I Earned Between Seven and Eight Thousand Dollars in My First Writing Month on Medium

Yes, really. I assure you I’m not lying, but I am choosing my words carefully.

Yesterday was like a spring day in Texas, just after a rain shower. In water-starved Texas, the ground comes alive with millions of brightly colored wildflowers immediately after a good spring rain.

After stats close each month, multiple writers post articles singing the praises of how well they did for the month. Here’s one that Brian Rowe posted on October 5, “Wow, I made more than $1000 on Medium in September!”

This is my “Look How Well I Did Last Month” article.

I’m brand new to publishing on Medium. In my first year as a Medium subscriber, I was a reader. Then I started posting on September 4, 2019, “Failing Retirement 101 and Loving It.”

I’m pretty pleased with my learning and earnings in September. September was all about writing, publishing, reading, and wandering around the Medium platform.

So now you probably want to learn how a total novice can claim such a fantastic $$ success. I was indeed paid between seven and eight thousand dollars yesterday. Figures don’t lie, but I sure can figure. I earned between $7 and $8,000. $7.18 is between $7 and $8,000.

Lessons Learned and Great Writing Tips to Share

$7.18 does not earn me bragging rights. But do you notice anything about the graph above? The chart shows constant growth for the first three weeks. I cranked out an article every 3 or 4 days.

Then around September 27, the graph rapidly rises. If the publication rate generated earnings growth, the last week should reflect a higher publishing rate.

However, my publishing rate decreased. To be precise, my publishing rate that last week was zero. ”Secret Sex Rendezvous Does Not Remain Secret for Long,” published on September 28, was my latest published story until October 6.

Follow the Money

Let’s review how writers get paid on Medium. Medium uses a computer algorithm (formula) to determine reader engagement. The higher the reader engagement, the higher the writer’s earnings.

The algorithm is a closely guarded secret, but some aspects are well known. Reads and claps are elements.

Suppose you increase the number of readers and clappers, your fans, your engagement increases. If your engagement increases, your compensation increases.

A fan is someone who reads and claps.

My “Ah Hah!” Moment

I must promote my work. Publishing within a group like Great Writing Tips is good, and Medium Partner Publications is better. Self-promotion is essential.

In the last week of September, I made a concerted effort to self-promote my work to my fans and followers.

Self-promotion Tips for Writers

Read the profiles of each of your followers

• Follow your followers.
• Read their latest story and clap loudly. I always use the button at the bottom of their story.
• Respond to the article you read. I use a basic template for responding.

Brian, thank you so much for sharing. I’ve just recently begun writing. The only writing training I’ve had was what I learned in school and college. I have about a dozen stories on Medium. Topics range across my interests and experience. My most recent one is about an incident that happened at a school where I taught. ”Secret Sex Rendezvous Does Not Remain Secret for Long” Another recent submission is “How is a Writer Like a Child?”

I modify each template response to personalize it for the article I’ve just read. I highlight thoughts that resonate with me and insert comments after “thank you so much for sharing.” I changed the template and the links to my stories as needed. Sometimes, nothing in a story resonates with me. In that case, I clap and post the template response as written, modifying only the author's name.

I repeat the same process for non-following clappers and follow them.

I hope my Great Writing Tip has been helpful.

See you at the top. — Zig Ziglar, motivator, speaker, consumate salesman

© Copyright Randle B. Moore 2019. All Rights Reserved (minor edits made Jan. 2022)

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