If You Don’t Know How Medium Works, Don’t Criticize the Platform

Putting useless rumors to bed

Recently, I’ve run into several interesting bits of misinformation about writing, and more specifically, making money, on Medium. The sad thing about it is that those who spread the rumors tend to be very loud and very negative, and they end up getting other writers way off track with claims that aren’t even true.

Bear with me, folks. I’m honestly not trying to be snooty when I write about my journey on Medium. I genuinely don’t think I’m an idiot about making Medium work either, though it’s certainly your prerogative to think whatever you’d like about me. I’m not here to be universally popular. I’m here to support myself and my daughter by doing what I love. Which, in case you missed it, is writing from the heart.

What I’d like to do in this post is address some very loud rumors about “making it on Medium.”

I’ve been on the platform since April 2018 and I’ve relied upon it as my main, usually only, source of income since mid-December of that year. I have no real complaints about Medium to date. As far as I know, I’m one of the first writers here who was very vocal about wanting to turn Medium into a full-time job, and I feel good about what I’ve achieved here.

Is it perfect? Of course not. Are there things I wish they would change? You bet. But all in all, I feel no ill-will for those who manage the platform.

Where I run into the occasional problem is interpersonal stuff. I wrote something that someone else didn’t like, so they blocked me and maybe wrote a story about how I’m such a huge jerk. Somebody else decided I’m not a “real writer.” Some of that stuff is easy to ignore or brush off, while other interactions can get downright mean and nasty.

Honestly, whether such opinions are right or wrong, I do have a tendency to let people down. I don’t juggle multiple responsibilities well. Most of the time, writing seems to be the only thing I can manage in my work life. Some of that is because I’m so busy writing, “mom-ing,” and being an entirely awkward Aspie. And some of it is my own character flaws, shortcomings, stubbornness, etc. Sometimes, I even forget what it’s like to not know the ropes here.

I’m not perfect by any means, but I do have a proven history of making Medium consistently work for me.

Medium Is Not a Cool Kids Club

One persistent rumor I hear is that Medium curators play favorites and that success on the platform is limited to a chosen few. This is patently false. Truly.

I don’t have anyone at Medium on speed dial. They often pass on my pitches (which is no big deal). Getting into Forge, Human Parts, Elemental, and One Zero never resulted in a windfall. While I’ve learned how to write for curation, I still am not always curated. Even when I am curated, plenty of stories seem to go nowhere and flop.

Medium doesn’t distribute all of my stories widely, yet I’m still able to make a decent living here. It’s not favoritism. It’s writing. If you think Medium is unfair, just wait until you try the rest of the writing industry. Think about it. Just because I have done well on Medium, that doesn’t mean I can walk onto another platform and expect to do well there. I would still have to learn the ropes and try to break in.

I think sometimes by writing on Medium, we forget that anyone who wants to succeed in the writing world must face a ton of rejection. That’s just the nature of the beast.

Some People Really Do Make a Good Living Here

After all, I started on Medium at zero. Zero followers. Zero popularity. One friend who actually wanted to read my work. I’m a weird loner, and definitely something of a misfit. The cool kids club on Medium is a myth, or if it exists, nobody has invited me.

The good news about all of this is that you too have an opportunity to do well on Medium. Whatever that means to you, whether it’s financially, socially, or professionally.

The bad news is that it most likely won’t be easy. And nobody can tell you how long your road may take. What I can tell you is that I support myself and my daughter on my Medium earnings, and I’ve watched several other writers here do the same or similar thing.

You Don’t Need a Gazillion Followers, but More Followers Can’t Hurt

People like to say that your follower count is a vanity metric and they’re sort of right about that. Today, I have more than 30,000 followers, but I don’t consistently get 30,000 views on my work most days. Not even close. At the same time, calling followers a vanity metric misses the big picture. You really do want more opportunities for more eyes on your work. And that’s what your following is.

In reality, every follower isn’t equal. Some are paid Medium members. Some are more engaged than others. And there isn’t a whole lot you can do to boost your follower count beyond writing and publishing regularly.

That said, you don’t necessarily need a ton of followers to pay your bills. You don’t. I hit my first $1,000+ month on Medium in my third month on the platform. Two to three thousand months followed, and eight months in, I realized I could consistently make more money here than with my old job in social media marketing.

And mine is just one story on Medium. I know other writers who make more than I do. Some writers hit $1K in their first month. Some folks “go viral” early on and keep writing despite the ups and downs. Some are one-hit wonders, mostly because they think they should have gone viral every time.

Across the platform, you’ll find stories of success and disappointment among writers. Once again, this echoes the realities of the writing world at large. If you want to succeed as a writer anywhere, you’ve got to be persistent.

