Making a Living On Medium — How I’m Doing
Numbers, stats, and future calculations
In my recent story “Making a living on Medium”, I calculated the views I’d need to make a living on Medium. For reference, this came down to around 100,000 views a month and $3500. It sounds crazy, but in my post, I used another calculation to make it feel less daunting.
It’s worse than it sounds
I usually write around 25 stories per month. It’s a number I’m comfortable with. Every weekday a story. So, the math goes like this:
25 stories per month * 4000 views per story = 100,000 views
4000 views are still a lot. I get it. Many of you pointed that out.
And you might be wondering how I’m currently doing on that front. So, let me quickly break it down.
My numbers
In recent months, I’ve seen between 10,000 and 30,000 monthly views. And yes, this heavily fluctuates. Last month, for example, was a slower month in terms of views, but it was actually one of my highest earning months. The key factor here was member reading time which is more important than overall views.
With my monthly range of 10,000 — 30,000, I’d have to 10x — 3x my views to get to 100,000 per month.
Another way to go would be increasing my story output to around 40 stories per month and seeing how far it would take me.
40 stories per month * 2500 views = 100,000 views
2,500 views per story sound way less daunting than 4,000 views per story to me. In fact, my stories get between 200 and 2,000 views each, on a regular basis. From the latter, it’s “only” a 500 view increase to get there.
The solution
Since I have no direct control over the views on my stories or the member reading time, the second option is a safer bet. I’m in full control of the number of published stories. At least, in theory. As a father of 5 and with a full-time job, it’s not easy to keep up with a hefty schedule like that.
Luckily, I have a solution for this problem. Shortform stories.
I’ve said it multiple times. If you can’t write long-form content every day, try to sprinkle in short posts. These are easier to start and finish, take up less time, and still have the ability to go viral, earn almost as much money as long posts, and gain fans in this specific niche. Which is rapidly growing, by the way. Our publication “The Shortform” has grown to over 1,100 followers already.
The bottom line
I want to make this Medium thing work. I really do.
That’s why I put a lot of effort into writing here, next to my family and my full-time job. That’s why I post daily (on weekdays). And that’s why I engage with readers all the time, answering comments, discussing questions, and leaving claps.
To make this work, however, it’s not enough to just “let it flow”. It can work, of course. But the odds are slim. Instead, working toward your goal with specific steps, trial and error, and a plan b will increase the odds.
How am I doing?
For 8 months on Medium, I’m doing pretty well. Have I reached my goal? No way. But I’m on my way.
P.S.: First of all, you should get my posts in your inbox. Do that here! Secondly, if you like to experience Medium yourself, consider supporting me and thousands of other writers by signing up for a membership. It only costs $5 per month, it supports us, writers, greatly, and you have the chance to make money with your writing as well. When I started, I made $3000 in 6 months. By signing up with this link, you’ll support me directly with a portion of your fee, it won’t cost you more. If you do so, thank you a million times!
