Summary

The article emphasizes the importance of building relationships with readers on Medium to secure a future as a writer, beyond just the financial aspects of the platform's Partner Program.

Abstract

The article "Build Relationships with Medium Readers To Secure Your Future as a Writer" discusses the significance of Medium as a platform for writers, highlighting that while money is crucial for survival, the platform offers more than just monetary gains through its Partner Program. The author, Linda Kowalchek, argues that writers should not solely focus on earnings from Medium but should also value the opportunity to connect with readers. These relationships can lead to various prospects such as freelance work, speaking engagements, or book sales. Kowalchek suggests that engaging with readers by responding to comments and showing gratitude is a simple yet effective way to foster these connections. She also cautions writers to maintain professionalism in their interactions, as public comments can have lasting implications. The article encourages writers to leverage Medium's features to build a sustainable writing career and form meaningful relationships with their audience.

Opinions

Money is important for basic needs and comfort, but it shouldn't be the sole focus for writers on Medium.
The Medium Partner Program is a popular topic among writers, with discussions often revolving around the extremes of high and low earnings.
The author believes that the true value of Medium lies in its ability to help writers build relationships with readers.
Responding to reader comments is seen as a key strategy for nurturing these relationships and potentially leading to other opportunities.
Professionalism in public interactions is crucial, as comments can be screenshot and shared, affecting a writer's reputation.
The article discourages writers from being overly aggressive or inappropriate in pursuing financial success or personal connections with readers.
Medium is presented as a tool that, when used effectively, can contribute to a writer's long-term success and personal growth.

Build Relationships with Medium Readers To Secure Your Future as a Writer

Medium is a tool

Money isn’t everything. Whoever said that must have been somebody like Jeff Bezos who has a ton of it.

In reality, money is really important. It buys food and shelter, allows you to assist others in their times of need, and makes life a hell of a lot easier than when you don’t have it.

In general, people are funny when discussing money, like how much they make or how much they need and don’t have. But on Medium, people love to talk about money when it comes to the Partner Program, myself included. It is a hot topic that Medium writers usually talk about in two extremes: how some make big money and how others make virtually no money. The people who write on Medium with earnings in the middle tend to keep their mouths shut.

I’m too new to writing here to run my mouth about the Partner Program either way. I hope I end up in the extreme where I’m making big money. Still, I swear on my Chia Pet’s life that if I am wildly successful in the Partner Program, I will not create a class where I talk about how much money you can make simply by writing every day and writing what people want to read. There’s so much more to it than that. If it were that simple, everyone would be successful in the Partner Program.

It’s like losing weight. If weight loss was easy, anyone who needs to lose weight could “eat right” and exercise. I would have a body like JLo and walk around in spandex with a bare midriff to show off chiseled abs. But it’s not that easy; there’s a lot more to it.

And there’s so much more to Medium than the Partner Program, too. If you focus solely on the Partner Program, you miss out on some incredible opportunities if you want to have a career beyond the Partner Program.

Some writers on Medium are interested solely in earning money from the Partner Program. That takes a tremendous amount of work and involves a little more risk than I am interested in. I don’t feel comfortable putting all of my eggs in one basket, so for me, I want a few streams of income to rely on.

Medium’s features that allow you to build a relationship with your readers are far more valuable in the long run than the Partner Program.

Each person who reads your Medium Story is a potential relationship, and that relationship can result in an opportunity that benefits both the reader and the writer. That opportunity could be a freelance assignment, speaking engagement, or buying your book. There are so many opportunities that arise when you cultivate your relationships with your readers, and Medium makes you able to do that.

The easiest way to do this on Medium is to respond to your readers’ positive comments at the end of your stories. When you are new and don’t have tens of thousands of followers, there’s no reason that you can’t at least clap for the comment that someone took the time to write and thank people for reading your story.

Politeness goes a long way. There is no excuse for not being polite. Even a late response is better than no response.

People remember when someone is rude or blows them off, and they tend not to want to deal with that person again. Don’t be that writer who doesn’t have time for their readers. Set aside a time each day to respond to Medium reader comments. It’s that easy.

At this point in my career, it blows my mind just thinking that someone I don’t even know took the time to read something that I, a total stranger, wrote. The least I can do is show my gratitude.

Don’t forget that your comments are public and that even personal statements can be captured via screenshots and then made public, so be careful that what you write is always appropriate.

Remember, never attempt to “hook up” with your reader. That is very tacky and highly inappropriate. And your comment will likely end up in some Buzz Feed article about lecherous losers, and you will be forever humiliated. No one wants that.

Medium offers your readers an opportunity to communicate with you, the writer. If they do so, take advantage of it and reciprocate the courtesy. Over time, that reader could turn into a true fan, a business offer, or even a friend.

Medium offers a fantastic opportunity, not just from a business perspective but also from a personal perspective. Don’t miss out on it.

Use Medium’s features as a tool to build yourself an amazing future in writing.

Click here to stay in touch and to follow my writing journey.

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.