You Might Not Need a Large Publication

I recently ran across a conversation on Medium where another writer scoffed at the idea that I could be earning well on Medium because I mostly publish in my own publication, which only has 5,000 followers. Yet, I don’t think the size of my publication has ever hindered my experience here. I’ve had stories earn hundreds or thousands of dollars even when I published them independently since I only began my personal publications in 2019.

Even the rate with which I publish in other publications varies, largely because I experiment with my work on Medium depending upon what works for me. And what works for me is always changing. Sometimes, folks are really interested in my family and mental health stories. Sometimes they want to hear about my writing journey. I can never really be certain about what’s going to do well here, but I can certainly make an educated guess as I pay attention to the shifting algorithms.

In 2020, I have had my very best months by posting in my own publication. That could always change. If so, you’ll see me shaking things up once again.

The Algorithms Change Often on Medium

As I’ve written before, success on Medium means rolling with the punches and being able to change with the platform. You need to be adaptable. Most writers who insist upon fighting a writing tool like Medium are in for a rougher than necessary ride.

I wouldn’t go into publishing on Amazon by expecting Kindle to cater to me and my preferences. In the same way, you shouldn’t keep expecting Medium to play by your rules.

People like myself are genuinely trying to help you succeed on the platform. I don’t write about making things work on Medium because it’s fun. I write these stories because it’s the best way for me to help other writers but still get paid for my time.

Even if you don’t like me or the other Medium veterans who write stories like these, you might benefit from some of our insights. But remember: your constant criticism of other writers doesn’t make you a better writer, it makes you an unhappy one.

You Probably Do Need Curation

Lately, talking about curation seems increasingly controversial. As I understand it, some Medium writers feel as if there’s a lot of “shit” being curated. Which makes them wonder why their own work isn’t curated.

In no way do I want to downplay the pain or frustration of discovering that a story you worked so hard on has received that dreaded “Not distributed in topics” message. I don’t want to downplay the agony of waiting either. Your frustration is legitimate. And this is a completely natural response to rejection.

But here’s a thought. Picture your favorite, best-selling writer. Think about the many rejections they received before finally getting their first book published. Now, imagine that instead of hitting the pavement and continuing to write, they spent their time complaining about all of the other writers getting book deals. Picture them putting their real work on a shelf just to go off on all of the stupid books they can’t believe readers are buying.

While that frustration is still valid, allowing it to overtake your writing is pointless. You’re wasting precious time and energy on being angry about something that isn’t going to enrich your life or get you any closer to your goals.

So, it’s not that I don’t get the impulse to vent all of your negative feelings about Medium. But I fear you’re shooting yourself in the foot. At best, you’ll find readers among other disgruntled writers. You can pat yourselves on the back about how you’re not “sellouts” like those other folks on Medium.

Okay, but is this honestly what brings you joy? And what if the key to getting more of your stories curated was some stupidly easy fix? The reality is that you need curation if you want to regularly be seen by a wider audience on Medium. You also need curation is you’re hoping that some of your stories might stick around for a while.

Case in point? Sometimes, the Medium algorithm favors older articles. When that happens, you want a back catalog of curated stories. Here’s a story I published on May 19.

In May, the story earned $283.45. In June, it earned $205.80. In July, by all expectations, it should have fizzled out. Instead, it received another 515 minutes of member reading time and brought in $1,557.25.

This is why I write most of my stories with the intent to be curated. I want some of my old stories to grow legs and earn good money months down the road.

How You Tell a Story Matters More Than the Topic, or Even How “Perfect” It Is

I am far from the best writer on or off Medium. Of course, I wouldn’t say I’m terrible either. Most of my stories earn a 93 or above on Grammarly before I make my edits. But if you know my writing, you know it is not 100% error-free.

On top of that, some of my topics are a bit strange. At the very least, many are awkward and embarrassing, and not at all the sort of thing many readers want to read. But people do read my stories, and many people enjoy them. It’s surprised me as much as it’s surprised some of you, and the reason they seem to go over so well is that readers like my voice. They find my stories relatable. Sometimes, I write stories that help my readers consider a new point of view. At other times, my work helps people feel a little less strange.

I don’t think anyone comes to read my stories because they cover such amazing topics or because my talent is off the charts. I think my loyal readers simply like how I tell my stories. Which again, goes back to your voice. Your voice matters here. Learn how to use it.

And before you write off other writers here as just “meh,” consider that you don’t really know what stories other readers like.

You Can’t Tell How Much Another Writer Here Makes Unless They Show You

Are you guilty of speculating about another writer’s earnings based on the number of claps, fans, or followers they have? I’m going to assume that all of us are at least a little bit guilty of that.

Despite our best estimates, it’s impossible to guess how much money another writer’s story has earned. Medium says that claps help out with distribution, but when it comes to payment, what really matters is member reading time.

