcaption></figure><p id="504e"><b>20 of these earnings are from referrals.</b></p><p id="b1e0"><i>I went from an average of 30 a day to 8 a day.</i></p><h1 id="bab0">This story will be my 209th story published.</h1><p id="4ccb">I did not think that I would make less than 10 a day once I crossed a certain threshold, but apparently I was wrong.</p><p id="2bdc"><a href="https://readmedium.com/this-one-story-earned-me-19000-so-far-ede47c140df8">After reading about a guy who made 19,000 from a story he published in late October</a>, I realize now just how normal this is — including the craziness that is revealed when looking at Medium stats.</p><h2 id="8001">Make it make sense:</h2><figure id="a008"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*z5Zv5KFD7yGnrZHnqysnNQ.jpeg"><figcaption>Screenshot by KL SImmons</figcaption></figure><h1 id="58a3">20.39 for 36 views and 21 minutes of member reading time on February 19, 2022. And again:</h1><figure id="2466"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*o0cJo-Wnjul7hoLIldMSiw.jpeg"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><h1 id="80a3">12 days later…</h1><figure id="c656"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*gIKWaprUfrEA6VYF8-4V3Q.jpeg"><figcaption>Screenshot by KL Simmons</figcaption></figure><h1 id="2e88">4.30 for 133 views and 1 hour and 39 minutes member reading time.</h1><figure id="d3e8"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/0*RMUuuWAMbJzF7V6-"><figcaption>Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@mparzuchowski?utm_source=medium&amp;utm_medium=referral">Michał Parzuchowski</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com?utm_source=medium&amp;utm_medium=referral">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure><p id="dafa"><b>It seems to all be one big gamble in which the Medium gods determine the winners at any given moment on any given day.</b></p><h1 id="fdda">And we all have to pay to play…</h1><p id="b9bb">the real question is, especially for those who are sacrificing a great deal of time, money and energy here…</p><p id="1571" type="7">How much are you willing to pay to play?</p><p id="10ee"><b>This is the story that got me a lot of external views:</b></p><div id="29db" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/when-the-lead-singer-from-u2-put-his-arm-around-me-i-had-a-huge-moment-of-clarity-752180bda5bb"> <div> <div> <h2>When The Lead Singer From U2 Put His Arm Around Me, I Had A Huge Moment of Clarity</h2> <div><h3>Great luck and timing created one of the most memorable days of my life</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div>

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      </a>
    </div><p id="8882"><b>The following story is what caused me to earn more in December than November:</b></p><div id="fff2" class="link-block">
      <a href="https://readmedium.com/how-getting-naked-in-front-of-people-for-work-is-one-of-the-best-things-ive-ever-done-171e4f5f62a9">
        <div>
          <div>
            <h2>How Getting Naked in Front of People for Work is One of the Best Things I’ve Ever Done</h2>
            <div><h3>This part-time job (off and on) for 15 years was one of my all-time favorites</h3></div>
            <div><p>medium.com</p></div>
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            <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*ot7yHrJkjnUMRYfS)"></div>
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      </a>
    </div><p id="0ca9"><b>This story was my “cash cow” for 6 weeks:</b></p><div id="5c67" class="link-block">
      <a href="https://readmedium.com/an-open-letter-to-people-who-dont-clean-their-homes-on-a-regular-basis-2eddb6a5a8ed">
        <div>
          <div>
            <h2>An Open Letter To Those Who Don’t Clean Their Homes On A Regular Basis</h2>
            <div><h3>Somewhat of a rant, but too exhausted to feel anger</h3></div>
            <div><p>medium.com</p></div>
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            <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*g1vPYHnTFvdpJ6edWXNJbQ.jpeg)"></div>
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        </div>
      </a>
    </div><p id="f18a"><b>Ironically, I wrote the following story (<i>in which I said that I will not be sharing my earnings for a while</i>) the day after I wrote the one listed above:</b></p><div id="93f7" class="link-block">
      <a href="https://readmedium.com/what-i-made-and-how-in-my-third-month-120-stories-total-earning-money-on-medium-f0d02c71ffd7">
        <div>
          <div>
            <h2>What I Made (And How) In My Third Month (120 Stories Total) Earning Money On Medium</h2>
            <div><h3>December of 2021 was one hell of a roller coaster ride and here’s why</h3></div>
            <div><p>medium.com</p></div>
          </div>
          <div>
            <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*FLgF-Q2VPli7ZVFR)"></div>
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      </a>
    </div><p id="2dac"><b>It has more screenshots of my stats that<i> MAKE ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE.</i></b></p><figure id="4530"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*-p8ykYZTXXj7PX0mcfyX3w.gif"><figcaption>Have fun!!!! Photo by KL Simmons</figcaption></figure><p id="861e"><i>I will be sure to tell them all of these things during our 30 minute phone call on Wednesday.</i></p><p id="bd9f" type="7">“We are always looking for ways to improve our products. With that in mind, we’re hosting a series of ongoing calls with Medium readers to gather feedback on your experience.”</p><p id="c9b1"><b>It will be my pleasure.</b></p><p id="3601"><b>Become a member:</b></p><div id="6980" class="link-block">
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            <h2>Join Medium with my referral link - KL Simmons</h2>
            <div><h3>As a Medium member, a portion of your membership fee goes to writers you read, and you get full access to every story…</h3></div>
            <div><p>klsimmons.medium.com</p></div>
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MONEY|WRITING

