I Make ~$5 Per Month on Medium
I Think I Know Why
I just read Nick Nolan’s article stating how he made great money on an article. I read plenty of articles like this almost daily on Medium.
It is frustrating because I only make about $5–10 a month, which is why I’m Returning to Work despite the challenges I’ve faced in the workplace.
After reading the articles that earn people lucrative income, I think I know why my articles do not earn as much.
Why I Don’t Earn Much
I am a Black woman who writes mostly about Black women topics, and Medium is not heavily populated with people who are interested in reading about this.
My “viral” article on Savannah James, which earned 3,000 views (220 internal and 2,800 external) only earned me $3.17.
My Love Letter to Sha’Carri Richardson, which was featured at the top of Medium editor’s “What We’re Reading This Weekend,” received 608 internal views and only earned me $9.58.
Sure, I write about generic topics like meditation, prayer, shopping, forgiveness, etc, and I always publish them in Illumination and market them on Twitter and in two Slack communities.
However, it just doesn’t seem to be enough.
So, at this point, I write on Medium as a hobby. It is almost like a journal. I write about hot topics or self-discovery. I am a great writer and I put forth great effort to write and edit my stories, so it is quite disappointing to not see the return on investment.
I Follow All the Advice and Check All the Boxes
I publish at least 3–4 articles per week. Yes, I read and comment on others’ articles (and could do more) but I don’t see return on investment on this, either. Yes, I craft great SEO summaries. Yes, I advertise my articles on social media…I’ve even been blocked for excessive marketing lol.
Yes, I have reached out to Medium publications like Zora (ZORA Editors) and others geared toward my niche but have received radio silence from all but one. The radio silence from these publications is quite disappointing and very frustrating. W.E.O.C. Editors WEOC Editors accepted me and have published two of my articles, including the “viral” one on Savannah James.
Final Thoughts
You know what’s really frustrating? Many people’s lucrative articles are not that in-depth, have grammatical errors, and seem like they took five minutes to write.
So, I guess the Medium cards are not aligned for me to be profitable and successful like people like Edina Abena Jackson and Nick Nolan.
Here are some awesome articles I have written recently:
Aren’t We Part of the “System” in Systemic?
Three Things to NOT Say to Someone Who is Having Trouble Forgiving (This was my attempt at a “# of ways to…” type article and something quick and easy.)
Two Reasons Why Birthdays and Holidays Are Just Another Day to You
Why is Black Culture So Unforgiving of Black Women?
What If There Was a Cancel Media Culture?
Formal Education is the Equalizer: Financial Literacy is the Pendulum (I provided detailed information on HOW and WHY to invest, with concrete examples, not just surface level like most articles)
Someone Hung Up On Me…And It Really Bothers Me (Thankfully, not anymore. Writing is therapeutic)
I Matter! I Am Worth All I Desire! Affirmations to Counter My Pain (Written the same day as the above article…it was quite a day)
Everyone May Not Be Who They Claim To Be (This was also written on the same day as the above two articles…it was quite a day)
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