Medium Advice
From One Newbie To Another.
Are you new to Medium?
Wanting to Find a way to “get rich” quick?
Looking for the key to Medium success?
This article will not be your key to get rich. I haven’t made a bunch of money, nor did I receive a bonus.
But I have had a slow and steady increase each month.
I have noticed things that hindered my progress and things that have boosted it.
Things that helped:
- Make a goal and make them obtainable. If you average one article a week, make a goal of two or three. Make it a goal that you can reach. If you crush that goal, up it a bit. But don’t set yourself up for failure by making your goal unobtainable.
- Keep a list of topic ideas. If you think of an idea that you may want to write about later, write it down. Don’t depend on your memory.
- If you have the URGE to write, do it right then. All writers occasionally get that powerful and overwhelming feeling that they have to write. Whether it’s a topic that grabbed your attention or you just have that “writing feeling”. Take advantage of that. For me, those bursts are when I am the most productive. And ironically, those articles are the ones that seem to do the best.
- Read. I am a firm believer that you have to read in order to be a skilled writer. If I am having writer’s block, I read. I read on Medium. I read novels. I read classics. I read about current events. I read everything. Usually in reading, I can find a topic to write about.
- Use the medium app. I never really used my phone app until recently. I still like to do my formatting and polishing on my computer. But the app works great when you are sitting in a waiting room somewhere, and have a good writing idea that you want to jot down, or just have a few minutes to write.
- Editing software: If you plan on writing for money, BUY THE SOFTWARE. Seriously, just spend the money. Your writing will thank you. ProWritingAid, or Grammarly, seems to be the preferred software.
- Consistency, Consistency, Consistency. Try to publish often, and consistently. But if you only write one article per week, publish that article on the same day every week. Be consistent.
Things that hindered me:
- Social media. It is the biggest distraction for me. There is always someone messaging me, which I feel obligated to respond to. So now I close out of all social media. No more messenger interrupting my writing groove.
- Life. Find a time to write, when you won’t be bothered. Again, we don’t want to set ourselves up for failure. Don’t pick 5 pm to write if you know that’s when everyone gets home and will eat dinner. Don’t pick 3 PM, when you know that when the kids need homework help. Pick a time when your family can do without you for a bit, and that you won’t be interrupted. (And tell them you need that time, alone.)
- Work. That’s why I stress realistic goals. If you work full time, you cannot expect to write as much as those who don’t work at all. Don’t let that discourage you. If you put out quality writing consistently, you can still do well.
- Worry less about curation. And more time working on amazing articles, and submitting them to appropriate publications.
- Publications. Finding the right one when you are new is often hard. There are so many available, and not all are active. If I am struggling to find a publication that fits my work, I will search Medium for published articles that are subject comparative to what I want to publish. Just to see where they are published. Then I’ll scout out that pub to see if it’s a fit for what I want to publish. I have had great luck finding publications this way.
As I said, I’m not rich. I don’t have a lot of followers. I haven’t made a bunch of money… YET. But I have had consistent growth in my brief time on medium.
Slow and steady wins the race, says the turtle to the hare.
I hope that’s true. Because I’m here for the long run :) Good luck, my fellow writers.
Rowen is a mother, Wife, Domestic Violence Victims Advocate, community volunteer, and nature lover. Most of her time is spent with her family or volunteering in her community. Rowen has a degree in Psychology, with a concentration in Family Counseling and Minoring in criminal justice. Writing has been her passion since high school, and she enjoys using it to help others.