Help for New Writers
How to Earn Desirable Money on Medium
I answer a frequently asked question by new writers with realistic findings articulated in ten compelling points.
Earning income from money is only one aspect of writing for writers, but many writers are interested to learn about the factors. I discuss other factors, such as therapeutic values, in different articles.
2023 Update
Purpose and Context
Since I established ILLUMINATION, I have communicated with around 21000 writers who joined my publication on Medium. Most of the new writers asked me: “WHAT IS THE EASY AND BEST WAY OF MAKING GOOD MONEY ON MEDIUM?” I answered the question in this article.
I wrote a story using Medium all-star writer Sinem Gunel as a case study to elaborate on making substantial money on Medium. Her story was found informing and inspirational by many writers.
Here is the link to the story: Can you make $10,000 on Medium in a month?: Yes, it is possible, but you must have a clear strategy, persistence, and effort.
There are many high-earning writers like Sinem.
I mentor some of them, and some mentor me. Collaboration is a critical success factor for writers.
Therefore, I established a Slack workspace to bring thousands of writers, allowing them to collaborate safely and meaningfully. Around 12,000 Medium writers joined the group. We all learn from each other.
My Slack group is open to all ethical writers. Requests might be made via this weblink. It is free of charge for members of Medium.
How about the beginners?
Established writers can naturally earn a high income. It is a no-brainer. You may ask how new writers might earn good money.
I designed this post to cater to the needs of beginners on Medium. In this post, my goal is to answer a frequently asked question by new writers on Medium who have little or no experience.
I waited for a while to answer this frequently asked question to gain more insights and validate my findings. I recorded my observations, analyzed them, and created interesting patterns.
I simplified those patterns to make them practical and useful for Medium writers.
My purpose is to inform our writers based on facts rather than subjective opinions. Before providing my observations, findings, and experience on how to make money on Medium, I want to point out two caveats.
As the first caveat, this story does not reflect my personal preference regarding money. As a writer, making money on Medium is not my goal and motive.
I have different views on content creation and money. I exclude this aspect from my story.
I also want to highlight that while how we make money is public information, why we earn and what we do with money are private matters, so I want to exclude these points from my story too.
My value proposition to my readers in this story is based on my observations and findings through interactions with accomplished writers who make substantial money and comparing them with those who cannot make any or little money.
The patterns I discovered revealed the differences.
I want to share these findings with practical points without bias.
I emphasize “bias” because, like many other writers on this platform, I have mixed thoughts and feeling about how to make money from content creation. I refrain from my personal opinions and choose to reflect on reality.
So don’t shoot the messenger!
Before introducing the ten steps to earning good money, I want to highlight three controversial points to help digest the content better.
Three controversial points for consideration
My first controversial yet realistic finding is that quality articles do not necessarily make money on Medium.
I know this claim may be criticized harshly, especially when such a comment comes from an editor. I am not advocating writing non-quality content by any means. Far from it, my goal is to increase the quality of content from all angles.
However, my next controversial finding aims to extend the previous point. Quality can be in the eye of the beholder. Yes, there are some commonly accepted norms for quality content, but overall, quality is a subjective matter in the end.
A scientific paper written with rigor and academic quality standards is not necessarily a quality story to a reader who purely enjoys pop culture. I read several stories about how a celebrity chewed gums, gaining myriads of readers on Medium.
I found out that most earning Medium writers are not highly qualified or specialized individuals. But they have specialized traits covered under the ten headings below.
My third controversial finding is if you are a scientific or technical writer, you have little or no chance to attract the attention of a reader for pop culture and no opportunity to get substantial reading times from that type of audience.
The same applies to a writer wring for pop culture who tries to gain a reader base from the scientific or technical audience. There are, of course, exceptions, but my focus in this story is on the majority.
What are the implications of these three points?
It is all about our fans.
In the next session, I want to share my critical findings on how to make money on Medium.
I don’t want to go into the details; instead, I provide you with a high-level point of view under ten crucial points to keep the story in a reasonable size and add value to my readers.
If you are new to Medium and need to gain 100 followers, you may check the tips in this story.
Here are the ten critical points to make money on Medium.
1. Aim for 100 fans at the minimum!
Based on my experience and observations, I found out that we need 100 fans at minimum to start earning money on Medium.
Anything under this number won’t be substantial.
We don’t earn money from our followers. We make money from our fans on Medium. I observed writers with thousands of followers who earn very little money and writers with only a few hundred followers who earn substantial money.
The main reason for this difference is Medium pays based on reading time and total engagement with our stories. Followers on Medium do not necessarily produce reading outcomes; however, fans do.
We need to turn our followers into our fans. As this is a broad topic, I plan to discuss how to create fans on Medium in a separate article. I have compelling findings on this interesting point.
2. Viral stories are not necessarily the best candidates.
Yes, viral stories can help us make money.
However, not all viral stories are in this category. Some viral stories especially viewed and read by non-members, don’t make any money. Our stories earn cash based on reading time by MPP members.
