Summary

A writer shares their experience of earning $1.54 from publishing poetry on Medium, reflecting on the personal satisfaction and rekindled passion for writing that this small financial reward brought them.

Abstract

The author of the content, Shawn Forno, discusses the fulfillment and validation they received from earning a modest amount of money ($1.54) from their poetry on Medium. This experience has shifted their perspective on writing, emphasizing the joy of creating work that is personally meaningful, beyond the pursuit of financial gain or professional accolades. Despite the small financial return, the author expresses pride in their work and the enjoyment they derive from writing poetry. They acknowledge that while they are not planning to become a full-time poet, the act of writing and sharing poetry has reignited their love for writing. The engagement from readers and the personal satisfaction from the creative process are deemed invaluable, far exceeding the monetary value of the earnings.

Opinions

The author appreciates the intrinsic value of writing for personal enjoyment and satisfaction, not just for work or financial reward.
They believe that the ability to earn money from their poems, regardless of the amount, is a significant achievement and a source of pride.
The positive feedback and interaction from readers on Medium are highly valued and motivate the author to continue writing.
The author emphasizes the importance of writing for oneself and the joy that comes from creating something meaningful, which they had somewhat lost sight of in their professional writing career.
They suggest that Medium is a supportive platform for poets and writers to share their work and connect with an audience.
The author reflects on their journey from a liberal arts graduate taking various writing jobs to becoming a content strategist, noting that these roles had distanced them from their initial goal of personal writing.
Despite their expertise in SEO, digital marketing, and content creation, the author recognizes the need to prioritize personal writing projects that resonate with them emotionally.

POETRY

My Poetry Earned $1.54 on Medium Last Month

And I’ve never felt better about my writing

They say that if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life. And while I appreciate the sentiment, my experience with writing hasn’t always been a love affair.

Don’t get me wrong, I like being a writer, especially when I can work remotely on my schedule. Honestly, it’s never been easier to become a writer.

It’s Not Hard to Become a Writer

Actually, it’s never been easier

writingcooperative.com

But writing is still a job 99% of the time, even if you like what you do.

Which is why what happened last month is such a big deal.

Because my whole perspective on writing has shifted recently. And it’s all thanks to a handful of poems and a little extra pocket money.

Earning money as a poet

In June 2020, I earned exactly $1.54 for writing and publishing seven poems on Medium.

I know. Break out the champagne, right?

But the point isn’t that I earned just enough money to buy a (very bad) cup of coffee from my poetry. The point is that my poetry—words I’d written just for the pleasure of writing them—had actually earned me money. Real money.

And it felt kind of amazing.

But what followed quickly after learning that I’d earned a whopping $1.54 for my poems was that it had been far too long since my writing—the words I craft with my brain and my heart and a mechanical pencil—had been part of my regular writing routine.

And that needs to change.

Write for yourself

I honestly can’t imagine doing anything else other than writing. And believe me, I’ve tried.

But no matter what I keep coming back to the old keyboard and a blinking cursor because I’m addicted to what happens when you string words together in a way that makes sense to someone else.

It’s the greatest feeling in the world.

But somewhere along the way, I’d forgotten that.

Like many young liberal arts grads, I took any job that vaguely resembled writing to pay the bills. And while each job lead to better pay and more work, they also lead a little further away from my original goal of becoming a writer.

In the decade and a half since college, I’ve become an SEO expert, cutting edge digital marketer, email outreach guru, niche content creator, and content strategist extraordinaire.

But I haven’t been writing the work that matters to me. At least, not often enough.

And that’s why getting paid for those seven little poems felt so dang good. It reminded me that I don’t have to maximize my monthly earnings, grow my following, or build a bitchin’ email newsletter list to be a writer.

I just have to keep writing.

I like my poems

I don’t think any of my poems are going to shake the world or win awards. I’m not going to ditch my clients to try and make it as a poet. But I’m proud of each one.

And I’m going to write more.

I can point to this poem about spiders playing roulette or this poem about the bittersweet joy of reading a good book too quickly and say, “Hey look at this thing I made! Read this, I really think you’re going to like it!”

And that feels fantastic.

A Good Book

The bittersweet treat of a great read

medium.com

Because at the end of the day, I like writing poetry. And that means that every single penny I earned from these poems—all one hundred and fifty-four of them—is found money.

Medium is a great place for poets

I never expected many people to “clap” for my poems or even read them, really. I was just trying to get some of my ideas out there with a little drawing attached. It was just a fun project. Still is, actually.

But the response from you, the readers has been incredible. Every time someone highlights a line from my poems or replies that they loved the idea or the title or the illustration, it blows me away. And it makes me want to keep writing.

I put a few of my silly little thoughts and doodles on the internet, and people have been reading them. And that’s worth a heck of a lot more than $1.54.

Let’s see what I can write this month.

Shawn Forno is a freelance copywriter, content manager, travel writer, poet, and blogger. He loves to talk about himself in the third-person.

You can check out his writing portfolio or his super-duper helpful travel articles for more helpful tips and tricks for writers and travelers.