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Abstract

writing four short non-fiction books that will be ready to publish on Amazon in October.</p><p id="4958">I have been watching free classes on YouTube by <a href="https://zulie.medium.com">Zulie Rane</a>. She does a phenomenal job providing practical information about freelancing and great perspectives on Medium.</p><p id="d10f">I feel like I have plans for my future now, other than Medium, which makes me feel more secure and, frankly, more like a real writer than when I get a couple of bucks deposited into my account from the Partner Program.</p><p id="4020">Medium has become a vicious cycle of feeling like a loser because I make no money. I know I’m not supposed to admit that I want to make money on Medium, but screw it. I’m saying it. I want to make money from my writing on Medium, dammit.</p><p id="2ffc">You can call me a loser and throw rocks at me, but you had better make sure that you aren’t living in a glass house before you hurl those rocks in my direction.</p><p id="9b3f">I love Medium, and I am thankful for the opportunity to use the platform to share my stories and meet wonderful people. It’s great. But some serious coin would make it even better. And if you say you wouldn’t like more money for your writing on Medium, I think you might be a fibber.</p><p id="b123">I have felt beat down from writing on Medium when it comes to the money part. Do you know how humiliating it is to tell your husband that you made less in a month than he makes at work in one hour? Maybe you do.</p><p id="c37a">Because I feel so crappy about myself, I have difficulty finding the energy to put myself out there again with my writing on Medium, only to have a crumb or two thrown at me from the Partner Program. I feel like I’m making no progress.</p><p id="a842">And I’m <i>not</i> making progress because I’m <i>not</i> writing consistently. And that’s another thing that is my fault. So, I blame myself for that. And it all adds up into a tremendous feeling of suck.</p><p id="b762">The only thing that keeps me coming back to Medium is the great readers, writers, and interaction among all of us. And that I’m not a quitter.</p><p id="dd44">So here I am typing away, sharing my feelings because I firmly believe that <i>someone</i> out there feels the same.</p><p id="6bdb">This time, my advice is not to stick your head on your laptop and keep writing like I usually tell you to do. Nope, not this time.</p><p id="4be2">This time I’m going to tell you to branch out. Continue to build yourself as a writer. Make it so that your income from Medium has a lesser impact on how you feel about yourself. It’s easy to understand intellectually that money doesn’t equate to personal value, but it’s far more challenging to feel that way inside.</p><p id="c9c7">With other writing opportunities in my life, I don’t feel like I have bet so much on Medium. That’s a good feeling. I highly recommend it.</p><p id="7f55">Take action now. If you don’t have the skills to pursue the writing opportunities you want, acquire the skills. Take some classes; it’s amazing what is out there <i>for free</i>. Knowledge is power.</p><p id="3c31">Now it’s time for my

Options

stats from month number four. I wrote five full-length stories. That’s it. I published only in <a href="https://medium.com/illumination">ILLUMINATION</a>.</p><p id="d260">Each month, my goal is to make more money than I made the previous month. In my first month, I made $9.54. In month two, I made$ 27.46. In month three, I made $27.21. This month (month number 4), I earned$ 25.65 from five stories. What the hell? That’s not too bad.</p><p id="b54d">If I had to speculate, I would say that it looks like I’m gaining some traction. But this is Medium, so I’m not going to speculate.</p><p id="5bb8">Medium is a long game, and I’m here for the duration. I’ve got other things that I need to devote time to, like cleaning the house and other writing projects, but I’m still going to publish on Medium as much as possible.</p><p id="b16b">Medium is a great platform, and I love it. I’m not going anywhere.</p><p id="a14a">Onward and upward.</p><p id="c5eb"><a href="http://lindakowalchek.ck.page">I’m trying to build my email list. Please help an old lady.</a></p><p id="499b"><i>Linda Kowalchek is a work in progress and a member of the typewriter generation. She spends her time with her husband and her rescue cats, waiting for golf balls to crash through their windows. PSA: Don’t live next to a golf course.</i></p><div id="8349" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/my-third-month-writing-on-medium-d9539ea9765c"> <div> <div> <h2>My Third Month Writing on Medium</h2> <div><h3>I was thrown off track like a derailed train.</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*ZxWuZ3_7TrMWVEIR70m5Tg.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><div id="6b43" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/i-took-two-weeks-off-from-writing-on-medium-57b840888a5e"> <div> <div> <h2>I Took Two Weeks Off From Writing on Medium</h2> <div><h3>What I learned and how much I earned.</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*nC1lQOJ7NJFo84d-chGPoA.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><div id="f229" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/i-took-three-classes-about-making-big-money-on-medium-783b947d8f2"> <div> <div> <h2>I Took Three Classes About Making Big Money on Medium</h2> <div><h3>Here’s what none of them taught me.</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*1eRhpO0DD0vEWMrh-neO0A.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div></article></body>

My Fourth Month Writing on Medium

The delicate balance between writing and the rest of my life.

I just completed my fourth-month writing on Medium. My biggest challenge during the last four months has been balancing Medium and the rest of my life so that the two can co-exist in a happy little world filled with rainbows, designer purses, and unicorns. It’s not happening.

