If I Were Starting Again As A Writer on Medium, Here’s How I’d Do It

My step-by-step guide to (moderate) success on Medium

Today I’m answering questions from the comment section. On my recent piece How To Make A Difference With Your Writing, Wikist asked a great question: If I were to start again on Medium, how would I do that, step-by-step? It got me thinking.

I’ve been on Medium since 2017. I’ve had a reasonable amount of success. I’ve attracted a lot of followers, and I’ve made a decent amount of money. I’ve had single articles that have earned over $2,000.

I’ve also seen a lot of changes, including the recent ones that kicked in as of August 1st, 2023. Those changes seem to have worked in my favor and it’s looking like this will be a record month for me here on Medium. If I were starting again, right now, here’s what I’d do, step-by-step.

I’d do my research

Medium isn’t like other platforms. It’s not a blog. I’ve often said it’s more like a magazine. People subscribe to read high quality articles and essays. They’re paying a subscription, so they want their money’s worth. They want information, entertainment, and advice they can take action on.

Medium readers can follow their favorite writers and publications, but they’ll tend to do it based on quality content, not on ‘fuzzier’ feelings, like whether they like the writer’s vibe or personality.

So start by researching what’s working. Read a lot of stories on the platform, note which ones are doing well, and try to get a feel for the sort of thing that Medium readers like.

I’d focus on the writing

It seems obvious for a writing platform, but so much advice about Medium seems to focus on engagement and connection and getting more followers. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of engaging with writing you love, and connecting with other writers, but that should be something that comes naturally. Not a tactic you use to boost your own success as a writer.

I recently wrote about how I got over 20,000 followers on Medium, without really employing any ‘tactics’, other than putting out consistently good writing. No networking, no tit-for-tat, follow-for-follow stuff, no asking for follows on social media. People will follow you (and stay following you) if they like your stories. Always put the process of producing high-quality writing first.

I’d write for publications

In the past I’ve often published ‘independently’ on Medium (outside of a publication) but recent changes mean that writing is rewarded when it is read by the followers of the writer OR the publication it’s published in.

I’ve taken this to mean there’s an advantage to being published in publications, especially bigger and/or more active ones. So far my results seem to be confirming this.

You can see a regularly updated list of publications on Medium here. You’ll generally have to visit each one to find out how to submit a story or apply to be a writer.

I’d aim to get stories boosted

Since the changes at the beginning of August, stories can be ‘boosted’ which means they’ll be promoted to more readers. I’ve had a couple of stories boosted, and they’ve done significantly better than my other stories on the platform this month.

This one alone has now made almost $2,000. This one, in spite of its boost, has made a lot less, but it’s in a smaller publication. I’m guessing that the combination of a boost and being in a fairly big publication is what results in a significant revenue increase.

(It’s also worth mentioning that with Medium, as with so many other platforms, success breeds success. The more people read and engage with a story, the more the algorithm will show it to other people.)

Medium tells you everything you need to know to get your stories boosted here. Just be aware there’s no magic formula or guarantee. Not every boost-worthy story actually gets boosted. All you can do is follow the guidelines and keep putting out good stories.

I’d pay attention to the mechanics

When stories show up in readers feeds, they’ll see the title, subtitle, and first two to three lines of the story, as well as the image. When you share on a social platform such as Facebook it will be just the title, subtitle and image. Your email subscribers, once you start getting them, will see the title, subtitle, image, AND the first couple of paragraphs of the article.

Basically you have to grab readers’ attention with these elements. Spend time on your title and subtitle. Make sure they’re original, attention-grabbing and enticing, but also that they give the reader a clear idea of what your story is about. Your story really has to deliver on the promise of the title. If people click away again quickly without reading or engaging, you may not get paid for that view at all.

Choose a high-quality image and be aware that it will be ‘squared’ in the Medium feed and on some social platforms. And make sure the first paragraph or two pull your readers in. Then you’ll encourage subscribers to click through and read when your story lands in their inbox.

I’d give it time

There are lots of inactive writers on Medium. They gave it a go, didn’t see immediate results, and gave up. I’d certainly have given up early on if I’d only been focused on earning money from the platform. Decide what you want from Medium. It’s a great way to refine and improve your writing, find out what readers like, and put your message out to the world.

If you’re trying to make a living writing you certainly don’t want to put all your eggs in the basket that is Medium. Personally I have around ten different income streams attached to my writing, so if I’m having a slow month on Medium it’s not the end of the world. Set up your writing life so that you can experiment with Medium and see what works for you. Don’t rely on it as a source of income, especially not in the early days.

Interested in making more money as a writer? Join my newsletter to get my list of freelance writing markets that pay, and regular freelance writing tips.

Want more articles like this? Follow me on Medium, or check out my lists. There’s one all about writing and blogging.