I Wrote Schlock and Got Called Out for It

Thanks, Medium community, for keeping me honest.

It only took me a week of writing for Medium to succumb to the “get views at any cost” mentality. I joined Medium to have an opportunity to share the type of writing I’ve always wanted to do — insightful, intelligent, well-written articles that inspire reflection and action. I believe my initial articles meet these criteria. My most recent article, in contrast, is the result of me getting pulled into Medium’s self-promotional vortex.

By the end of my first week, I had published a schlocky, uninformed article that I didn’t believe in, but knew would get views. Medium readers are a savvy bunch and saw through my flimsy content. The article frustrated readers. I lost a few followers whose interest I had worked so hard to capture (and when you only have 100 or so followers, that feels like a big loss). I’m still trying to regain their trust.

Here’s how one week on Medium turned me from an idealist to a sell-out.

My success became about numbers

As soon as I joined Medium, I read every Medium new writer’s guide I could find. As a social media neophyte in my late 30s who missed the boat on Twitter and Instagram, I was determined to start Medium off on the right foot. The guides generally recommend joining Facebook Medium writers' groups for support and exposure. I found 20 and joined them all.

At their best, these groups provide a congenial platform for sharing articles and successes and asking questions about Medium and writing. At their worst, they’re a breeding ground for competitive, get-views-at-all-costs link dropping. Link dropping is what I call commenting with a link to your article on every post you can find, regardless of whether it is related or appropriate.

In the first couple of days, I only posted to the daily share threads and kept to myself. I checked my stats for my articles, a couple of which were selected for major publications and curated. I was optimistic — I had read that publication and curation help ensure that your articles are seen. I wasn’t expecting overnight success but hoped for at least a small audience for my work. After 48 hours, my articles hovered at only a couple of dozen views each.

What am I doing wrong? How can I call myself a writer if nobody is reading my work? Maybe I do need to start selling my stories a little harder.

I noticed that most writers in these groups practiced “I’ll read yours if you read mine”. I followed suit. Writers were charitable and if I took the time to read, clap, and comment on their article, they’d do the same for mine. My stats started to improve.

I loved watching my numbers of views, fans, and followers go up. I started checking my stats a few times a day, then hourly, then compulsively.

I found myself using every minute of free time to promote my articles through these groups. Because the largest groups include thousands of writers and each post can garner dozens of comments, it’s important to be one of the first people to respond to a post. It increases your chances that the writer who posted will see your comment and read your article.

I began carrying my phone with me at all times and waiting for the ping to pick it up and comment, like a fast draw shoot out.

Quickly, my two-hour-a-day reading habit that I reserved for books like Bad Feminist and Atomic Habits was replaced by reading Medium articles of varying quality, posting, and commenting.

By the end of the week, I learned to measure my success not by the quality of my work, but by my stats.

I fell into the comparison trap

I found that the Facebook writers groups are also filled with writers who constantly share “How I Became Successful on Medium” stories. Jevin Lortie has a great article about this. Their posts usually contain the following:

• Screenshots of the unusual amount of money they made on Medium (e.g., “I made $1000 last month and you can too, if only you read this article [link to their article]!)
• “Publish as much as you can. It’s a numbers game. Publish a new article every day if you can and you increase your odds of hitting the jackpot and going viral.”
• “Write about writing and/or how to be successful on Medium. These articles will always get you reads.”

At first, I ignored these posts and focused on connecting with other writers and learning about different publications and curation. I found it difficult to maintain that focus with the constant barrage of “I’m successful on Medium, why aren’t you?” articles. I was aware of the statistic that in June only about 5% of Medium writers earned more than $100. I knew in the back of my mind that it was unrealistic to expect that level of success straight out of the gate. Yet, I still felt less successful by comparison.

Getting published became a matter of ego

The first article I wrote specifically for Medium is called “You Have a Voice That Deserves To Be Heard”. I submitted it to a publication and they turned it down for not being unique enough. My ego flared.

Not unique enough? I shared my personal story about how my identity prevented me from being a writer. How is that not unique?

Of course, after a week on Medium, I realize that the editors were completely right — stories about writers who have finally found their voices are a dime a dozen.