So, you might look at a story with less than 1K claps and assume it’s made a couple of bucks at best. But for all you know, that same piece has racked up more than 100 hours of member reading time. There’s no way to know unless that writer shares their stats and screenshots with you.

I always find it unnecessarily rude and snarky when someone disparages another writer by commenting on the claps they receive. You really need to be willing to look foolish to those folks here if you want to succeed. You might write stories that get very few claps, even when you have a ton of followers. Maybe a story flopped, maybe the timing was bad, maybe an algorithm is shifting.

Personally, I don’t pay attention to the claps on any of my stories. I certainly appreciate the claps I get whether it’s one or 50, but those claps haven’t done anything to indicate how much money a story might earn, or even how many people will read it.

You’re Not Paid for Views

If I’ve got one pet peeve on the platform it’s when veteran writers calculate how much money they’ve made on Medium “per view.” Please don’t feed into the misinformation that views translate into money, unless you slap an enormous caveat onto the whole thing to explain that Medium actually pays us based on the member reading time.

To be honest, I don’t know of many blogging opportunities where you’d ever be paid per individual view. In most cases, the monetization of a blog requires some sort of click-through engagement from your readers.

Furthermore, let’s imagine that you were paid per view on Medium. Suddenly, everybody would be paid per view and it would no longer matter how much time a reader spent with your work. Writers would publish as many short little pieces as possible just to get more views. They’d probably tag the whole damn world too.

Getting paid by member reading time might not be a perfect or ideal setup, but I have to admit it’s pretty close. Writers want to be paid for their ability to hold a reader’s attention. Not because someone saw our work on a shelf.

You Might Not Know What Clickbait Means

I realize this is also controversial, but have you read Medium’s curation guidelines? Here’s what Medium says about clickbait. You can check out the full guidelines for yourself, but here’s the specific part about clickbait.

Medium doesn’t want you to manipulate or deceive your readers. They don’t want you to disappoint a reader with a clickbait title that falls short of its promise. So, they ask that you write your headlines to truly fit the story. It should be descriptive and straightforward enough to tell your readers what your piece is about. I think of it as straddling a fence of obvious yet click-able.

One compliment I’ve heard a lot in my time on Medium is that I write great headlines. One criticism I’ve frequently read is that I’m a clickbait writer. Which one’s correct? Well, if my work was truly clickbait, I wouldn’t have a lot of repeat readers. Readers aren’t stupid. They know when you’re reeling them in with a headline that makes no sense. And they’ll tell you.

Medium Isn’t Rolling in Money From Members

Among all of the misinformation about Medium is this notion that the company is rolling in money and somehow stiffing its writers. If you genuinely believe that, I’ve got to ask why you are here. Why would you bother writing on a platform that you are convinced mistreats its writers? Surely, our time as writers is better spent wherever our work can be appreciated.

Much has been said about the fact that Medium was valued at 400 million dollars in 2015. Doesn’t that mean they could pay their writers more? Well, considering that a business valuation isn’t the same as its profit, I really don’t know. As of last year, Medium was still not profitable, and I’ve yet to find a reliable source suggesting otherwise.

From everything Ev Williams has said, he seems to be here for the long haul. And he’s put a great deal of thought into the type of platform Medium should be. It’s not a perfect platform, but it’s the easiest place for any newbie to come and start getting paid for writing.

If You’re Curious About How the Partner Program Works You Can Always Ask

Rather than publishing article after article about how this or that doesn’t make sense on Medium, you could always ask somebody more successful than them on the platform. This isn’t a bitchy or elitist suggestion, I really do believe in the value of getting input from those ahead of you.

And if you want to know my number one secret about being successful on Medium, it honestly starts with doing your homework. When I first got started here, I read voraciously just to get a better understanding of what works on Medium. Sure, there was some advice out there that didn’t make sense to me. Or, after a while, I realized it was wrong.

Even so, learning from others went a long way to making me more successful here. This is just good practice for any goal in life, everyone can benefit from a mentor or coach, and oftentimes, you can start out small by simply reading the work of others who are doing well. Can’t find the answer you’re looking for? Just ask.

Conclusion

I wrote this post to explain that some of the loudest, most negative voices about Medium make the worst critics of the platform simply because they don’t understand how Medium works. That doesn’t make them bad people or bad writers, just ineffective critics. That also doesn't mean they can’t change course. I’ve known more than one Medium writer who used to complain a lot about the platform, but they buckled down and quit worrying about what everyone else was doing and how they thought other writers didn’t deserve their success. When they did that, they wound up becoming much more successful themselves.

At the end of the day, I hope to at least encourage you. Making good money on Medium is still possible. You’ll have to work at it, of course. But then again, that’s no different than any other place within the writing world.