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Abstract

. Especially when you consider that writing a story, depending on the amount of research, takes me one to three hours.</p><figure id="f060"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*o5pKrlJy23Cmo-lsz43wTw.png"><figcaption>Number of published stories</figcaption></figure><figure id="8344"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*KeNSr2PVa7Fyl4yW8YQ4_Q.png"><figcaption>My earnings on Medium</figcaption></figure><p id="30cf"><b>Learning:</b> If you want a profitable side job, don’t start writing articles on Medium.</p><p id="84e4">Medium, however, offers an excellent opportunity to make your stories accessible to a broader audience, for example, through publications. I also like how easy it is to format and publish articles on Medium.</p><p id="04c9"><b>Learning:</b> If writing is your hobby and you are looking for a publishing platform, Medium is a good choice.</p><p id="11fe">Medium distribution is still a big mystery to me. 34 of my articles were distributed, but I don’t always like the categories. I couldn’t detect an effect on the views or readings.</p><h1 id="d1df">Promote your articles?</h1><p id="a7ed">You may know this: you’ve written an interesting article that provides value to the reader, but no one sees or reads it. That’s frustrating.</p><p id="33d4">What are the ways to increase visibility?</p><ul><li>Followers</li><li>Medium Distribution</li><li>Publications</li><li>Social Media</li><li>SEO</li></ul><h2 id="14f5">Followers</h2><p id="60cd">You potentially have more people who get to see the article with more followers. But how do you get followers? I got my followers through the following ways:</p><ul><li>Publish in publications</li><li>Interacting with other authors (e.g., commenting on articles, following).</li></ul><p id="f5e5">When I started at Medium, I was initially interested in what different authors were writing about. So I followed almost every author who wrote an article that sounded interesting to me. In the meantime, I have read various articles in which authors criticized others for following too many writers. They would not interact with other authors appropriately, and they would only do it to be followed back. So is it wrong that I follow so many? I don’t think so. Of course, those who I follow can’t expect me to read every article they write, but at least there’s a chance they’ll catch my attention from time to time. I’m not a loyal fan, but I have a wide range of interests. And the suspicion of the follow/follow back game? I don’t think it works on Medium. Sure, I got a few (follow back) followers initially, but most of my followers came in the last few months, and I didn’t follow many new authors during that time.</p><p id=

Options

"1557"><b>Learning:</b> Don’t care what others say and follow as many authors as you like.</p><h2 id="aeec">Publications</h2><p id="b117">I’m ambivalent about publications and have already written an article about the topic (<a href="https://readmedium.com/writing-is-an-art-cc4682f528e6">Writing is an Art</a>).</p><p id="eb47">In general, it’s nice to publish in famous publications, but it does not necessarily boost your views. And sometimes, it’s very disappointing to wait, get refused after several days, and try another publication.</p><p id="2f95"><b>Learning:</b> Publish in publications as little as possible and as much as necessary.</p><h2 id="92f5">Social Media</h2><p id="a610">After I publish an article on Medium, I usually promote it on LinkedIn and Pinterest. However, I haven’t noticed any significant effect on my views so far.</p><p id="d303">Relatively successful stories (for me, stories that earn between $10 and$ 20) have few views from social media, but many from Google. Here’s an example:</p><figure id="63b6"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*HPnavZOcub-O3ulcbMIEjg.png"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><figure id="0bbf"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*pq1rOds1XKFVay8BXrn_zg.png"><figcaption>Screenshot: Story stats</figcaption></figure><p id="c5b2"><b>Learning:</b> It is good to promote the articles via social media. But don’t expect miracles.</p><h2 id="5ea2">Distribution</h2><p id="293e">Medium distribution is still a big mystery to me. Medium has distributed thirty-four of my articles, but I do not like the chosen topics for all of them, e.g., “Self.” And I couldn’t detect an effect on the views or readings.</p><p id="f245">It is also not easy to find out if your articles have been distributed and which topics.</p><figure id="284b"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*6Gr3Yj0YspF1WDTDrcicCw.png"><figcaption>Distribution topics</figcaption></figure><p id="0c4c"><b>Learning:</b> If you want to find out more about the distribution of your stories, use the Google Chrome extension <i>Medium Distribution Info.</i></p><h2 id="973c">SEO</h2><p id="64f1">Yes, I think about and choose meaningful tags and use the SEO Description. But these are basics. That’s what I’ve done from the beginning.</p><p id="ad87">Am I now, after more than a year, 10,000 views, 10,000 claps, and 1,000 followers, disappointed with the result? <b>No, I have learned a lot, become better, and still love writing. </b> But there is also a bit of frustration. I had seriously thought that I could at least earn some more money. Well, at least it is enough to pay for the medium membership and the one or other coffee.</p></article></body>

Success Story

Medium As A Side Hustle? See The Real Figures

And what you can learn from it

I’ve always promised myself: “I won’t write about making money on Medium.” But now, after more than one year, 10,000 views, 10,000 claps, and 1,000 followers, I would like to share my experience and my learnings.