I’ve run into a few challenges. First, I was sick for more than the first half of the month. That was unfortunate. When I finally recovered from feeling like a pile of garbage, I was faced with a filthy house, no clean clothes to wear, and four rescue cats giving me the stink eye because the carpet they walk on with their delicate little paws needed immediate vacuuming. I have yet to tend to the housework.

The cats are trying to figure out how to reach the Health Department to turn me in. They will probably start picketing in front of the condo tomorrow morning. I’m trying to buy some extra time with them by giving them more treats than usual. I hope it works.

I only wrote five full-length stories on Medium this month. That is my all-time low. I have never published so few stories.

So, what did I do with all of my time once I was feeling better? It’s not like I’ve been cleaning the house. And I didn’t spend my time writing on Medium. I spent a lot of time thinking about my future and the role that Medium will play in that future.

This isn’t the first time that I’ve tried to figure this out. I keep thinking about the part that Medium will play in my writing career because I haven’t been able to figure it out to my satisfaction. I keep telling myself to keep my head in my MacBook, keep writing, and it will all work out. But what if it doesn’t?

I am one of those people who are incapable of living in the moment. I am incapable of all of that mindfulness stuff. I think I might be allergic to it. I can’t seem to do it.

But I don’t dwell in the past either. I am off somewhere in the future. I am trying to figure out what next move is the right move to make. What am I supposed to do next?

I am told that no one can predict the future. I don’t like that answer. So, I took some steps to plan my future.

One of the things that have bothered me is that Medium is my only writing gig. Given how little I am publishing on Medium, having Medium as my sole writing job isn’t acceptable. I decided to change that.

I am working on a proofreading class so that I can freelance as a proofreader once I complete the course. Of course, you know how I love to take classes.

I enrolled in a workshop that Shaunta Grimes offers. I will be writing four short non-fiction books that will be ready to publish on Amazon in October.

I have been watching free classes on YouTube by Zulie Rane. She does a phenomenal job providing practical information about freelancing and great perspectives on Medium.

I feel like I have plans for my future now, other than Medium, which makes me feel more secure and, frankly, more like a real writer than when I get a couple of bucks deposited into my account from the Partner Program.

Medium has become a vicious cycle of feeling like a loser because I make no money. I know I’m not supposed to admit that I want to make money on Medium, but screw it. I’m saying it. I want to make money from my writing on Medium, dammit.

You can call me a loser and throw rocks at me, but you had better make sure that you aren’t living in a glass house before you hurl those rocks in my direction.

I love Medium, and I am thankful for the opportunity to use the platform to share my stories and meet wonderful people. It’s great. But some serious coin would make it even better. And if you say you wouldn’t like more money for your writing on Medium, I think you might be a fibber.

I have felt beat down from writing on Medium when it comes to the money part. Do you know how humiliating it is to tell your husband that you made less in a month than he makes at work in one hour? Maybe you do.

Because I feel so crappy about myself, I have difficulty finding the energy to put myself out there again with my writing on Medium, only to have a crumb or two thrown at me from the Partner Program. I feel like I’m making no progress.

And I’m not making progress because I’m not writing consistently. And that’s another thing that is my fault. So, I blame myself for that. And it all adds up into a tremendous feeling of suck.

The only thing that keeps me coming back to Medium is the great readers, writers, and interaction among all of us. And that I’m not a quitter.

So here I am typing away, sharing my feelings because I firmly believe that someone out there feels the same.

This time, my advice is not to stick your head on your laptop and keep writing like I usually tell you to do. Nope, not this time.

This time I’m going to tell you to branch out. Continue to build yourself as a writer. Make it so that your income from Medium has a lesser impact on how you feel about yourself. It’s easy to understand intellectually that money doesn’t equate to personal value, but it’s far more challenging to feel that way inside.

With other writing opportunities in my life, I don’t feel like I have bet so much on Medium. That’s a good feeling. I highly recommend it.

Take action now. If you don’t have the skills to pursue the writing opportunities you want, acquire the skills. Take some classes; it’s amazing what is out there for free. Knowledge is power.

Now it’s time for my stats from month number four. I wrote five full-length stories. That’s it. I published only in ILLUMINATION.

Each month, my goal is to make more money than I made the previous month. In my first month, I made $9.54. In month two, I made $27.46. In month three, I made $27.21. This month (month number 4), I earned $25.65 from five stories. What the hell? That’s not too bad.

If I had to speculate, I would say that it looks like I’m gaining some traction. But this is Medium, so I’m not going to speculate.

Medium is a long game, and I’m here for the duration. I’ve got other things that I need to devote time to, like cleaning the house and other writing projects, but I’m still going to publish on Medium as much as possible.

Medium is a great platform, and I love it. I’m not going anywhere.

Onward and upward.

I’m trying to build my email list. Please help an old lady.

Linda Kowalchek is a work in progress and a member of the typewriter generation. She spends her time with her husband and her rescue cats, waiting for golf balls to crash through their windows. PSA: Don’t live next to a golf course.