How To Make Money Writing — Even If You Aren’t The Next Stephen King
Join the Medium partner program —Write 50 articles; you only need to earn $20 from each article, and that will make you $1,000 every month.
Writing Goals in 2021
In 2020, I found myself writing again. On Medium, I found my voice. I enjoyed the long hours of writing and reading. I didn’t care much if my stories made money.
Don’t get me wrong; I wished some of my stories I thought were great would go viral and made me money from the Medium partner program. It would validate my idea that I can start making money online from writing.
But there are things that the Universe delays until you are ready. If success in writing came easy to me, I would become complacent about writing. Instead of pursuing a journey of writing, I would be pursuing a journey of making money online.
There was one reason why I was writing in 2020; it helped me navigate through the pandemic, and writing did help me in ways that surprised me.
I also gained new friends and an understanding of why everyone should at least write their thoughts. When we put our life stories on paper, we see ourselves differently. We learn to be kind to ourselves.
I welcomed 2021 in the company of three of my closest friends. We were tucked inside my friend’s vacation house as the hours turned to minutes and seconds. In my mind, I was visualizing my writing goals in 2021.
It is time to make money on Medium this year because, as much as I love writing, it is still is a hobby until I start to make money.
Making money from your passion isn’t intrinsically bad. It can become an incentive to do better, to be serious about writing. Stephen King still writes every day and, with it, continues to make money by writing each day.
Does he need more money? I don’t think so, but it’s what keeps his flame for writing alive. His motivation remains to be his love for writing. Money from writing comes naturally; the money is the Universe’s way of rewarding him for his efforts.
My writing money goals are achievable. I only need $1,000 a month, and I will be happy about it and consider it part of my writer’s success.
The truth was in 2020, I didn’t even make $100 a month, but don’t let my missteps stop you from joining the Medium Partner program. Don’t think you missed the party or that you have to enroll in, ‘how to make money online courses,’ that you see being offered frequently on Medium.
It happens. People do make money online, doing what they love, that is, writing. And on Medium, only 10% of the writers make $100 or more, a month. I haven’t, partly because I didn’t plan how to make money as a writer. This year, I promised myself it would be different.
Breaking down the goals
Earning $1,000 a month can be daunting, especially if I haven’t even crossed the $100 mark. I made more than $100 from last year, money that would not have been mine if not for the Medium partner program.
To make my first $1,000, I have to write at least 50 articles that don’t need to go viral. All it takes is for these articles to resonate with my fellow Medium writers. I also hope to be part of every newbie writer’s journey on Medium by giving them sound advice, and learn from my pitfalls as a Medium writer.
I love sharing my personal stories, and I will continue to do so, as it is very much part of why I am writing, to share the life lessons I have learned.
Last year, I found out that my best performing stories are about Medium, and as long as Medium.com exists, new writers are coming on board. I will continue to share the lessons I learned in my writing journey, and hopefully make things easy for other writers.
The article that made me the most money is about Medium’s ‘ Content Curation.’ So far, it has made me $27.45 since I first published, Chosen for Further Distribution, and I Know Where to Find It.
If I write 50 articles about Medium, about my own journey in making money writing online. Medium tips, tricks, and tools that can help newbies and every Medium writer. I will easily reach my target of earning at least $1,000 a month, enough for my needs, enough for me to feel validated that I can make money online by writing.
If you look at the photo below, it remains my biggest moneymaker in January 2021. Thanks in part to ILLUMINATION and Dr. Mehmet Yildiz, his publications are a great start for new and old writers here on Medium.
Last year, I was struggling in terms of monetary rewards. But I am glad to share the successes I had, like being chosen as a top writer in photography and social media. I also have had my fair share of Medium curated stories.
A quick reminder to all the writers here is that none of my successes as a top writer or being curated, helped me gain views and reads. The truth is nobody knows how the Medium algorithm works, or how big Google plays in making a Medium story go viral, or how being active a writer is on social media translates to more views and reads.
If we get fixated in trying to hack the algorithm, or feeling the need to be curated by Medium editors, or that our stories need to go viral, we would end up as a writer who is no longer happy writing.
We will be chasing the money, again not intrinsically bad, but we will be chasing things that will stop us from weaving our stories.
If there is one advice I can give starting Medium writers, don’t chase the money aimlessly. One has to have a money plan. Define your money goal for 2021, and break down the goals into smaller pieces to help you achieve that money goal.
If you fail, keep on doing what you need to do, that is, to write stories or articles that will find an audience or leave either a message, a lesson, or value to your readers.
Final thoughts
If you look at the screenshot above, all it took was 881 readers and 11 hours, 4 minutes of reading time, for me to earn $27.45 from one article. Stop chasing virality, it will happen, and the least you expect it, the rewards will be bigger for you.
Elements of a Medium article that writers love to read have to have value, a clear solution to a problem. A tip or advice that is new to them.
This is why I will continue writing about my Medium writer’s journey. It not only helps other writers, but it helps me get to my money goals as a writer.