Medium Writing Tips
Medium Writing Tips: 7 Lessons From My First Year Writing on Medium
Some advice for new (or veteran) writers of Medium
1. Try writing about several different topics. One of the many advantages of writing on Medium as opposed to having a niche blog or submitting pitches to traditional media publishers, is that you can write about several unrelated topics, and be successful within each of those topics. Writing on Medium should be fun and is designed to encourage writers to explore new topics.
2. Connect with other writers. This does not mean you need to join Medium writer’s groups outside the platform (although, this does help). Rather, take the time to understand who is reading your writing. Many of the most devoted readers are also writers themselves. You can also join a number of similar platforms designed for writers (which are not officially related to Medium in any way) but host a disproportionate number of Medium writers.
Penname is a platform of integrated websites dedicated to content distribution and discovery; a place where writers grow their audience and readers discover stories. PenChat allows writers to connect with thousands of other writers, editors, and potential publishers and employers, through its useful instant messaging system. ManyStories allows writers to reach a similar yet fairly distinct audience of readers. If you are looking to increase your article’s exposure, posting it here is simple and free.
3. Share your successes, but also you’re failures. Success stories are an easy way to get your writing featured. However, in my experience, Medium tends to reward stories where authors acknowledge their failures (whether it’s related to their writing or a failure in their personal life). The reason for this is somewhat obvious — most readers crave authenticity. And no writer, entrepreneur, or successful individual’s life is a perfect upward trajectory of victories.
4. Shed your ego. This is sort of a follow up to the previous point. Most Medium authors write under their real names. This is a major departure from many other social media platforms where content is published. And as previously mentioned — readers crave authenticity. It’s one of the few things that differentiates your writing from that of a PR and marketing company, syndicated columnists from traditional media companies, or political pundits who serve as talking heads. Some of the most successful articles on Medium have come from a place of vulnerability and brutal honesty. This doesn’t mean you need to share every skeleton on your closet for the world to see, but checking your ego at the door goes a long way toward connecting with readers.
5. When in doubt press publish. Even though I’ve written extensively on how to optimize your Medium content, there is still a large component of randomness and unpredictability in publishing your work. I can almost guarantee that at some point, you will draft an article, decide that it turned out terrible, and consider deleting it. Invariably, some of these drafts that you were even hesitant to publish will become your top articles. So take the risk.
6. Have reasonable expectations about “success” and the possibility of making money. To this day, on of my most popular articles has been, How Much Money Can You Make Writing on Medium?
The article does provide some real value for writers on Medium trying to answer this question. But it might be worth taking a step back and evaluating why you want to write on Medium.
Some people publish on Medium with the sole goal of making money. Almost all these people fail in the long run. I see writers who have fallen into the trap of trading their creativity for the “low hanging fruit” that exists in producing click-bate content. Others offer courses where you can pay to learn how to “Get 20,000 followers in 20 days!” or promise that “Anyone can make a full-time living off of Medium!” These authors usually started out with solid content but (sometimes, unknowingly) become another form of an internet marketer. To be clear — there is nothing wrong with helping other people achieve success on Medium. I have a whole publication dedicated to it! But my posts focus on the data behind Medium stories. Things writers may not know about or focus on but can be useful to them. But having studied the earnings of many top Medium writers, it is misleading to suggest within a matter of weeks or months you can follow a formula and make a living off of Medium. There are a lot of talented writers and only a finite amount of money to go around. It may sound cheesy but it’s true — write about what you love. Don’t expect to make money publishing your thoughts online. It makes it all the more enjoyable when you do receive praise for something you are genuinely passionate about. Which brings us to my last point…
7. Content is still king and long-term success through writing requires patience. I’ve ghost written on Amazon KDP for years, and in my main account have over 200 published eBooks. A similar transition to the one on Medium occurred several years ago on Amazon’s publishing platform when Amazon introduced “Kindle Unlimited.” Despite many people’s confusion with Medium’s weighted clap payment system, a very similar payment system for writers has existed for years on one of the world’s most heavily trafficked platforms.
What was the result of Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited? Content prevailed in the long run. In the short run — cheaply produced books, modeled after people selling courses on how to make “$10,000 per month” with subpar content, that flourished (some even made the New York Times Best Seller’s List). There were (and still are) courses that focus on anyone having the ability to make money on Amazon KDP as a writer. But as mentioned earlier, this success (if you are even lucky enough to achieve it) is fleeting.
But Amazon KDP did not destroy all ghostwritten works — the one’s with insightful commentary that added value to reader’s lives still sell. I still have a few of those today I am proud of. But I am proud of them because of the useful content. And that is true on Medium too. You can develop courses, charge new writers, and market yourself as a platform specific “guru.” You can develop a large mailing list (another internet marketing tactic) but this will only matter if you have the content to keep readers coming back. I have created a few mailing lists, but I haven’t even used them to send any messages, because I’ve seen how excessive promotion can turn readers off from high quality content.
The assertion that “content is still king” applies even to those who want to focus strictly on marketing their writing, as well. Google’s search engine craves original, long-form content. Click-bait and shoddy content may sometimes make it’s way to the top of the results but it is extremely difficult to intentionally do so. Regardless, you don’t need to go viral on Medium for your work to be seen — in the digital era, content can gain organic exposure in a number of ways.
Thanks for reading this article! Leave a comment below if you have any questions. Be sure to sign up for the Blogging Guide newsletter, to get the latest tips, tricks, and news about writing on Medium and to join our Facebook group, Medium Writing, to share your latest Medium posts and connect with other writers.
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Casey Botticello is a partner at Black Edge Consulting. Black Edge Consulting is a strategic communications firm, specializing in online reputation management, digital marketing, and crisis management. Prior to founding Black Edge Consulting, he worked for BGR Group, a bipartisan lobbying and strategic communications firm.
Casey is the founder of the Cryptocurrency Alliance, a Super PAC dedicated to cryptocurrency and blockchain advocacy. He is a graduate of The University of Pennsylvania, where he received his B.A. in Urban Studies.
You can connect with him on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or by following his Medium publication, Blogging Guide.