So, if accounts with no green circle around the picture are reading our articles, my understanding is that we don’t earn any money from their interaction. The top money-making writers of Medium recommend that our target reading group must be the MPP members.
By the way, I am not discriminating against any membership type here but only sharing my finding as a messenger.
Now you may ask, “if viral stories are not necessarily making money which stories make more money”.
3. Controversial stories top the list.
The more controversial the story, the more engagement it can produce.
Stirring emotions is an effective way to increase reading times.
Remember, our aim is not to get views, claps, or brief comments but to read time to earn money. Top earners state that popularity does not necessarily bring money.
Interestingly none of the top earners I met were perfectionists or elitists. High earners are pragmatic, risk-taking, and reader-focused writers.
For some of us, our story views, claps, and comments can be excellent outcomes. They can be great, but they don’t necessarily help us earn substantial money. However, they can supplement our earnings by creating further visibility for our story.
4. Specialized stories win the race.
Stories in specialized areas reaching the target audience can make substantial money. This is common sense.
Many readers enjoy reading about special topics in their interest areas.
I observed some specialized stories in particular domains, which gained a relatively low number of views but ended up in a considerable amount of reading time.
For example, stories about data science, programming, finance, mental health, relationships, and leadership are a few prominent ones to mention.
Another specialized yet uncommon on Medium is erotic content.
Hooking our readers is a crucial point to earning money on Medium. Our experience and expertise can play an important role in achieving this goal. In short, enormous reading time is the secret to success.
5. $5 investment per month.
It appears that making a $5 investment per month can make a real difference in our earnings on Medium.
I am referring to joining the Medium Partner Program with many benefits. This point is well documented. You can find hundreds of stories about this topic.
Medium is generous to allow any member to share their stories and read at a minimum amount. However, this basic privilege is not sufficient for us to make money unless our content is scarce and on demand.
If we are ordinary writers and not part of the MPP, the chance of earning money does not seem feasible. The main reason is we are limited in our reading allowance; hence we cannot engage enough to create our fans.
Besides, many paying members would not follow or become a fan of non-paying members who are not engaging in the content of others unless their content is very special. There may be exceptions, but my focus is on the majority in this story.
If you are not a member, you might use my referral link or links of other writers you follow on this platform.
6. Amplification is essential.
To earn substantial money on a sustainable basis, we need our messages to be amplified effectively. Our stories need to reach a broad audience via various means. This is not just a short-term goal but more for a long-term earning plan.
The low-hanging fruits internally are publications and externally Twitter. A well-established and collaborative publication can help our messages to be amplified in creative ways. I emphasize Twitter because tweeting your stories and enabling others to tweet them can be useful. All high-earning writers have their Twitter accounts linked to their Medium accounts. Even though reading from Twitter does not bring money, they help writers to gain fans and subscribed readers. Medium also provides affiliate earnings for referrals. For example, if a new member joins using your referral, you get half of the income monthly.
The challenging yet well-proven amplification opportunity can be gained through the further distribution process on Medium. Curation can create serendipity in the long run. There is evidence that curated articles after many months or even years, are discovered and earn substantial reading time. Medium has a particular promotion focus on curated stories. I also experienced a boost in some of my curated stories.
Posting our stories on other social media and professional network sites can be useful for amplification. Facebook and LinkedIn can create substantial traffic to your profile and our stories. There are several other social networks, such as Quora, Pinterest, and Instagram used by some high-earning writers. Blogging and YouTube are pointed out as useful tools for amplification.
7. Back-links for long-term gain
You may have heard that some stories go viral after several months or even years. One of the reasons is the backlinks created for those stories.
Google indexes reliable, frequently visited, and often mentioned links. We all know that Google is the biggest search engine visited by millions of people globally.
We never know when, how, and by whom our stories can be discovered. Serendipity plays a vital role in content marketing and long-term strategy.
8. Newsletters and email subscriptions
When I have chats with high-earning Medium writers, they all mention having email lists and sending a regular newsletter to their subscribers.
As mentioned in point one, we need many fans. One of the best ways to gain and maintain fans is via email.
A combination of customized emails and a regular newsletter can produce optimal results for maintaining our fans.
9. Quality and quantity as the optimal combination
There are prevailing arguments on quality versus quantity. From my observations, both quality and quantity matter.
However, the best combination to earn money is to write high-quality stories frequently. Medium awards writers using this combination.
This combination can be an effective strategy on Medium because we can gain top writer status. This status can indirectly contribute to increasing our fans. Being a top writer can imply trust and credibility.
10. Passion, consistency, and perseverance
Just writing a few stories on a seasonal basis will not bring substantial money. The algorithm will not favor stale stories. The medium algorithm seems to prefer fresh and engaging stories to give the best reading options to readers.
There is no easy gain on Medium, in my experience. We must be passionate about writing and deliver consistently to the requirements of our readers. Perseverance, in the long run, can help us win.
Making easy money, referred to as passive income, is an incorrect perception, misunderstood, and created by misinformed and inexperienced people. As you know, anyone can say anything on Medium. We need to listen to experienced ones with proven success records, model their behavior, and learn from their mistakes.