I was determined to get into the publication anyway. I used my skills as a former analyst to figure out exactly what type of article would get accepted and attract views. After reviewing their archive and combing the Facebook Medium writers groups for information, I pursued the following strategy:

• Feature a unique, must-have technology solution
• Use a clickbait headline
• Keep it short

Feature a unique, must-have technology solution

My original idea was to write about the Flesch–Kincaid readability test — what is it, how to use it, a clever app to provide a score. I discovered that the test is a built-in feature of Grammarly. Since Grammarly is so ubiquitous, I worried that it wasn’t a flashy enough tool to appeal to the publication and readers. (Upon reflection, I realize I probably should have stuck with talking about Grammarly because it is so ubiquitous. Hindsight, right? And you’re welcome to whoever reads this and decides to turn my idea into an article).

I began hunting around and found a few other tools: an impressive-looking visual thesaurus, Google dictionary’s word usage over time feature, and Google Ngram. I just needed to tie these tools together and I would be golden.

Use a clickbait headline

I decided to go with a fear-based headline that would draw clicks: “Is Your Vocabulary Driving Readers Away?”. In the article, I assert that using too much advanced vocabulary will drive readers away and that the tools will help writers use more straightforward language.

Keep it short

I kept the article under 4-minute reading time, presenting my argument and the tools in a simple problem-solution format.

I wasn’t motivated by a sincere interest in the topic or a belief that the information would be useful. I just wanted to get into the publication because I knew I could and wanted to prove it.

My article was schlock

There are so many things wrong with the article I submitted. Its title draws you in, but the solutions I offer only help in a very specific case — if you use too much advanced vocabulary. Does this really apply to a lot of writers on Medium? It promotes a “write for the lowest common denominator” approach, which perhaps works with listicles or quick-hit articles, but not with essays, short stories, poetry, long-form articles, and the myriad other types of writing on Medium. I discovered after publishing the article that the Ngram viewer is not a reliable tool as it is primarily populated with scientific journals and hasn’t been updated since 2012. I could go on.

Mind you, I don’t in any way blame the publication. On the surface, my article had merit. They put their trust in me that the arguments I made and the tools I presented were well-considered. I should have held myself to a higher standard.

There was fall out

As soon as the article was published it generated views — the most I have ever received on Medium in one day. As soon as the reads came, the critiques came rolling in too. Although the comments were civilized, I envisioned an angry mob coming after me with pitchforks in-hand yelling, “What kind of anti-intellectual B.S. are you spouting?”

They had valid points and I kept updating my article to accommodate them. I cut, edited, and re-edited in an attempt to reanimate it into a solid, cogent, useful piece. No matter what I changed or how I reworded it, my Frankenstein of an article could not hold up to the criticism. I needed to bury it.

I made the decision to unlist the article just 48 hours after it was published. I knew in doing so I would forgo any future money I would have made from it and risk my reputation with the publication. For me, it’s not worth having an article out there that I know full well is crap. Not only did I lose credibility with my precious few followers, but I also lost face in front of actual authors and journalists whose work I admire (and who took the time to critique my article).

I also decided that I’m not going to publish any more articles where I purport to be any kind of expert in writing. I know they draw readers and I could certainly use the exposure, but I feel I have not earned my stripes as a writer. I have no business giving advice to other writers.

I returned to my ideals

I want to capture readers with the quality of my work. It’s what I’ve always wanted. I lost myself for a moment and I’m trying to recalibrate. I’ve taken a short break from publishing. I’ve turned off notifications on my phone. I’m focusing on just writing for now.

I’m realistic enough to know that as a novice, I’m going to write articles that inadvertently will be crap. What I want to do is maintain the good intentions behind them. I want to have at least tried to write something good even if I fail.

I’m also realistic enough to realize that I will have to market myself and my work to stand any chance of gaining visibility in the vast expanse of Medium. I want to figure out a way to do this and maintain my integrity. I suspect I’ll learn along the way.

I’m not advocating that anyone else take this approach. Based on everything I’ve read about being successful on Medium, focusing on quality over quantity is risky. You’re betting higher on fewer hands. As a writer, I believe you’re only as good as your word, so it’s a bet I’m willing to place. May the odds be ever in my favor (yes, I had to do it).

Thanks, Medium community, for keeping me honest.

Shanna Loga is a devoted mother, an always-improving writer, and a passionate idealist. In her writing, she orients her personal reflections and experiences within cultural trends to prompt reflection and action. She received her BA in English Literature and Communications from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and MS in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University. Please consider supporting her writing by following her on Twitter or visiting her blog.