avatarMercedes O'Leary

Summary

The author discusses their approach to writing on Medium, initially planning to publish weekly but finding success and enjoyment in daily writing, while also engaging with the community and using the platform as a catalyst for other writing projects.

Abstract

The author began writing on Medium in January with the intention of publishing essays weekly, aiming to leverage the platform for timely pieces that might not fit in literary journals. Despite previous attempts at blogging that didn't succeed, the author was motivated to join Kristina God's Boot Camp and learned that publishing frequency affects Medium's algorithm. After a 7-day short form writing sprint, the author started writing daily, a practice they found enjoyable and beneficial. While the author may not always follow conventional advice for Medium writers, they value the community and find the platform a useful tool for their broader writing aspirations. The article concludes with the author reflecting on how they make Medium work for them, emphasizing consistent writing, community engagement, and using Medium as a springboard for other writing endeavors.

Opinions

  • The author initially had reservations about writing for an algorithm but was motivated by curiosity to experiment with their publishing frequency.
  • Daily writing is seen as a significant achievement and a fulfilling routine for the author, aligning with the ideal of a dedicated writing life.
  • The author values the Medium community for its collective pursuit of creative work and the exchange of interesting ideas.
  • While the author acknowledges the importance of writing consistently on Medium, they suggest that daily publishing may not be necessary, advocating for a balance that suits individual needs.
  • The author uses Medium not only for immediate publication but also as a means to inspire and develop their writing projects outside the platform.
  • The article opens up a discussion about the varied reasons writers use Medium, whether for financial gain, recognition as a Top Writer, or other personal motivations.
  • The author implicitly encourages readers to consider what makes Medium valuable to them personally, beyond the common metrics of success.

Make Medium Work For You: Don’t Publish Every Day

Unless that’s your thing

Photo by Christin Hume on Unsplash

I showed up on this platform in January. I planned to home timely essays that needed an outlet faster than a literary journal, and essays that would never see the light of day otherwise.

I showed up here because I tried writing a personal blog a decade ago, and it languished.

I showed up here because it was January, and making new commitments is a thing we do in the darkest days of the year.

Knowing my propensity to resist my own goals and wanting to figure out how this platform works, I joined Kristina God’s Boot Camp. I told her my plan to publish once a week, and she smiled politely and said, “But that’s not really going to make the algorithm work.”

Write for an algorithm? I cringed a little on the inside — but I was motivated by curiosity.

After my conversation with Kristina, I did a 7-day Short Form sprint. But then I discovered something… it was fun.

I began writing every day, that holy grail of a writing life, no matter what kind of writer you are or where you publish. I wake up at 5 am, start the coffee and sit on my couch reading Medium and write my piece.

I still resist a lot of the advice on how to be a writer on Medium. (I was always the one in the back of the class with her hand in the air trying to refute the teacher’s point.)

But I enjoy existing in a community of writers throwing themselves into their creative lives and raising their voices — and their ideas are interesting to me.

Making Medium Work For Me Means:

✵ Writing and publishing consistently. That probably doesn’t mean every day, but definitely more than once a week.

✵ Learning from other writers and thinkers and engaging with their stories.

✵ I still have writing aspirations outside of Medium, but I want to use what I create here as a springboard for my other work.

How do you make Medium work for you?

Is it about making money or being a Top Writer?

What makes Medium worthwhile (or not)?

Enjoyed this story? Check out some other things I’ve been writing…

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