Entrepreneurs cannot be successful without making mistakes. Each high-earning writer on Medium has strong entrepreneurial skills.
The bottom line is we must make a persistent effort with a passion for earning money on Medium. More importantly, not only hard but also smart work is essential. Persistence requires inspiration, motivation, patience, and people skills.
Conclusions
In this story, I shared ten critical points to consider to make money on Medium based on my observations, findings, and experience.
There may be other factors for consideration, but my focus was on the critical points which made a real difference in earning money on Medium.
Considering these ten proven points might help you move to the next desired level and can allow you to progress confidently.
Each one of us is unique. We have different goals and expectations. There is not a single strategy to follow; however, we can make necessary adjustments by understanding the platform's characteristics and capabilities.
Persistence through passion, inspiration, motivation, patience, and people skills are major success factors for earning substantial money on Medium. Even though this story has motivational aspects, I did not design it just to motivate you. My purpose was to show you reality and save you time.
I might have disappointed some of you, but my purpose was to reflect on reality to guide you. I hope you find it useful and practical. Please share your views so that we can extend these findings, enhance their meaning, and learn together.
I provided my perspectives to new writers in two stories to increase the views and reads and also to become a prolific writer.
How to Write Content Guaranteed to Get Views and Reads
Even Full-Time Workers Can Be Prolific Writers.
Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a happy and healthy life.
Here are some stories covering useful tips for writers trying to improve their skills and increase their income.
7 Tips for Freelance Writers Dealing with Chronic Stress Effectively
Science-Based Therapeutic Value of Expressive Writing for Mental Health
Subscribers Can Produce 50 Times Better Results Than Followers for Freelance Writers
The Joy of Selling 1,000+ Books In A Month With Minimal Investment
About the Author
I am a technologist, postdoctoral researcher in cognitive science, author of several books, editor of publications, and digital marketing strategist with four decades of industry experience.
I write articles for Medium, NewsBreak, and Vocal Media. On Medium, I established ILLUMINATION, ILLUMINATION-Curated, ILLUMINATION’ S MIRROR, ILLUMINATION Book Chapters, Technology Hits, SYNERGY, and Readers Hope publications supporting around 19,000 writers on Medium.
As a new reader, you might check my holistic health and well-being stories reflecting on my reviews, observations, and decades of sensible experiments. I write about health as it matters. I believe health is all about homeostasis.
Sample Health Improvement Articles for New Readers
I write about various hormones and neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, GABA, acetylcholine, norepinephrine, adrenaline, glutamate, and histamine.
One of my goals as a writer is to raise awareness about the causes and risk factors of prevalent diseases that can lead to suffering and death for a large portion of the population.
To raise awareness about health issues, I have written several articles that present my holistic health findings from research, personal observations, and unique experiences. Below are links to these articles for easy access.
Metabolic Syndrome, Type II Diabetes, Fatty Liver Disease, Heart Disease, Strokes, Obesity, Liver Cancer, Autoimmune Disorders, Homocysteine, Lungs Health, Pancreas Health, Kidneys Health, NCDs, Infectious Diseases, Brain Health, Dementia, Depression, Brain Atrophy, Neonatal Disorders, Skin Health, Dental Health, Bone Health, Leaky Gut, Leaky Brain, Brain Fog, Chronic Inflammation, Insulin Resistance, Elevated Cortisol, Leptin Resistance, Anabolic Resistance, Cholesterol, High Triglycerides, Metabolic Disorders, Gastrointestinal Disorders, Thyroid Disorders, Anemia, Dysautonomia, cardiac output, and major disorders.
I also wrote about valuable nutrients. Here are the links for easy access:
Lutein/Zeaxanthin, Phosphatidylserine, Boron, Urolithin, taurine, citrulline malate, biotin, lithium orotate, alpha-lipoic acid, n-acetyl-cysteine, acetyl-l-carnitine, CoQ10, PQQ, NADH, TMG, creatine, choline, digestive enzymes, magnesium, zinc, hydrolyzed collagen, nootropics, pure nicotine, activated charcoal, Vitamin B12, Vitamin B1, Vitamin D, Vitamin K2, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine, Cod Liver Oil, and other nutrients to improve metabolism and mental health.
Disclaimer: My posts do not include professional or health advice. I document my reviews, observations, experience, and perspectives only to provide information and create awareness.
I publish my lifestyle, health, and well-being stories on EUPHORIA. My focus is on metabolic, cellular, mitochondrial, and mental health. Here is my collection of Insightful Life Lessons from Personal Stories.
If you enjoy writing and storytelling, you can join Medium, NewsBreak, and Vocal as a creator to find your voice, reach out to a broad audience, and monetize your content.
You may also check my blog posts about my articles and articles of other writers contributing to my publications on Medium. I share them on my website digitalmehmet.com. Here is my professional bio. You can contact me via weblink.
You might join my six publications on Medium as a writer by sending a request via this link. 21K+ writers contribute to my publications. You might find more information about my professional background.
If you enjoy reading, you may join Medium with my referral link for limitless access to my stories and other writers.
