Medium, I’ve Got Something to Prove

I Will Build an Audience on Medium even if I have to…stick with it.

Maybe I do have something to prove on Medium. Aside from being a stubborn, self-centered Scorpio, I am also a person who doesn’t like living with regrets. And I honestly believe that if I stop writing on Medium again, I will regret it, again.

Now, Why Did I Stop Writing on Medium?

I have been a part of the Medium Partnership Program since March 16, 2020, but I stopped writing on the platform on April 23, 2020. I gave it three entire weeks and about four articles. Still on May 1, 2020, Medium put a whole $3.00 in my account.

The money wasn’t the problem. I didn’t stop because I thought I was going to be rolling in the dough or making it rain in the club. I stopped because it felt as if I was standing at a microphone in a large 10,000-seat auditorium with only two people in the room — one of them an usher and the other my mother.

Yes, I stopped writing for Medium after less than 30 days. It doesn’t make sense to me why I became frustrated so quickly. Pre-pandemic, I was a ghostwriter with no audience of my own. I had no social media presence. As a ghostwriter, a signed and legally binding contract ensured I could only enjoy an audience vicariously through my author-clients.

Oh, I’d pop in on the platform a few times a month and read a few articles here and there, but I wouldn’t post anything. What was holding me back?

I didn’t understand what was holding me back until early September of this year. In early September of this year, I watched a video on YouTube by a young lady who wrote for Medium for 30 days and only made $2.00. Another video popped up with a guy who wrote for Medium every day for 30 days and made nearly five whopping dollars.

Needless to say, I was impressed! No, I was impressed. And it provided interesting data. From this data, I concluded…

“Girl, it takes more than 30 days to build an audience on Medium.”

I could feel the sting of regret in my belly. Why didn’t I stick with it? Now I’ve lost momentum.

I inhaled. I exhaled and decided to take my “L,” and sit with it. It didn’t feel good so I got up, signed onto the platform, and read a few articles from other Medium writers who are doing the damn thing.

A New Start, A New Plan for Medium

I restarted my new Medium adventure on September 20th and I have written a12 new posts since then and gained over 200 followers. Here, I am at the three-week mark once more. People are listening. People read my work — my work. I’m no longer a ghost.

I’m not nearly where I want to be, but this time around I’m using something called “Stick-With-It-Ness.”

What is Stick-With-It-Ness

According to Steve Tobak, in his article The Value of Stick-With-It-Ness at CBS.com,

“Stick-With-It-Ness…means perseverance in the face of extraordinary competition, determination against long odds, optimism when everyone else has thrown in the towel, and standing up after being knocked down again and again.”

Yes, I’m using “Stick-With-It-Ness” on the Medium platform. And just how am I applying Stick-with-it-Ness as a writer?

I write a lot but I also read a lot. I read other people’s work on the platform and engage with what I find interesting. No, I may not read 200 articles a day but 30 isn’t bad.
I am practicing patience — it takes time for an audience to find my stories.
I've chosen to be consistent in my writing schedule. I write every day and publish every day. Publications will need time to publish my stories, but that doesn’t mean I can’t publish another story to my profile in the meantime.
I don’t obsess over stats. Occasionally (once a week), I pop in to see my progress. I use stats for what they are meant to be, analytics. I get the data, measure it, and keep it moving.
I write down tips from other writers on this platform who have been successful at building an audience. Still, I realize it’s just a tip, not a law.
I document my milestones. There is something about documenting milestones that helps me see the big picture and stay the course.

The goal is to stick with it. I am building an audience writing about stuff I am passionate about or I find interesting. Building an audience while connecting with other writers is the priority. I can make this an exciting journey or a miserable defeat. It is up to me.

A Bit of Advice to Writers on the Verge of Quitting Medium

My advice for any writer new to Medium is:

“Don’t do what I did. Don’t give up.”

Take some tips from other successful writers on this platform. Try out different tips and strategies. Don’t let anyone tell you that being on this platform isn’t working. Just keep writing and publishing.

Don’t get discouraged when there is no one reading your work at first — that will change. I do believe with time, patience, and publishing good work; you can build a great audience on Medium.

A Great Audience on Medium Awaits Us

And what is a great audience for me? A great audience is an audience of readers and writers who connect with my work. But it’s much more. We share. We support. We encourage each other on and off the Medium. Writing can be a lonely experience. I’m an extrovert personality and I am charged by my connection with others.

Maybe a great audience means something different to you. Regardless, it’s been done by other writers here on the Medium; therefore, we can do it too.

A great audience awaits us. I may not have the receipts just yet but I’m sticking with it. Give me time. I’ll prove it.

Sources

“The Value of Stick-with-it-ness — CBS News.” 9 Jul. 2009, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-value-of-stick-with-it-ness/. Accessed 7 Oct. 2021.