Make money?

Do you also get hooked by these kinds of headlines?

“I got 10,000 claps on one article”
“I earned 5,000 USD with one article on Medium”
“Last month I made 7,900 USD on Medium”

I do because I’m curious how people make it. But my impression after I’ve read several of those articles: Often it’s just a fake. For example, I read one story in which someone stated that he started three months ago on Medium, published 2–3 articles every week, and earned more than 3,000 USD with these stories. So I looked into some of his stories. Most of them had 20 to 120 claps. So it’s pretty evident that he couldn’t have earned $3,000 with them.

But maybe some very successful writers are out there who can pull something like this off.

Learning: Don’t waste your time with articles describing that someone made a lot of money with Medium very easily and quickly.

Why did I choose Medium? It was also about money for me in the beginning. I had seen a YouTube video in which someone was promoting Medium to make money quickly with a few articles.

Since I love to write and was thinking about creating a blog or using a platform, I thought I’d give Medium a try. Although, maybe I should have been skeptical since the YouTuber had already deleted all his articles from Medium shortly after publishing the video. Hence, it wasn’t possible to validate his success story anymore.

I started on Medium mid of September 2020. Since then, I’ve published 92 stories and earned $132.77. So on average, about $8/month with about five published stories/month. Not precisely a lucrative side hustle. Especially when you consider that writing a story, depending on the amount of research, takes me one to three hours.

Learning: If you want a profitable side job, don’t start writing articles on Medium.

Medium, however, offers an excellent opportunity to make your stories accessible to a broader audience, for example, through publications. I also like how easy it is to format and publish articles on Medium.

Learning: If writing is your hobby and you are looking for a publishing platform, Medium is a good choice.

Medium distribution is still a big mystery to me. 34 of my articles were distributed, but I don’t always like the categories. I couldn’t detect an effect on the views or readings.

Promote your articles?

You may know this: you’ve written an interesting article that provides value to the reader, but no one sees or reads it. That’s frustrating.

What are the ways to increase visibility?

Followers
Medium Distribution
Publications
Social Media
SEO

Followers

You potentially have more people who get to see the article with more followers. But how do you get followers? I got my followers through the following ways:

Publish in publications
Interacting with other authors (e.g., commenting on articles, following).

When I started at Medium, I was initially interested in what different authors were writing about. So I followed almost every author who wrote an article that sounded interesting to me. In the meantime, I have read various articles in which authors criticized others for following too many writers. They would not interact with other authors appropriately, and they would only do it to be followed back. So is it wrong that I follow so many? I don’t think so. Of course, those who I follow can’t expect me to read every article they write, but at least there’s a chance they’ll catch my attention from time to time. I’m not a loyal fan, but I have a wide range of interests. And the suspicion of the follow/follow back game? I don’t think it works on Medium. Sure, I got a few (follow back) followers initially, but most of my followers came in the last few months, and I didn’t follow many new authors during that time.

Learning: Don’t care what others say and follow as many authors as you like.

Publications

I’m ambivalent about publications and have already written an article about the topic (Writing is an Art).

In general, it’s nice to publish in famous publications, but it does not necessarily boost your views. And sometimes, it’s very disappointing to wait, get refused after several days, and try another publication.

Learning: Publish in publications as little as possible and as much as necessary.

Social Media

After I publish an article on Medium, I usually promote it on LinkedIn and Pinterest. However, I haven’t noticed any significant effect on my views so far.

Relatively successful stories (for me, stories that earn between $10 and $20) have few views from social media, but many from Google. Here’s an example:

Learning: It is good to promote the articles via social media. But don’t expect miracles.

Distribution

Medium distribution is still a big mystery to me. Medium has distributed thirty-four of my articles, but I do not like the chosen topics for all of them, e.g., “Self.” And I couldn’t detect an effect on the views or readings.

It is also not easy to find out if your articles have been distributed and which topics.

Learning: If you want to find out more about the distribution of your stories, use the Google Chrome extension Medium Distribution Info.

SEO

Yes, I think about and choose meaningful tags and use the SEO Description. But these are basics. That’s what I’ve done from the beginning.

Am I now, after more than a year, 10,000 views, 10,000 claps, and 1,000 followers, disappointed with the result? No, I have learned a lot, become better, and still love writing. But there is also a bit of frustration. I had seriously thought that I could at least earn some more money. Well, at least it is enough to pay for the medium membership and the one or other coffee.