How Making $2,266.46 In The Past 6 Months On Medium Has Changed Me

It has been quite a rollercoaster ride which I will tell them all about during my upcoming phone call with their rep

Photo by NoWah Bartscher on Unsplash

One of the first friends that I made here on Medium told me early on that I should pay little to no attention to my stats. I thought, “Well, that’s easy for him to say…He’s been writing for decades and has been on Medium for 5 years!”

I had never been paid on any kind of regular basis for my writing prior to signing up for the Medium Partner Program.

15 years ago I wrote a book in a memoir style in order for fans of my music to get to know me better and to sell as merchandise at my shows.

Aside from that, I never made any serious attempts to earn money as a writer, even though the following photo depicts my ideal “office space”.

Photo by Darius Bashar on Unsplash

Despite joining the platform in November of 2020, it was not until the Medium Writing Challenge in August of 2021 that I began writing and publishing more often on Medium.

I also learned that there are more writing contests on other platforms and organizations that I could enter all year round.

This made me think that I can actually earn some kind of income from my writing.

Photo by Daniel Thomas on Unsplash

Then I started reading more and more articles that gave “tips, tricks, suggestions, etc.” as to how to make money from what I publish on Medium.

I had nothing to lose and a whole lot to gain by my commitment to write and publish daily for one year on Medium.

Screenshot by KL Simmons

I broke $100 in my first full month and made just over $1000 only 4 months later.

Photo by Shubham Dhage on Unsplash

Little did I realize, until recently, just how lucky I was.

To earn as much as I did from my stories so early on is exceptional.

For whatever reason the algorithm chose to heavily promote one of my stories that I published shortly after the new year and it was included in a mass email newsletter that Medium sent out a couple of weeks later.

By the way, a similar thing happened to me in late November, but that story garnered a ton of external views, not internal reads, therefore I hardly made any money from that story which was a better story, in my opinion (will link these stories below and you can judge for yourself).

Photo by Jonny Gios on Unsplash

When I made less in February, I chalked it up to it being a short month and the fact that I spent more time focused on Pure Fiction — a publication that I own alongside my friend JA Vassili.

We hosted our first writing challenge in which we gave away $60 worth of gift cards.

I wanted to share some of the money that I felt lucky enough to earn on this platform.

Although deciding on 3 winners was extremely difficult, reading, sharing, promoting and discussing all of the submissions was a ton of fun!

I’m trying to hold on to the fun here…

…despite the fact that my earnings have tanked in the past 2 weeks.

Screenshot by KL Simmons

$20 of these earnings are from referrals.

I went from an average of $30 a day to $8 a day.

This story will be my 209th story published.

I did not think that I would make less than $10 a day once I crossed a certain threshold, but apparently I was wrong.

After reading about a guy who made $19,000 from a story he published in late October, I realize now just how normal this is — including the craziness that is revealed when looking at Medium stats.

Make it make sense:

Screenshot by KL SImmons

$20.39 for 36 views and 21 minutes of member reading time on February 19, 2022. And again:

12 days later…

Screenshot by KL Simmons

$4.30 for 133 views and 1 hour and 39 minutes member reading time.

Photo by Michał Parzuchowski on Unsplash

It seems to all be one big gamble in which the Medium gods determine the winners at any given moment on any given day.

And we all have to pay to play…

the real question is, especially for those who are sacrificing a great deal of time, money and energy here…

How much are you willing to pay to play?

This is the story that got me a lot of external views:

The following story is what caused me to earn more in December than November:

This story was my “cash cow” for 6 weeks:

Ironically, I wrote the following story (in which I said that I will not be sharing my earnings for a while) the day after I wrote the one listed above:

It has more screenshots of my stats that MAKE ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE.

Have fun!!!! Photo by KL Simmons

I will be sure to tell them all of these things during our 30 minute phone call on Wednesday.

“We are always looking for ways to improve our products. With that in mind, we’re hosting a series of ongoing calls with Medium readers to gather feedback on your experience.”

It will be my pleasure.

Become a member:

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