New Writers, Here’s How To Become Medium’s Next Top Writer
If I can do it, you can do it too!
I see many new writers who use tags (=labels) that don’t have any chance of earning them a Top Writer badge.
Why?
⚠️Because they aren’t eligible for Top Writer status.
I’ve received 17 Top Writer badges since I’ve started writing on Medium 11 months ago.
Within my first month on Medium, I unexpectedly became Top Writer in #Parenting.
This badge surprised me!
I didn’t know about this concept that allows you to become more searchable on Medium.
Within the upcoming months, I’ve gained 16 more shiny badges. This wasn’t by surprise anymore.
This happened strategically.
Here’s my social proof
As you can see below, one of my latest articles is trending and…
I belong to the Top 5 Writers in #Writing on this platform — together with Top Writer Tim Denning, Shannon Ashley, Zulie Rane, and new writer Winston, owner of Coffee Times, who recently stated my advice helped him to become a Top Writer too.
You can click here to visit the Tag Page for #Writing.
In November 2021, I made more than $600 with my side hustle.
I’m pretty sure I made most of it thanks to my Top Writer badges.
Being a Top Writer in a tag allows you to become more searchable on Medium.
Results Of My First Bootcamp For New Writers
At the moment, I’m hosting my first ‘Online Writing Kickstarter Bootcamp’ for new writers.
As another proof, I want to share one great result (of many) with you, dear new writers:
Bootcamper Trisha Dunbar (She/Her) joined the Medium Partner Program and started her writing journey in April 2021.
Based on my recommendations as her coach and the awesome writing karma in our Bootcamp (special thanks to Tamil Charles Waters T Mann Nancy Blackman AHK Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles Courtney Simms Alicia Domínguez Patricia Haddock Jameson Steward Christina) Trisha…
1 — Gained 2 Top Writer badges!
2 — Regained a lost Top Writer badge she once had!
You might say, well, Trisha has been writing on this platform for seven months now. I’ve been here for a few days or weeks.
Well, my Bootcamper Courtney Simms joined Medium last month and received a badge too!
It’s doable. So keep on reading this article.👇
Medium’s next Top Writer
The most important thing when you want to become Medium’s next Top Writer is you need to know which tags are eligible for Top Writer status.
Unfortunately, Medium doesn’t provide a list.
Voilà! Here it is.
I did the research for you.
74 tags are eligible for Top Writer status
- 2016 Election (51K published stories)
- Advice (68K)
- Architecture (35K )
- Art (166 K)
- Artificial Intelligence (158K)
- Bitcoin (291K)
- BlackLivesMatter (56K)
- Books (138K)
- Business (347K)
- Climate Change (87K)
- Cooking (27K)
- Creativity (142K)
- Culture (153K)
- Design (279K)
- Diversity (35K)
- Economics (71K)
- Education (352K)
- Energy (37K)
- Entrepreneurship (352K)
- Fashion (99K)
- Feminism (78K)
- Fiction (160K)
- Finance (164K)
- Food (178K)
- Future (52K)
- Gaming (105K)
- Government (58K)
- Health (408K)
- History (110K)
- Humor (157K)
- Ideas (36K)
- Innovation (113K)
- Inspiration (155K)
- Internet of Things (26K)
- Investing (115K)
- Journalism (61K)
- Leadership (180K)
- Life (586K)
- Life Lessons (498K)
- Love (388K)
- LGBTQ (61K)
- Mental Health (237K)
- Movies (167K)
- Music (244K)
- NBA (37K)
- Parenting (106K)
- Photography (136K)
- Poetry (511K)
- Politics (416K)
- Privacy (44K)
- Productivity (200K)
- Psychology (140K)
- Racism (64K)
- Reading (55K)
- Relationships (247K)
- Satire (50K)
- Science (109K)
- Self Driving Cars (19K)
- Self Improvement (373K)
- Short Story (157K)
- Social Media (258K)
- Space (28K)
- Sports (221K)
- Startup (509K)
- Sustainability (52K)
- Technology (390K)
- Television (74K)
- This Happened To Me (31K)
- Transportation (24K)
- Travel (350K)
- Venture Capital (62K)
- Virtual Reality (42K)
- Women In Tech (31K)
- Writing (370K)
Click here for the full list:
How to tag correctly
In July 2021, I wanted to step on the gas and see what would happen when I wrote 31 short-form posts.
Medium awarded me, Top Writer in #Social Media and #Ideas.
But what about #Short form?
❌To keep it short: I didn’t tag my articles correctly.
- #Short Form isn’t eligible for Top Writer status.
- #Short Story is the correct tag to use.
How to tag and change tags
- Go to the draft you want to add tags to.
- Click Publish.
- Chose Change tags.
- Type in your tags.
- Press Enter to confirm.
In my example, the views, claps, and comments will only count toward Top Writer status in #Short Story and #Parenting.
Only these two tags can gain you a Top Writer badge.
❌ #Family and so on don’t belong to the most popular tags on Medium. They won’t make you a Top Writer.
👍 Pro tip: You have 5 tags. Use several tags to specify your content and add Top Writer tags as well.
Final Takeaways
Dear new writers,
👍Congratulations!
Now you’ve learned that it’s absolutely doable for new writers to become a Top Writer.
Think of my bootcampers Trisha Dunbar (She/Her), who has been writing on Medium for seven months now, and Courtney Simms for one month!
You now know how to tag correctly and to use the 74 tags that are eligible for Top Writer status together with more specific ones.
If you want to dive deep into what you have to do differently from the beginning to become Medium’s next Top Writer, read my proven Guide on How To Become A Successful Top Writer in 2021, which I’ve linked below.
I think you’re gonna absolutely love my Step-by-Step Guide.
Ready to dive in?
5–4–3–2–1
GO!
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